Living in Sun City West, AZ
Suburb in Arizona
Sun City West is a suburb in Arizona, home to about 27,000 people, with 3.0 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly houses with yards.
Is Sun City West a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
- Dog-friendly: 33 dog parks within 9 mi
- Low taxes: about $755 state income tax per resident, 0.47% property tax
- Strong healthcare: 7 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Hot summers: highs around 104°F
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Weaker public schools: test results below the US average
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Sun City West ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Sun City West: common questions
What is the cost of living in Sun City West?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $473k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,450 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 103, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Sun City West?
Arizona collects about $755 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.47% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Sun City West safe?
Sun City West isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.
How are the schools in Sun City West?
Public schools in Sun City West test below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 18 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Sun City West?
Sun City West is warm all year: winter days average around 66°F and summer days around 104°F.
Does Sun City West get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and heat waves: 3 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.59 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Sun City West?
The nearest major airport is PHX, about 26 mi away.
How Sun City West scores
Each bar compares Sun City West with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Sun City West
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Arizona.
Is Sun City West right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.