The 9 Best Neighborhoods to Live in Phoenix

Year-round sun, luxurious resorts, an extensive outdoor scene… Yep, we’re talking about Phoenix, Arizona. Known as the ‘Valley of the Sun,’ this bustling city is blooming with growth and innovation.

Phoenix is the 5th most populated city in the entire United States and only seems to be growing. With cacti that can grow over 50 feet tall and sunsets that can rival the best instagram filters, this desert metropolitan area looks like something out of a movie.

Plus, it’s got over 200 lush golf courses and over 180 city parks, you’ll be surprised at the green oasis Phoenix offers in the middle of the sprawling desert.

Whether you’re into any of the four major professional sports leagues, driving directions that finally make sense, lower cost of living, an average of 330 days of sunshine every year or arguably the best Mexican food north of the border, Phoenix has you covered!

So, get rid of those winter coats, stock up on sunscreen, get ready to finally use that Polaroid you got last Christmas, and for the love of all that is good—make sure you don’t have leather seats in your car as you prepare to join the hordes of young professionals looking to take advantage of all that Phoenix has to offer.

In order to help you find that perfect, shady spot to call home, we’ve compiled a list of the top nine unique and happening neighborhoods in Phoenix.

What's more, we've built a ranking system for each one to help you make this big decision. We’re ranking:

• Atmosphere: nightlife & entertainment, shopping & restaurants, and beauty & parks

• Amenities: schools, public transit, and points of interest

• Experience: safety, affordability, and walkability

The end result is a prioritized list of the best places to move to in Phoenix, Arizona.

Why listen to us? We may not be creating as many jobs as the greater Phoenix area, but we’ve been creating top rental experiences across the USA for a long time. We’ve picked up a thing or two along the way!

Perfect for young professionals looking for a chill lifestyle, surrounded by culture, and close to everything.

Welcome to the most diverse neighborhood in Phoenix. This thriving business district is excellent for commuters, and even better for dogs with their humans.

Grab your four-legged best friend and explore the dozens of local parks and coffee shops sprinkled throughout the area. Here in Alhambra, your pet will have no problem making friends and having fun chasing the tennis balls breaking free from the Phoenix Tennis Center— the hub of Arizona’s recreational tennis community.

Looking for local shopping? Check out the Uptown Farmers Market held every Wednesday and Saturday morning and shop your way through charming and homemade products from hundreds of regional vendors.

If there is one thing Alhambra has, it’s the luxury of eating food, bursting with flavor, to your heart’s content. If the top-notch, authentic Mexican restaurants or the classic sushi and mouth-watering soul food eateries aren’t enough to satisfy your culinary cravings, you can always head over to Bowlero Christown and try your luck with their massive 6-pound burger.

Alhambra offers unbeatable access to nearly every hotspot in Phoenix. Thanks to the I-17 and the light rail, you are pretty much less than 25-minutes from anywhere you want to go. Scoring high in our School ranking, Public Transit, Nightlife & Entertainment, and Affordability, Alhambra is a welcoming spot to call home.

Apart from a couple of areas you might want to avoid late at night, Alhambra offers a comfortable lifestyle filled with diverse culture and delicious food— all at a very affordable price.

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

Here's how Alhambra scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸💸💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍 📍 📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability: 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for young professionals and families looking for a convenient and central location in Phoenix.

Arcadia is the ideal neighborhood to balance work and play. Located near the famous Camelback Mountain and just a short 10-miles from Downtown, this charming, up-and-coming neighborhood is the go-to spot for some of Arizona’s best shopping and dining.

The upscale boutiques at Camelback Village Center, the trendy cocktail bars, the antique shops at Gaslight Square, and the hip brew pubs and lounges all offer countless ways to relax and spoil yourself after working that 9-5—what a way to make a living.

Embrace the unique outdoor life that Arcadia has to offer and summit Camelback Mountain. This iconic spot offers breathtaking views of the entire area and particularly Instagram-able sunsets.

