Moving to a state
Moving to Arizona in 2026: Costs, Taxes and Where People Go
By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Published November 10, 2026.
Is Arizona a good place to live?
Arizona's 2.5% flat income tax is one of the lowest in the country, and its effective property tax rate is among the lowest of any state. Growth is concentrated in the Phoenix area's outer suburbs, where towns like Queen Creek and Buckeye have added people faster than almost anywhere in the state since 2020.
| Measure | Arizona | New York metro |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday prices (US = 100) | 100.7 | 112.6 |
| Housing costs (US = 100) | 106.8 | 148.6 |
| Median listed home | $459,900 | $742,000 |
| Principal and interest a month | $2,527 | $4,078 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,699 | $1,997 |
US median listed home: $419,250 (Realtor.com, September 2026). Prices: BEA 2024. Rent: Census ACS 2025. Payment assumes 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac).
Taxes in Arizona
- Income tax: top rate 2.50% in 2026source.
- Property tax: 0.44% of home value statewide; the median homeowner pays $1,894 a yearsource.
- Sales tax: 5.60% state, 8.52% with the average local ratesource.
- Social Security: not taxed by the state.
Who is moving to Arizona
Arizona gained 31,107 residents to moves within the US in 2024-25, 5th among the 50 states and DC. The recent peak was +105,434 in 2019-20.
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2019-20 | +105,434 |
| 2020-21 | +84,233 |
| 2021-22 | +68,315 |
| 2022-23 | +34,804 |
| 2023-24 | +34,303 |
| 2024-25 | +31,107 |
Top-ranked Arizona cities and towns
From our ranking of every Arizona place with 20,000+ people on home values, rent, commutes and growth. See the full list on best places to live in Arizona.
| Place | Median home value | Median rent | Growth since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Creek | $635,400 | $2,210 | +51.4% |
| Buckeye | $419,800 | $1,963 | +37.1% |
| Marana | $413,800 | $1,818 | +26.2% |
| Lake Havasu City | $455,400 | $1,320 | +3.9% |
| Goodyear | $471,300 | $1,956 | +30.4% |
| Prescott Valley | $413,200 | $1,580 | +12.2% |
| Maricopa | $377,200 | $1,998 | +34.8% |
| Surprise | $435,100 | $2,033 | +22.5% |
Phoenix, Tucson or a smaller city
Compare the two big metros on our Phoenix and Tucson cost of living pages, then see every Arizona city and town of 20,000+ ranked on best places to live in Arizona and cheapest places to live in Arizona.
Rules once you arrive
Update your driver's license, car registration and voter registration, and file a part-year return in both states for the year you move.
The verdict
Arizona is a good place to live if you want mild winters, a low flat income tax and low property taxes, and you are ready for desert summers.
Read next: best places to live in Arizona, cheapest places to live in Arizona, rent in Phoenix, tax-friendly states for retirees, or the full cost of living in Arizona.