Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A city of 200,881, settled in 1888.
For a city of 200,881, Peoria does well: it grades B, 25th of 139 graded towns in Arizona. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 86% of the country and its schools rank ahead of 77% of Arizona towns. The trade-offs: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 75% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top, and the typical home is worth about $480K, 5.4 years of the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income. 42% of the land in Peoria is conserved, above both Arizona’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Lake Pleasant Regional Park, at 17,791 acres with 27.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. On the outdoors, just 6 of Arizona’s 207 towns do better.
Where Peoria beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Pleasant Elementary | PK–8 | 1,267 |
| Vistancia Elementary School | PK–8 | 1,089 |
| Academy of Math and Science Peoria Advanced | K–8 | 1,030 |
154,065 counted in 2010 and 190,985 in 2020; an estimated 200,881 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 5.2% since 2020, after 24% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Peoria is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 300 in 1910, 190,985 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1906 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Peoria, 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 Peoria.
Peoria fares better on crime within Arizona than nationally, keeps more of its land conserved than most of Arizona and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns.
Its 47,541 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 79% of Arizona towns. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #3 of 140 in Arizona.
223 miles of trail in 63 parks and preserves. At 1.2 miles per square mile, Peoria’s trail density is near the Arizona town median (1.1) and above the median of U.S. towns (0.4).
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Pleasant Regional Park | 27.5 mi | 17,791 |
| 2. Paloma Regional Preserve | 17.3 mi | 2,579 |
| 3. Sunrise Mountain Preserve | 7.2 mi | 319 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A− is the best School Grade on its borders; Phoenix (B+) is next.
Its public schools are run by the Peoria Unified School District. Three of its 62 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Pleasant ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 1,267 | A− |
| Liberty High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 2,510 | B |
| BASIS PeoriaTop results in townGrades 5–12 | Grades 5–12 | 1,021 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
12% of adults report frequent physical distress in Peoria. Peoria beats the Arizona average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 19% of adults get no exercise outside work in Peoria.
| Peoria | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 24% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Peoria | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.1% | 14.7% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 10.3% | 13.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here grew from 30,490 in 2013 to 41,940.
Most working residents leave Peoria for work: only 8% work in town. 23% of Peoria workers work from home. Since 2013, Peoria has added 11,450 jobs, to 41,940 in 2023.
| Peoria | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 23% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $68,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 12% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Since 1978, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Peoria.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Youngtown weather station, 14 miles away, records that about 175 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 42.7°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 103.3°.
Peoria has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. Peoria’s July high is 103°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Peoria | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 103°F | 100°F | 85°F |
| January low | 43°F | 36°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Its typical home is the priciest on its borders; Surprise is next at $416K. The typical value, about $480K, is 11% below its July 2022 peak.
The median rent in Peoria is $1,843 a month. The typical Peoria home is worth about $480,000, down 0.7% in a year, 15% above the Arizona typical home.
| Peoria | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,843 a month | $1,190 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 59% | 46% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (23% statewide). Peoria has grown 5.2% since 2020, to 200,881 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 36% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Arizona.
| Peoria | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 24% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 22% | 18% |
51.5% women, 48.5% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across Arizona, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 42.8, men 40.7.
| Peoria | AZ | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.3% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.4% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.4% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.8% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.3% | 10.8% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.3% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.8% | 10.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.5% | 23.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.2% | 23.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.3% | 9.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.1% | 20.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.1% | 13% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
At 21.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 59% of Arizona’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Peoria. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaState Farm Stadium
29 mi Stadium & arenaMortgage Matchup Center
19 mi Stadium & arenaDesert Diamond Arena
29 mi Stadium & arenaChase Field
in town Park & preserveLake Pleasant Regional Park
35 mi Stadium & arenaMountain America StadiumState Farm Stadium: Taken by en:Flickr user MCSixth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mortgage Matchup Center: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Desert Diamond Arena: Unknown, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Field: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tyler J. Bolken, Public domain · Lake Pleasant Regional Park: Tony the Marine (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mountain America Stadium: Clintus McGintus, CC BY-SA 2.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Peoria
About 5 of every 100 Peoria residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arizona.
41.5% of the town is conserved land, across 63 parks and preserves.
4 places in Peoria on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Peoria.
City in Arizona, United States
Peoria ( pee-OR-ee-ə) is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. Most of the city is located in Maricopa County, while a portion of it in the north is in Yavapai County. It is a major suburb of Phoenix. As of the 2020 census, the population of Peoria was 190,985, up from 154,065 in 2010. It is the sixth-largest city in Arizona in land area and the ninth-largest in population. It was named after Peoria, Illinois. The word peoria is a corruption of the Miami-Illinois word for "prairie fire". It is the spring training home of the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners, who share Peoria Sports Complex.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Peoria.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Peoria grades B overall, better than 63% of U.S. towns and #25 of 139 in Arizona. It grades A for health, C+ for safety and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
9 notable people were born here, including Mary Peters and Bryce Duke.
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