Livability Score

74
/100
i The AreaVibes Livability Score evaluates 9 different categories and creates an overall score out of 100. The higher the score, the better the area.

amenities D-

There are not many amenities close to this location.
Coffee (6) F
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Kneaders Bakery & Cafe
Coffee Shop
Paradise Bakery & Cafe
Coffee Shop
Dutch Bros. Coffee
Coffee Shop
Sunsational Coffee
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Memo's Bistro
Coffee Shop
Black Rock Coffee
Coffee Shop
Entertainment (3) F
Surprise Stadium
Stadium
AMC
Cinema
Uptown Alley
Bowling Alley
Food and Drink (58) D-
In-N-Out Burger
Fast Food
Tokyo Joe's
Fast Food
Raising Cane's
Fast Food
Chipotle
Fast Food
Firehouse Subs
Fast Food
Salad and Go
Fast Food
Jack in the Box
Fast Food
McDonald's
Fast Food
Five Guys
Fast Food
Chick-fil-A
Fast Food
Einstein Bros. Bagels
Fast Food
Taco Bell
Fast Food
Del Taco
Fast Food
Carl's Jr.
Fast Food
Subway
Fast Food
Sonic
Fast Food
McDonald's
Fast Food
Rosati's
Fast Food
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Sweets
Freddy's
Fast Food
Crumbl Cookies
Sweets
Dunkin'
Fast Food
Church's Chicken
Fast Food
Burger King
Fast Food
Taco Bell
Fast Food
Fitness (2) F
Esporta Fitness
Gym
Groceries (13) F
Sprouts Farmers Market
Grocery Store
Walmart Supercenter
Grocery Store
Fry's Marketplace
Grocery Store
Safeway
Grocery Store
Walmart Neighborhood Market
Grocery Store
Trader Joe's
Grocery Store
Fry's Food and Drug
Grocery Store
Albertsons
Grocery Store
Bashas'
Grocery Store
Safeway
Grocery Store
Bashas'
Grocery Store
Walmart Supercenter
Grocery Store
Fry's Food and Drug
Grocery Store
Food City
Grocery Store
WinCo Foods
Grocery Store
Walmart Supercenter
Grocery Store
Fry's Marketplace
Grocery Store
Safeway
Grocery Store
Parks (280) A+
Surprise Community Park
Park
Lane & Drive Park
Park
149th & Parkview Park
Park
Central Park
Park
Drainage Basin
Park
Lower Ventura Park
Park
Parkway Park
Park
Parkway Park
Park
Veterans Memoral Park
Park
Johnson Townhomes Park
Park
Marley Park
Park
Corrine Park
Park
Marley Park
Park
Centennial Friendship Park
Park
Bill Gentry Park
Park
Surprise Farms I Park
Park
Lower El Mirage Wash Basin
Park
Halifax Park
Park
Shops (42) D-
Kohl's
Department Store
Circle K
Convenience Store
T-Mobile
Electronics
Target
Department Store
The Home Depot
Home Improvement
Lane Bryant
Clothing
Bed Bath & Beyond
Houseware
PetSmart
Pets
Barnes & Noble
Books
Famous Footwear
Shoes
Ross
Department Store
Best Buy
Electronics
Ulta Beauty
Beauty
Pure Patio
Furniture
rue21
Clothing
Lowe's
Home Improvement
Voulez Vous Nails
Beauty
T-Mobile
Electronics
Visionworks
Optician
Supercuts
Hairdresser
Nail Touch
Beauty
T-Mobile
Electronics
QuikTrip
Convenience Store
Vicky Nails & Spa
Beauty
Loil Life LLC
Beauty
See more Surprise amenity data

commute F

Of all people who commute, 0.2% take public transportation in Surprise.
Public Transit Stops (3)
Stops & Stations
D-
Surprise Park and Ride
Bus Station
Workers Taking Public Transit
0.2%
F
See more Surprise commute data

cost of living B-

The cost of living in Surprise is 115/100 - which is 14% higher than Arizona.
Cost of Living
Goods & Services, Housing, etc.
D+
Tax Rates
Income & Sales Tax
C+
See more Surprise cost of living data

crime A

Surprise crime rates are 1,521 per 100k, which is 39% lower than Arizona
Property Crime
1,403 crimes per 100k
B
Violent Crime
118 crimes per 100k
A+
See more Surprise crime data

employment A-

The median income in Surprise is $71,192 - which is 39% higher than Arizona.
Med. Household Income
$71,192
B-
Unemployment Rate
2.6%
A
See more Surprise employment data

