The 10 Safest Cities In Arizona For 2024

The safest cities in Arizona are San Luis and Thatcher for 2024 using Saturday Night Science.

What do 7.2 million Arizona residents know that we don't? Well, besides how cool it is that Sedona has a pretty happening art scene or how much fun can be had on the ski slopes in Flagstaff, Arizonans know that their state has some of the safest places to live in America.

To find Arizona's safest cities, you must know how to navigate the state's property and violent crime heat map. We looked at the FBI data on crime for places in Arizona with more than 5,000 residents and created a list of the safest places to live in The Copper State for 2024.

Our research led us to multiple conclusions. One, there are safe places throughout Arizona from Tucson in the state's southern region to Page in the northern part. And two, you should look at our list of Arizona's safest places below before making any decisions. There are some surprisingly dangerous places in Arizona, also.

So, where can you live in Arizona and feel safe? Keep reading.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table

Here are the 10 safest cities to live in Arizona for 2024:

  1. San Luis (Homes For Sale)
  2. Thatcher (Homes For Sale)
  3. Somerton (Homes For Sale)
  4. Chino Valley (Homes For Sale)
  5. Oro Valley (Homes For Sale)
  6. Florence (Homes For Sale)
  7. Sahuarita (Homes For Sale)
  8. Gilbert (Homes For Sale)
  9. Queen Creek (Homes For Sale)
  10. Douglas (Homes For Sale)
Safest Cities In Arizona Map

There's a direct correlation between the safe places to live in Arizona and the places Arizona's educated residents are all moving to.

But what's the safest place to live in Arizona? The safest place to live in Arizona for 2024 is San Luis.

We're sure that San Luis is not only going to continue to be one of Arizona's safest areas, but it's going to be one of Arizona's fastest growing cities.

Do you want to know the other places that prioritize safety in The Valentine State? Take a look below.

For more reading on safe places to live in and around Arizona, check out:

The 10 Safest Cities In Arizona For 2024

San Luis, AZ
Source: Flickr User digitalbookmobile | CC BY 2.0

Population: 38,528
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 51 (third safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 550 (third safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on San Luis: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
4
/10

Sometimes the US-Mexico border gets a bad rap for being dangerous, but San Luis hurts that narrative by being the safest place in Arizona.

What's especially impressive in San Luis is it's remarkably low rate of violent crimes -- in a city of over 30,000 residents, San Luis experienced only 8 violent crimes in the last year of data. That leaves residents with just a 1 in 4,134 chance of being the victim of a violent crime in a year, which is light years ahead of the national average.

So you can check out the Yuma Territorial Prison Museum as a visitor, but it's unlikely any San Luis residents will become full-time tenants.

Thatcher, AZ
Source: Flickr User ossguy | CC BY-SA 2.0

Population: 5,369
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 37 (second safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 633 (fifth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Thatcher: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
6
/10

Get ready to pack your mini-van and move to Thatcher -- it's one of the safest places for families, and all people, in the Copper State.

With the second safest rate of violent crime in the state, you won't have to worry about installing a panic room in your house. Interestingly, this is the second year that Thatcher was eligible for our list as it just passed the 5,000 person threshold this year. Moving on up and moving on into the safest places.

Thatcher is a town in Graham County.

Somerton, AZ
Source: Wikipedia User RicardoCr5 | CC BY-SA 4.0

Population: 14,480
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 62 (fourth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 552 (fourth safest)
Murders: 3
Murders Per 100k: 20
More on Somerton: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
5
/10

Everyone is Somerton practices safe practices throughout the day -- they hit their 10,000 steps a day, eat their vegetables, and don't smoke. All that leads to the fifth lowest property crime rate and eighth overall placement.

Located so far west it is basically in California, Somerton offers it's safety at a low cost -- the median rent here is only $620/mo. So unlike Paradise Valley, everyone can afford to be safe here.

Chino Valley, AZ
Source: Flickr User Ken Lund | CC BY-SA 2.0

Population: 13,875
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 100 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 497 (second safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Chino Valley: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
7
/10

Ranked fourth in safety across Arizona, Chino Valley touts a low 100/100k people violent crime rate and an even lower 0.0 murder rate. The town also enjoys a modest 497/100k people property crime rate, reflecting its secure environment among its 13,875 residents.