You also can’t miss out on the multi-use 3.6 miles of the Arizona Canal Trail, perfect for running, walking, and cycling. Just make sure to bring water and avoid the hottest times of the day— you are in the middle of the desert after all!

Arcadia is the ideal place to go for a classy night out. Hit up the wine bars and the refined restaurants for a sophisticated evening on the town. Arcadia scores a 3/5 on our Nightlife & Entertainment category because it’s more of a relaxed party scene. For those looking to turn up all night long, you’ll need to catch a ride over to downtown.

Arcadia is a picturesque oasis with a 5-star rating in Safety, Schools, Beauty & Parks, and Shopping & Restaurants. It’s the perfect place for a relaxed, safe, and classy place to call home.

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

Here's how Arcadia scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍 📍 📍 📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability: 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for young, remote-working professionals that want some fresh air.

Desert Ridge is a master-planned community outside the hustle and bustle of downtown Phoenix. It’s the ideal place for some peace and quiet, right next to the beautiful mountains in your backyard.

Desert Ridge is home to the famous Desert Ridge Marketplace— a stunning, outdoor complex home to hundreds of unique shops that provide you with premier shopping, fitness centers, high class restaurants, and plenty of entertainment. It’s an incredible complex where, apart from shopping until you’re dropping, you can hit up the Bocce ball courts, cool off in the splash pad, or dance the night away to the local, live music.

Another can’t miss staple of Desert Ridge is the Musical Instrument Museum which, in addition to holding concerts and events, houses thousands of instruments from around the world. It’s a great place to get inspired to finally take those guitar lessons you’ve been strumming about forever.

It’s more common to move around by car in this area, Walkability gets a low rating of only 2/5. Once you arrive at the hot-spots you can walk to your heart's content, it’s just a matter of getting there first.

However, for gorgeous golf courses, quaint communities, and superb schools, look no further!

If you are looking for a safe and affordable area, removed from the stress of downtown living, close to the mountains, and surrounded by endless fine dining, then make sure to check out Desert Ridge.

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

Here's how Desert Ridge scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍 📍 📍 📍 📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability: 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for students and young professionals looking for hip and trendy city-living in the middle of all the action.

Downtown Phoenix— a modern supercenter bursting with energy— is the happening spot in Arizona for city life. You can find everything you want or need inside the busiest neighborhood in Phoenix.

Home to one of the Arizona State University campuses, Downtown Phoenix thrives off of the cocktail bars, pizzerias, and hip shops that surround the ASU campus. The students and young professionals contribute to the fast-paced and innovative environment with fresh ideas, start-ups, and lots of energetic working power.

Wander through the interactive displays at The Arizona Science Center, learn about Arizona’s dynamic culture and extensive history at the Arizona Capitol Museum, or kickstart your imagination at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix. No matter what you choose, you won’t run out of interesting places to take your friends and family when they come to town.

Looking for adventure? Head outside to explore a crazy number of local hiking trails heading in every direction. Or, for those looking for something a little bit farther away, zip over the quick four miles to the Skyharbor International Airport. This downtown neighborhood has you covered for every kind of weekend trip, near or far.

Get your fit on commuting to work on Bicycle Boulevard, a 4.6 mile stretch of bike lanes, or take any of the useful public transportation options that bring our score in Public Transit to an impressive 5 stars.

Downtown Phoenix is the heartbeat of the city and offers modern convenience set among historic houses, countless art galleries, and trendy shops. Whether you’re shopping your way through the CityScape Complex, catching the baseball game at Chase Field, or meandering through the Saturday morning open-air markets, you’ll quickly fall in love with this vibrant, warm, and buzzing neighborhood.

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

Here's how Downtown Phoenix scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍 📍 📍 📍 📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability: 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for golf fanatics and active young people looking for lots to do on the weekends.

Paradise Valley Village is a bustling neighborhood. Here you’ll find a more residential and established vibe, filled with plenty of open space.

