Surprise, AZ Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions: Surprise, AZ Crime & Safety

Is Surprise, AZ safe in 2026?

Surprise earns an overall crime grade of A — the highest possible rating — making it one of the safest mid-sized cities in Arizona. Every single one of the 12 neighborhoods analyzed received a Grade A or higher, meaning 100% of Surprise neighborhoods fall into the "safe" category. Communities like Dove Valley, Sierra Montaña, and Copper Canyon Ranch each hold an A+ designation, the top tier on our scale. For context, the city's poverty rate sits at just 7.6% and unemployment at 4.7% — both figures that correlate strongly with sustained low crime levels. Residents and newcomers can feel confident that Surprise is a genuinely secure place to live, work, and raise a family.

What is the crime rate in Surprise, AZ?

Surprise's crime profile is exceptionally favorable. Across all 12 neighborhoods analyzed, 100% received a Grade A — none fell to B, C, D, or F. That means zero neighborhoods in Surprise are flagged as elevated-risk areas. The city's higher-income corridors, including Copper Canyon Ranch (median household income: $132,440) and Marley Park ($113,125), anchor the A+ cluster at the top. Even neighborhoods identified as the relatively higher-crime areas within Surprise — such as Surprise Farms — still hold a solid Grade A rating, underscoring how narrow the safety variance is across the entire city. Compared to national benchmarks, Surprise's across-the-board A grades place it well above average for cities of its size (~139,007 residents).

What are the safest neighborhoods in Surprise, AZ?

All ten of the safest neighborhoods in Surprise carry an A+ grade. Here's how the top tier breaks down by income and population:

• Copper Canyon Ranch — A+, median income $132,440 (highest in the city)
• Marley Park — A+, median income $113,125, population ~2,761
• Greer Ranch — A+, median income $105,525, population ~2,963
• Asante — A+, median income $101,414
• Sierra Montaña — A+, median income $92,801, population ~7,545
• Desert Oasis at Surprise — A+, median income $88,617
• Sun City Grand — A+, population ~16,432 (largest A+ neighborhood)
• Arizona Traditions — A+, median income $75,166
• Happy Trails / Great Eagle Golf Club — A+, median income $65,979
• Dove Valley — A+, median income $78,694

Notably, Sun City Grand stands out as the largest safe neighborhood with over 16,000 residents, demonstrating that safety scales well even in Surprise's most populous communities. Families seeking top-rated schools and newer construction tend to gravitate toward Marley Park and Copper Canyon Ranch, while active retirees favor Sun City Grand and Arizona Traditions.

Is Surprise, AZ a good place to live in 2026?

By nearly every measurable indicator, yes. Surprise combines a Grade A city-wide safety rating with an accessible median home value of $257,309 — well below the Phoenix metro average — and a median household income of $71,192. The unemployment rate of 4.7% and poverty rate of 7.6% reflect a stable local economy. With a population of roughly 139,007 spread across 486 residents per square mile, the city maintains a suburban feel without the congestion of denser urban cores. The fact that all 12 analyzed neighborhoods — 100% — hold a Grade A safety rating is rare for any city of this size and sets Surprise apart from many peer communities in the Southwest. Whether you're a first-time buyer, a growing family, or a retiree, the combination of affordability, safety, and community infrastructure makes Surprise a compelling choice.

Which Surprise neighborhoods have the highest crime relative to the rest of the city?

It's important to put this in perspective: even the neighborhoods with the highest relative crime rates in Surprise still earn a Grade A — the best possible rating. Surprise Farms is the only neighborhood that grades at A rather than A+, placing it at the bottom of an otherwise exceptional city-wide ranking. Happy Trails / Great Eagle Golf Club, Arizona Traditions, Sun City Grand, and Marley Park round out the list of areas with slightly higher activity within the safe range — yet all four hold A+ grades. In short, Surprise has no high-crime neighborhoods by any standard definition. The gap between the safest and the least-safe area in the city is measured in fractions of a grade, not full letter grades.

How does Surprise, AZ compare to other Arizona cities for safety?

Surprise's 100% Grade A neighborhood distribution is a strong differentiator. While many Arizona cities of comparable or larger size show a mix of A, B, C, and lower-graded neighborhoods, Surprise has zero neighborhoods graded B or below across all 12 areas analyzed. Its low population density of 486 people per square mile — much lower than Phoenix or Scottsdale's core areas — contributes to this pattern, as does its relatively high median income of $71,192. The city's newer master-planned communities, such as Marley Park and Greer Ranch, were designed with walkability and community engagement in mind, factors that research consistently links to lower property and violent crime rates. For homebuyers and renters comparing options across the West Valley, Surprise's uniform A-grade safety profile is a meaningful data point.