health D+

There are not many hospitals, police and fire stations,
Health & Safety (32)
Dentist, Doctor, Hospital, etc.
A+
Surprise Police Dept HQ
Police
Surprise Fire Dept HQ
Fire Station
Banner Health
Clinic
PVPD - Palm Valley Pediatric Dentistry
Dentist
CVS Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Surprise Fire - Medical Station 305
Fire Station
Walmart Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Southwest Dental Group
Dentist
Fry's Pharmacy
Pharmacy
CVS Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Walgreens
Pharmacy
Walgreens
Pharmacy
Banner Urgent Care
Clinic
Maricopa County Sheriff
Police
Walgreens
Pharmacy
Surprise Fire Medical Station 302
Fire Station
The Village Dental Center
Dentist
Albertsons Pharmacy
Pharmacy
FastMed
Clinic
Walgreens
Pharmacy
Safeway
Pharmacy
Risas Dental and Braces
Dentist
Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center
Hospital
Arizona Eye Institute
Clinic
Banner Del E Webb Medical Centers Louisa Kellam Center for Womens Health
Clinic
Air Quality
Median Air Quality
F
See more Surprise health & safety data

housing A+

Surprise home prices are $258,700 - which is 46% higher than Arizona
Home Price
$258,700
A+
Home Appreciation Rate
24%
A+
Home Affordability
3.6x (home price to income ratio)
C+
See more Surprise housing data

schools C+

The Surprise graduation rate is 89% - which is 8% higher than Arizona
School Test Scores
51%
D-
High School Grad. Rates
89%
B+
Elementary Schools (23) F
West Point Elementary School
Parkview Elementary
Freedom Traditional Academy
Ashton Ranch Elementary School
Countryside Elementary School
Kingswood Elementary School
Arizona Charter Academy
Paradise Education Center
Imagine Surprise Middle
Legacy Traditional School - Surprise
Surprise Elementary School
Calibre Academy Surprise
Marley Park Elementary
Imagine Rosefield
El Mirage School
Rancho Gabriela
Thompson Ranch Elementary
Dysart Elementary School
Cimarron Springs Elementary
Sonoran Heights Elementary
Canyon Ridge School
Riverview School
The Palms Christian School
High Schools (11) F
Dysart Ischool
West-Mec - Valley Vista High School
Valley Vista High School
Imagine Prep Surprise
Highland Prep
E-Institute At Surprise
West-Mec - Dysart High School
Dysart High School
See more Surprise education data

ratings C+

Surprise has an overall rating of 67% from 32 reviews.
User Reviews (2)
From AreaVibes
C-
User Surveys (30)
From AreaVibes
A
See more Surprise user rating data
Amenities Commute Cost of Living Crime Employment Health & Safety Housing Schools User Ratings
Photo of Surprise, AZ
( 32 Ratings )

Living in Surprise, AZ

Surprise Area Facts

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Surprise Reviews

Write a review about Surprise Tell people what you like or don't like about Surprise…
Surprise is a great place to live. 5 rating By Anonymous ( Dec 02, 2021) We love living in Surprise. There are a large variety of shops and restaurants. People are friendly and the atmosphere is nice. If you are looking to buy in the Phoenix area you can't go wrong with Surprise. ...Read More Read Less
Surprise Law Enforcement 1 rating By cw69j ( Nov 02, 2014) The city of surprise is a beautiful place. It would not be a good place to live however. They have a young eager police force. You are taking a BIG risk driving through the city of Surprise Arizona. You better watch out for the police. They are hiding around every corner, cons ...Read More tantly pulling innocent victims over. Giving out tickets that cost huge bucks for any little thing they can find. I don't know if this is a big source of revenue for the city of Surprise, AZ or what. I know I am always highly paranoid with a death grip on the steering wheel while driving through the city of Surprise, AZ. I see the police always pulling people over, I wonder when they are going to get me. I was lucky for about a year, then suddenly, on Halloween night 2014, bam they got me. It was a darkly lit area coming out of a strip mall with my little daughter in her Halloween costume, just about to go trick or treat. I was making a left turn and wammo a big young eager police got me. I asked why I was pulled over and he said I made an illegal left turn coming out of the strip mall. Like I said it was very dark, there was no median and I did not see any signs posted. I let the young officer know and he pointed to a little tiny sign way high up on this light poll as he handed me a computer printed ticket from the mother ship. The ticket will cost me almost two hundred dollars. Wow, what a gut punch! Thanks City of Surprise. While I was pulled over I saw two other people pulled over in my vicinity at the same time. Can we say entrapment? The police have no remorse, they act like brainwashed robots. It seems like a military zone in Surprise, AZ but they are swarming the wrong folks. Just good people, trying to make it. It is a real shame, the city of Surprise is such a gorgeous city. My Advice is to stay away from the City of Surprise Arizona, there are nice little cities around it, unless you like getting BIG fines!