Famous for its golf courses like Stone Creek Golf Club and Orange Tee Golf Resort, Paradise Valley Village also boasts high-end, full-service resorts nearby that really know how to do it right. Whether you are into gaining some extra distance on your golf swing or gaining some extra time lounging by the pool, you will have no trouble finding the perfect way to spend your sunny weekends.

Paradise Valley Village gives you great access to the Phoenix Mountains. Take in the impressive views from the top of the mountains or discover the hiking, equestrian, and biking trails on offer. The Indian Bend Wash greenbelt offers even more greenspace to indulge in. Basically, there’s a reason this neighborhood scores a perfect 5 in our Beauty & Parks category.

There is no shortage of tasty dining options to enjoy with your friends after work. Pick a different restaurant every night of the week and you still wouldn’t be able to hit every kind of cuisine available to you.

With tons of trendy nightlife, points of interest surrounding you in every direction, a perfect score in safety, high quality school systems, and entertainment options to keep you busy all year long, Paradise Valley Village is a highly desired neighborhood in Phoenix.

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

Here's how Paradise Valley Village scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍 📍 📍 📍 📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability: 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for active families and young professionals looking for an affordable lifestyle.

Located a couple miles north of the city center, Encanto Village is one of the city's smallest and therefore most densely populated neighborhoods. The city’s Midtown district is included in this urban village, and when combined with downtown, this area makes up the biggest center of employment in the entire state of Arizona.

One of the treasured highlights of this area is Encanto Park, 220 acres of coveted green space in the middle of the desert. Go fishing in the lagoon, catch up with your work buddies on one of the two stunning golf courses, take a paddle boat out to birdwatch... There’s even an amusement park complete with bumper boats! Your weekends have never looked so appealing.

It’s no wonder Encanto Village scores a 5 in Public Transit. It has fantastic access to the Valley Metro Rail, with four different stops all located within the area. You also have the airport only 10-minutes away, making all those work trips a breeze.

Check out the latest contemporary exhibits at the Phoenix Art Museum or spend your Saturday shopping at the Park Central mall. Catch a show at the historic Phoenix Theatre (one of the oldest of its kind originally founded in 1920) or get your culture on and take in an opera across the street at the Arizona Opera. Whatever you choose, it’ll be worthy of an Instagram story.

Encanto scores at 3/5 for Safety, so it’s important to get to know your neighborhood and know which areas to avoid at night in order to take advantage of the trendy restaurant scene and the vibrant nightlife.

Encanto Village is ideal for those looking to be conveniently close to everything in Phoenix with lots of gorgeous greenspace at a live-able price point. Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

Here's how Encanto Village & Midtown scored:

• Affordability:💸 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍 📍 📍 📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability: 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for young families looking to be close to downtown in a safe and peaceful neighborhood.

Camelback East offers the ideal mix of urban amenities with a chill, calm suburban feel. Here, residents get the best of both worlds with convenience and a safe, leisurely lifestyle going hand-in-hand.

Located in northeast Phoenix, Biltmore offers a high quality of life with a slice of nature in its back pocket. The acclaimed Arizona Biltmore luxury resort is right next door, so you can find every excuse to celebrate yourself at this innovative wonder. Transcend your surroundings in the outdoor garden, cleanse your palette, or enjoy the evening in the adults-only pool. Sorry, kids!

After you’re done with your self-care, head outside to treat yourself to some iconic nature at Camelback mountain, explore the Salt River, or cruise along the Arizona Canal Trail. The area scores an impressive 5 in Beauty & Parks. Biltmore is the ideal place to explore the great outdoors by walking, jogging, or cycling.

Still haven’t found something to do? On your weekends, you can take the short drive over to the Phoenix Botanical Garden for thousands of plants from all over the world, or to the Phoenix Zoo to learn about over 1,400 different animals.

Whether you are checking out the designer clothing at Biltmore Fashion Park or getting your grind on at the numerous buzzing coffee shops sprinkled throughout the neighborhood, Biltmore has you covered for a productive and balanced lifestyle. With a 5-star rating in both Safety and Schools, Biltmore takes family life to a whole new level.

