State relocation profile · Federal data
Arizona
Arizona sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 100.7
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,419
- 2BR rent / mo
- $72,019
- Median salary
- 47.7
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Arizona ranks #33 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (47.7/100, D), with its strongest marks in environment and schools.
- #33 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 47.7
- Life Score · D
- 100.7
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $72,019
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: safety (18/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Arizona ranks #33 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 100.7 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,419/mo, median salary $72,019; Life Score 47.7/100 (D), strongest in environment and schools.
Signature: BEA RPP 100.7 ranks #35 of 51 states for higher prices (dearer third of the corpus).
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 100.7 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,419/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $72,019.
Composite Life Score 47.7/100 (D) sits mid-pack (#33 of 51).
Metro book is mid-sized (7 MSAs); state averages still hide corridor-level rent and wage gaps.
Life Score plate
Sheet AZ · Arizona 47.7/100 · D · #33 of 51
LIFE-D · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-PAR · LEAD-ENVIRO · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-D Life Score D
- RANK-LOWER #33/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.2 pts
- RPP-PAR RPP 100.7
- LEAD-ENVIRO Lead · environment
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Alaska ( -0.2 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Arizona
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Arizona on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Arizona childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Arizona (infant $11,301/yr leads the book).
Arizona Life Score breakdown
Arizona composites to 47.7/100 (D) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #33 of 51.
Arizona - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Environment
Environment
82 /100
- Schools
Schools
78 /100
- Wages
Wages
62 /100
- Childcare
Childcare
45 /100
- Rent
Rent
38 /100
- Cost of living 32
Cost of living
32 /100
- Safety 18
Safety
18 /100
What this shows Arizona's strongest dimensions are environment and schools; its weakest among scored dims is safety at 18/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Arizona on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Arizona on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Arizona
Explore detailed relocation data for 7 metropolitan areas in Arizona. Arizona contains 7 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Flagstaff, Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Flagstaff metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Arizona cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Arizona wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.