Checkout these links for more interesting information:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/10/jessie-thornton-dui-sue-racial-profiling_n_3415356.html

http://politicaloutcast.com/2013/06/no-surprise-here-man-arrested-for-dui-blows-000/

http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/401105/Armed-intruder-stopped-with-MMA-in-Surprise-Arizona

http://www.lawlessamerica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=288:surprise-arizona-police-officer-mike-phillips-arrested-accused-of-dui-and-endangerment-&catid=123:news-reports&Itemid=223

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/26958

http://www.mcdui.com/officer-journal



Yours Truly, Chris. Read Less
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Compare Surprise, AZ Livability

      vs

      Surprise, AZ

      An aptly named city if ever there was one, Surprise, Arizona boasts a surprising number of interesting facts and cool things to do. It occupies over 300 square miles of land about 30 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix, part of the Valley's famed urban sprawl. It is the 2nd fastest growing and 9th largest suburb of one of the country's most rapidly growing cities in a state that was 2nd in growth in the 1990s.

      Let's look at some economics. Compared to state and national averages, median income per household is higher; income per capita is lower. You can expect to shell out more money in Surprise for rent, income tax, sales tax, and gas; the most notable overages are house pricing (double digits) and utility costs (another three times the housing overage, thanks to summer temperatures). Goods and services, groceries, monthly mortgage, and health care come to the rescue with costs substantially below state and national averages. Bottom line: the combined cost of living in Surprise is higher than the state and national averages, though only marginally.

      Bordered by the White Tank Mountains to the west, Lake Pleasant Regional Park to the north, and situated in the Sonoran Desert, it's a hot-spot for outdoor enthusiasts looking for the best hiking, trail riding, boating, fishing, camping, and wildlife watching the state has to offer. Phoenix Metro is a Major League Baseball spring training mecca, and Surprise is arguably its Sanctuary. The city is home to Surprise Stadium, a hugely popular valley landmark. Both the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers left facilities in Florida to call the $48 million stadium their spring home. The city's aquatic center, recreation center, Passive Park, and beloved library are close by, and together comprise Surprise's downtown development.

      Wait, there's more. There's a professional-grade tennis complex, authentic dude ranch, world-class golf courses, the Truman Ranch II citrus-picking farm, dog-friendly eateries, and prime shopping with one of the biggest and newest regional malls in Arizona. Eight months out of the year it puts on an outdoor music festival, and every December throws itself a birthday party featuring a carnival, car show, hot air balloons, camels, and mountains of food. The only downside is public transportation. The options are regrettably negligible, but to date that hasn't mattered enough to thwart growth.

      Surprise had a humble beginning and was named after low expectations. Founder Flora Mae Statler once proclaimed she would "be surprised" if the one square mile amounted to anything. But it has, and will continue to do so. The city maintains its humility while churning out livability perks left and right. That it's quickly reached beloved status should come as a surprise to no one.

      D- Amenities

      Are there many local amenities in Surprise? Well, there are not many amenities close to this location.

      Parks

      Surprise Community Park
      Lane & Drive Park
      149th & Parkview Park
      Central Park
      Drainage Basin
      Lower Ventura Park
      Parkway Park
      Parkway Park

      Entertainment

      Surprise Stadium
      AMC
      Uptown Alley

      Food & Drink

      In-N-Out Burger
      Tokyo Joe's
      Raising Cane's
      Chipotle
      Firehouse Subs
      Salad and Go
      Jack in the Box
      McDonald's

      F Commute

      Is public transit available in Surprise? Of all people who commute, 0.2% take public transportation in Surprise.
      Drive to Work
      79%

      3% higher than the US average

      Take Public Transit
      0%

      5% lower than the US average

      Walk to Work
      1%

      2% lower than the US average

      C- Health & Safety

      Is Surprise a healthy and safe place to live? Yes, there are some hospitals, police and fire stations.

      Hospitals

      Medical Expansion

      Pharmacies

      Albertsons Pharmacy
      Walgreens
      Walmart Pharmacy
      CVS Pharmacy
      CVS Pharmacy
      Fry's Pharmacy
      Walgreens
      Walgreens

      Doctors