Catalina Foothills Named Best Suburb To Live In Arizona

TUCSON, AZ — The unincorporated community of Catalina Foothills claimed the top spot in Niche's 2021 Best Suburb to Live in Arizona rankings.

The enclave knocked off the likes of Scottsdale, Gilbert, Chandler and Paradise Valley — the quartet that rounded out the top-five spots in the latest rankings.

The rankings were determined by using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, CDC and other agencies, combined with reviews from people that live in the area.

The rankings consider a variety of topics to determine a town or city's standing, including affordability, local housing market, neighborhood diversity, local public schools and walkability, to name a few.

Catalina Foothills earned high marks for its public schools, as well as its ranking for families and its nightlife options — all of which earned an A- or A+ ranking.

The suburb's standing took a bit of a hit when it comes to diversity and housing, both of which earned a B+ rating — though both scored high enough to carry Catalina Foothills to the number-one spot on the 2021 list.

The lowest rating for the community in total was cost of living, which earned a C, due to having a medium home value of $440,100 — more than double the national average of $217,500.

Nationally, Niche's research found that Chesterbrook, PA was the best place to live in America, while The Woodlands, TX earned top honors in the Best Cities to Live in America rankings.

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