Arizona has No. 1 city for office investing, but 2 in the bottom third Article originally posted on AZ Big Media on July 29, 2026 A new national ranking of the best U.S. cities for office investing just came out, and Arizona markets are split, with one taking the No. 1 spot in the country and two landing in the bottom third. LoopNet scored 50 U.S. cities for office investing in 2026 on rental income relative to purchase price, available inventory, office job growth, and building quality. Where Arizona landed: Tucson — No. 1 nationally. The most well-rounded market in the study: a top-three income-to-price ratio, a $35.59/sq ft asking rent against a low cost to buy, little low-grade inventory, and strong professional services job growth. Scottsdale — No. 35. A quality play held back by cost. Healthy rents ($35.77/sq ft) and little Class C space, but a high $325/sq ft sale price thins the yield. Phoenix — No. 36. Weighed down by quality and softer rents. Class C space at 42.7% of the market and a $27.74/sq ft asking rent dragged its score despite deep inventory. For context, here’s the national top five: Tucson, AZ Sarasota, FL Raleigh, NC Pittsburgh, PA Columbia, SC Key national takeaways The top-ranked cities for office investing in 2026 are Tucson, Arizona; Sarasota, Florida; Raleigh, North Carolina; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Columbia, South Carolina. Investors focused on income relative to acquisition cost will find the strongest rent-to-price ratios in Detroit, Michigan; Louisville, Kentucky; Tucson, Arizona; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Chicago, Illinois. The highest office asking rents are concentrated in major coastal markets: Miami, Florida ($59.66/sq ft); New York, New York ($50.56/sq ft); Washington, D.C. ($47.95/sq ft); San Francisco, California ($42.66/sq ft); and San Jose, California ($39.63/sq ft).