These 16 Arizona cities were named top places to live or retire. Do you agree though?

Arizona continues to attract new residents, whether they are people looking for a good place to raise a family or a calm spot to retire.

An end-of-the-year ranking from U-Haul showed that Arizona was the sixth most popular state to move to in 2024, a statistic that's likely to be repeated in 2025.

If you're considering moving to Arizona or relocating within the state, there's a city for you to call home whether you're focused on the good schools for your children, amenities, peace and quiet or happiness.

Aerial shot of a residential neighborhood in Peoria, a suburb of Phoenix, on a sunny day.

From metro Phoenix to Snowflake, here's what to know about all the cities and towns ranked as great places to live in or retire to in 2025.

Tucson ranked among cheapest US cities for retirement

A recent study found that one Arizona city in particular was among the 20 most affordable places to retire in the United States.

GOBankingRates ranked Tucson as the 16th most affordable place to retire in the United States. The consumer banking publication used three variables to complete its rankings: monthly expenditure, percent of the population aged 65 or older and an overall livability score out of 100.

2 Arizona cities were named top spots to retire in the West

Parker and Lake Havasu City made Travel + Leisure magazine's 2025 list of best cities to retire in. There seemed to be a common theme among the cities named best to retire in: natural beauty. The most popular retirement cities boast tons of outdoor activities, perfect for people looking to breathe in the fresh air and take the road less traveled after years of work.

Parker is a small town in western Arizona, located on the Colorado River near the border of California. Even though it's home to less than 4,000 residents, Parker is the largest town in La Paz County. The median home sold price is $315,000.

Lake Havasu City is another great place for the outdoorsy folks to spend their retirement. Lake Havasu City is just north of Parker in Mohave County, also on the California border. The county's median monthly housing cost is $914, well below the monthly averages.

2 Arizona cities named among best places to retire in the US

U.S. News & World Report has published its annual ranking of the 150 best places to retire in the United States at the end of 2024.

Despite the high presence of retirees in cities like Sun City West and Oro Valley, only two Arizona cities were large enough to make the list — Phoenix and Tucson.

The greater Phoenix area came in at No. 52, a few spots behind Tucson, which was No. 45. Phoenix's thriving job market, nice winter weather and low cost of living compared with coastal cities were all reasons for the ranking.

Tempe is a top US city to move to in 2025

According to study analysts, Tempe's strong job market, vibrant lifestyle and safety also make it an attractive suburb for movers. The city's tech, education and health care industries contribute to its strong economic growth, while its urban-style amenities, safe streets and strong biking culture give Tempe a city feel within a suburban setting, analysts said.

2 Arizona cities named among top 100 cities to live in

Two Arizona cities were named among the top 100 places to live in the United States, according to a newly released study.

Each year, Livability.com publishes its list of top 100 U.S. cities. The study focuses on small- to medium-sized cities as it's a "sweet spot in size for getting plugged in, finding your people and feeling at home fast." Livability also pays extra attention to affordability, only scoring cities with a median home value of $500,000 or less.

Gilbert was the highest-ranked Arizona city. Though the list isn't ranked, it had the 11th highest score overall and the fourth highest in the Southwest. Livability touted the "booming economy, fabulous health care facilities" and cost of living as top reasons to live in Gilbert.

Tempe was the only other Arizona city on Livability's list, though it did have a lower score and landed further down on the list. Livability touted the large number and high quality of amenities in Tempe, in addition to its economy and health status.

9 small towns were named the best places to live in Arizona

World Atlas, a geography website, has named the nine best places to live in Arizona outside of metro Phoenix, highlighting some under-the-radar small towns where nature is just a few steps away and the cost of living is lower.

The towns on the list included:

• Florence
• Green Valley
• Sahuarita
• San Luis
• Sierra Vista
• Snowflake
• Somerton
• Thatcher
• Vail

Scottsdale named best city to raise a family

Scottsdale was named the best city in the nation to raise a family in a new study by home improvement brand and television show "This Old House."

Scottsdale took the top spot for families in the study, primarily because of its education options and community environment. Three more Arizona cities — Gilbert, Chandler and Tempe — also fell into the top 15 cities on the list.

Arizona ranked 30th best state to live in

Arizona may not be the best state to live in, but it's still not the worst, according to the newest best states ranking from U.S. News and World Report.

Arizona came in near the middle of the pack at No. 30, which is up two spots from last year. Though Arizona received higher rankings in the economy, health care and infrastructure categories, it wasn't enough to outweigh lower rankings on crime, environment, education and more.

Scottsdale named happiest Arizona city

Each city was assigned an overall score based on its ranking in the three categories. Scottsdale ranked No. 8 overall, two spots higher from last year's ranking. Gilbert and Chandler also made it to the top 50, and another six Arizona cities were scattered across the rest of the list.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: These 16 Arizona cities were named top places to live or retire. Do you agree though?