Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Paradise Valley grades B+ overall, 14th of 139 graded towns in Arizona. The median household earns $247K. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 98% of the country. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $3.6 million for a typical one and 40.7 times the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income. 74% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Paradise Valley, above both the Arizona town median (24%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Of the 133 Arizona towns we compare, none has a higher median rent than Paradise Valley. Paradise Valley has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Edward L. Jones House and Louise Lincoln Kerr House and Studio.
Where Paradise Valley beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Paradise Valley | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.3% | 13.2% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Elementary School | PK–5 | 690 |
| Kiva Elementary School | PK–6 | 609 |
| Montessori Academy | K–8 | 107 |
Edward L. Jones HouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Paradise Valley is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for jobs and income (better than 98% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 4%), so the B+ overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 6,637 in 1970, 12,658 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1888 and 4 maps from 1904 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Paradise Valley. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaState Farm Stadium
10 mi Stadium & arenaMortgage Matchup Center
10 mi Stadium & arenaChase Field
9 mi Stadium & arenaMountain America Stadium
17 mi Stadium & arenaDesert Diamond Arena
3 mi MountainCamelback MountainState Farm Stadium: Taken by en:Flickr user MCSixth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mortgage Matchup Center: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chase Field: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tyler J. Bolken, Public domain · Mountain America Stadium: Clintus McGintus, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Desert Diamond Arena: Unknown, CC BY 2.0 · Camelback Mountain: Dru Bloomfield from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Paradise Valley, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Paradise Valley.
Paradise Valley is among the three healthiest towns in Arizona, fares better on crime within Arizona than nationally and has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 40.7 years of the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income, the typical home (about $3.59M) costs more against local pay than in any other Arizona town; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Values rose 12% in the past year while the Arizona typical home fell 1%.
95% of Paradise Valley households own their home. Typical home values rose 12% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Scottsdale Unified District. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 690 | A+ |
| Phoenix Country Day School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 760 | – |
| Kiva Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 609 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
It ranks #2 of the 140 Arizona towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Arizona is no health insurance: 4.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 13.2% statewide.
9.7% of adults report frequent physical distress in Paradise Valley. No town among the 140 in Arizona we compare has a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Paradise Valley. 10% of adults report frequent mental distress in Paradise Valley.
| Paradise Valley | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.3% | 13% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 31% | 33% |
| What stands out | Paradise Valley | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.3% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.5% | 15.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.6% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 47 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Paradise Valley.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 11.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 89% of Arizona’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 167 to 79 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Paradise Valley’s violent crime rate is 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Paradise Valley | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.6 per 1,000 residents | 11.1 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Tempe Asu weather station, 9 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 298 days, longer than in 97% of U.S. towns. The Tempe Asu weather station, 9 miles away, records that about 179 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Paradise Valley has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. The July high in Paradise Valley is 105°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 3,977 in 2013 to 6,689.
Of the 140 Arizona towns we compare, none has a higher median household income than Paradise Valley. Jobs based in Paradise Valley grew to 6,689 in 2023, 2,712 more than in 2013. Most working residents leave Paradise Valley for work: only 6% work in town.
| Paradise Valley | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $247,000 | $68,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 26% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.5% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
2.7 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Among 136 Arizona towns, just 5 have a lower trail density than Paradise Valley. Phoenix Mountains Preserve, at 167 acres with 1.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Paradise Valley | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.3% | 15% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Phoenix Mountains Preserve | 1.4 mi | 167 |
| 2. Echo Canyon Recreation Area | 0.4 mi | 91 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
24 within 15 miles of the center of Paradise Valley
About 4 of every 100 Paradise Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
4 places in Paradise Valley on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Paradise Valley.
Town in Maricopa County, Arizona
Paradise Valley is an affluent suburb of Phoenix. The town is known for its golf courses, resorts and restaurants, the workshop of Paolo Soleri, and close proximity to Scottsdale and Phoenix. According to the 2020 census, its population was 12,658. The town's name comes from the expansive area known as Paradise Valley that spreads from north of the Phoenix Mountains to Cave Creek and Carefree on the north and the McDowell Mountains to the east. Resident children in the majority of the municipality attend schools in the Scottsdale Unified School District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Paradise Valley.
| Town | AZ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley | #14 | B+ | D− | B+ | B+ | A+ |
| Phoenix | #65 | C+ | C | D | B+ | B+ |
| Scottsdale | #24 | B | D | C | B+ | A+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Paradise Valley grades B+ overall, better than 71% of U.S. towns and #14 of 139 in Arizona. It grades A+ for health, B+ for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
8 notable people were born here, including Charles Brewer and Jessica Tonn.
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