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

Here's how Camelback East: Biltmore scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍 📍 📍 📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability: 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for young professionals who love an active life with plenty of entertainment and nightlife.

Known as the Jewel of the Southwest, Scottsdale is considered by many one of the best places to live in the entire country. The never-ending sunshine, bustling economy, and luxurious quality of life will spoil you with good vibes, good energy, and a good mood.

Although technically located east of Phoenix, Scottsdale is a great neighborhood for those looking to have it all, including prime proximity to the greater Phoenix area.

Scottsdale has you more than covered in terms of public transportation with a perfect 5-star rating. Hop on the free trolley systems that take you all around Scottsdale. They also connect you to other transit systems, including the Valley Metro Transit system that serves both Scottsdale and the greater Phoenix area. That, along with easy buses and a convenient cab system, gives you plenty of ways to avoid getting stuck in that heavy, tourist traffic.

If golf is your thing, you can perfect that swing at one of over 200 golf courses in the surrounding area. Whether you are into tee time, tea time, or some tree time, Scottsdale has something for every hobby, indoors and out.

For some top-notch entertainment, check out the year-round festival scene filled with an appreciation for the arts, culinary delights, and fresh air fun. Don’t miss out on incredible events such as the Arizona Taco Festival that not only has a taco competition, but Lucha Libre wrestling, a chile pepper eating competition, and even a Chihuahua beauty contest!

If you make the move to Scottsdale, you’ll get to take advantage of plenty of job opportunities, beautiful nature, endless entertainment, and enough date night options to last a lifetime.

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

Here's how Old Town Scottsdale scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍 📍 📍 📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability: 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

The number one place to live in Phoenix. Perfect for young families and young professionals that love outdoor life.

Sophistication, luxury, relaxation, convenience, and some of the best nature in Phoenix all help to make North Mountain Village come in at the top of our list of neighborhoods to call home in Phoenix.

With an inexhaustible number of ways to keep yourself busy and endless amounts of ways to relax and take it easy, living in North Mountain Village offers a balance hard to find anywhere else.

Pull out those roller-skates, show off those fresh new kicks, download that podcast, it doesn’t really matter how you choose to soak up the incredible outdoors in the area, just make sure not to forget your sunscreen!

Expand your horizons and reward your palate at the exclusive Different Pointe of View restaurant. Enjoy mouthwatering plates like the famous Lobster Bisque while gazing out of the floor to ceiling windows sitting 1,800 feet above the city. The perfect place to take that special someone for any kind of celebration.

North Mountain Village is ideal for families— whether that’s fur-babies or the human kind. With endless kid-friendly and pet-friendly entertainment, this neighborhood provides something for everyone. Plus, it wins a 5-star rating in Schools, Beauty & Parks, Safety, and Walkability, what more do you need?

From the swanky eateries to the casual bars, the chill hikes to the rigorous adventures on North Mountain, the relaxing resorts to the wild nightlife and everything in between, North Mountain Village has you covered with a perfect score in almost every single category on our list!

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

Here's how North Mountain Village scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍 📍 📍 📍 📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability: 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Time to check out the numbers for Phoenix, Arizona.

Starting at the bottom, the cost of living in Phoenix is about average in terms of Affordability coming in at 3.1. Walkability also doesn’t score very high at an overall average of 3.3. So, keep that in mind as you are planning for your budget and your commute.

That out of the way, see what all the outdoor hype is about with an average score of 4.3 in Beauty & Parks. Both our Nightlife & Entertainment and Points of Interest categories also score a 4.3, providing you with plenty of ways to live it up in this buzzing city.

Satisfy all of your tastebuds and give your wardrobe a new look, all without ever leaving your neighborhood as Phoenix scores an impressive 4.7 average in Shopping and Restaurants.

A 4.1 in Safety, a 4.4 in Public Transit, and an outstanding 4.7 in Schools, all contribute to the expanding opportunities for a good quality of life that Phoenix has to offer.

If you are looking for a city that knows how to live it up outside, inside, and in the workplace, then look no further than Phoenix, Arizona!