Chino Valley's status as the first Territorial Capital bolsters its historical value. At the same time, its strategic location near Prescott and Ash Fork offers connectivity without sacrificing safety, reinforcing its position as a secure and historically significant town in Yavapai County.

Oro Valley, AZ
Source: Wikipedia User The original uploader was Danman083 at English Wikipedia | GFDL

Population: 48,441
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 33 (safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,187 (12th safest)
Murders: 1
Murders Per 100k: 2
More on Oro Valley: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
9
/10

Oro Valley ranks as the fifth safest city in Arizona.

And to be honest, it's probably pretty hard to commit any crime when you're too busy golfing around any of the almost ten golf clubs in town.

For those ambitious people willing to put down the golf club for half second, they did manage to place Oro Valley with the safest violent crime rate in the state.

Located in southwestern Arizona, the city scores a solid 9 / 10 on our SnackAbility score -- meaning it's a great place to live all around and not just because it's safe.

Florence, AZ
Source: Wikipedia User Tony the Marine (talk) | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 26,814
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 134 (13th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 372 (safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Florence: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
5
/10

Florence ranks as the sixth safest city in Arizona.

Looking into Florence, you'll notice that there's an abnormally high number of prisons in the area. We'd propose that the people that live in town see what life in prison is like and choose to avoid it. That leads to the safest rate of property crime in the state and the 13th safest rate of violent crime. And if the prisons aren't the reason for the low levels of crime then it's probably the "Country Thunder" music festival each year that booms the crime away.

Florence is a town, 61 miles southeast of Phoenix, in Pinal County

Sahuarita, AZ
Source: Wikipedia User Brian Basgen | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 36,229
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 99 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 921 (eighth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Sahuarita: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
8.5
/10

Before we get into how safe it is here, try to pronounce Sahuarita. Ready? It's pronounced swrit -- which was a surprise to my east coast sensibilities.

This city 15 miles south of Tucson cracked the top ten for both violent and property crime for 2024. You can certainly find a master planned community complete with gate here so that you never have to worry about getting robbed again.

Gilbert, AZ
Source: Wikipedia User Tony the Marine (talk) | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 277,123
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 116 (11th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,016 (tenth safest)
Murders: 2
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Gilbert: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
9
/10

Let's go through a quick scenario -- you just finished a meal with your family, your snacking on ice cream and watching the Voice on TV. You know that feeling?

That's what everyone has in Gilbert.

The city finished in the top 20% for both violent and property crime per capita, but did manage to fall down a peg from last year's second place finish.

But don't feel sorry for Gilbert, we ranked it as the third best place to live in 2018.

Gilbert is located near Paradise Valley in Maricopa County.

Queen Creek, AZ
Source: Wikipedia User Tony the Marine | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 72,229
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 145 (14th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 992 (ninth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Queen Creek: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
6
/10

Queen Creek, with a population of 72,229 in Maricopa County, Arizona, is ranked as the ninth safest city in the state. This community, part of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area and historically known as "Rittenhouse," only had 105 violent crimes and 0 murder cases in 2024.

Queen Creek's commendable safety is reflected in its low 145/100k people violent crime and 992/100k people property crime rates per capita, with a mere 85 burglaries. The city's proactive policing is evident from its rankings: 14th safest in violent crime and ninth safest in property crime.

Douglas, AZ
Source: Wikipedia User Jeff Henley | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 16,529
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 114 (tenth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,264 (13th safest)
Murders: 1
Murders Per 100k: 6
More on Douglas: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
4
/10

In Arizona, Douglas stands out as the tenth safest city, boasting a low 19 count in 2024. Notably, incidents of murder are rare.

This city in Cochise County shares its heritage with the historical border town of Agua Prieta, marked by mining and settlement tales. With crime rates at just 114/100k people for violence and 1,264/100k people for property offenses, Douglas's police force ranks at tenth safest for handling violent crime and at 13th safest in property crime across Arizona.

Methodology: How we calculated the safest cities in Arizona for 2024

Safest Cities in Arizona Graph

While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Arizona are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in Arizona.

Specifically, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:

  • Violent crimes per capita (murders, assaults, rapes, armed robberies)
  • Property crimes per capita (thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts)

For example, there were 232 crimes committed in San Luis, with a reported population of 38,528. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.006, which translates into a 1 in 166 chance of being the victim of a crime.

We only looked at Arizona cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 53 of the biggest cities in Arizona to rank.

We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 53 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.

Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In Arizona," with any ties going to the bigger city.

The safest city in Arizona, based on our criteria, is San Luis. The most dangerous city in Arizona? Globe, where residents had a 1 in 15 chance of being the victim of a crime.

This article has been update for 2024. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in Arizona. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2022 report.

Best Places To Raise A Family In Arizona

Summary: The Safest Cities In The Grand Canyon State

Looking at the data, you can tell that San Luis is as safe as they come in Arizona, according to science and data.

But as most Arizona residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.

The safest places in Arizona are .

Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in Arizona according to the data:

  1. Globe
  2. Tolleson
  3. Holbrook
For more reading, check out:

Where Are The 10 Safest Cities In Arizona For 2024?

Rank City Population Violent Crimes Per 100k Property Crimes Per 100k Murders Per 100k Murders
1 San Luis, AZ 38,528 51 550 0 0
2 Thatcher, AZ 5,369 37 633 0 0
3 Somerton, AZ 14,480 62 552 20 3
4 Chino Valley, AZ 13,875 100 497 0 0
5 Oro Valley, AZ 48,441 33 1,187 2 1
6 Florence, AZ 26,814 134 372 0 0
7 Sahuarita, AZ 36,229 99 921 0 0
8 Gilbert, AZ 277,123 116 1,016 0 2
9 Queen Creek, AZ 72,229 145 992 0 0
10 Douglas, AZ 16,529 114 1,264 6 1
11 Maricopa, AZ 66,525 187 762 1 1
12 Paradise Valley, AZ 12,663 94 1,429 0 0
13 Buckeye, AZ 110,002 186 1,037 0 1
14 Surprise, AZ 154,128 118 1,403 1 2
15 Prescott Valley, AZ 49,422 283 752 4 2
16 Camp Verde, AZ 12,362 186 1,375 0 0
17 Peoria, AZ 197,894 195 1,381 1 3
18 Litchfield Park, AZ 6,989 271 1,273 0 0
19 Marana, AZ 57,119 85 2,230 1 1
20 Lake Havasu City, AZ 59,166 275 1,358 0 0
21 Wickenburg, AZ 7,868 101 2,008 0 0
22 Chandler, AZ 281,373 182 1,807 3 11
23 Goodyear, AZ 107,212 168 1,860 1 2
24 Prescott, AZ 47,878 401 1,328 2 1
25 Sierra Vista, AZ 45,611 280 1,618 2 1
26 El Mirage, AZ 36,039 330 1,417 13 5
27 Snowflake-Taylor, AZ 10,834 350 1,412 9 1
28 Scottsdale, AZ 245,886 214 2,355 2 5
29 Apache Junction, AZ 41,099 328 1,912 9 4
30 Sedona, AZ 9,829 376 1,739 0 0
31 Payson, AZ 16,638 492 1,622 0 0
32 Bullhead City, AZ 41,035 263 2,705 2 1
33 Mesa, AZ 513,116 427 1,769 5 27
34 Cottonwood, AZ 12,680 339 2,042 0 0
35 Yuma, AZ 98,164 561 1,687 19 19
36 Safford, AZ 9,916 221 3,338 0 0
37 Nogales, AZ 19,725 243 3,553 5 1
38 Kingman, AZ 34,803 382 3,160 2 1
39 Eloy, AZ 15,717 693 1,934 0 0
40 Show Low, AZ 12,157 658 2,007 0 0
41 Avondale, AZ 91,467 419 3,157 6 6
42 Coolidge, AZ 16,027 555 2,514 24 4
43 Flagstaff, AZ 75,013 519 2,884 1 1
44 Casa Grande, AZ 61,271 576 2,668 8 5
45 Glendale, AZ 250,466 544 3,239 7 20
46 Phoenix, AZ 1,637,902 825 2,901 13 217
47 Tempe, AZ 187,473 584 4,334 3 7
48 Tucson, AZ 550,448 698 3,620 11 61
49 Page, AZ 7,328 818 4,462 13 1
50 Winslow, AZ 9,298 1,150 3,710 21 2
51 Holbrook, AZ 5,098 804 5,786 0 0
52 Tolleson, AZ 7,351 1,033 10,964 13 1
53 Globe, AZ 7,155 1,593 5,017 0 0

Breaking Down Crime In The Safest And Most Dangerous Cities In Arizona

Safest Cities in Arizona Breakdown

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn.

Safest Cities By State

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