5 Arizona cities rank among 50 best real estate markets

Article originally posted on AZ Big Media on September 4, 2026

Arizona’s housing market continues to make a strong showing on the national stage, with five Valley cities ranking among the 50 best real estate markets in the country, according to a new WalletHub analysis.

Gilbert leads the Arizona contingent at No. 13 nationally, followed by Surprise at No. 27, Peoria at No. 42, Tempe at No. 46 and Chandler at No. 50.

WalletHub compared 300 U.S. cities across 17 indicators measuring housing-market attractiveness and economic strength. The analysis considered factors ranging from median home-price appreciation and housing affordability to job growth.

For Arizona, Gilbert delivered the standout performance. The East Valley community earned an overall score of 63.41, ranking No. 33 for its real estate market and an impressive No. 7 for affordability and economic environment.

Surprise also benefited from strong economic fundamentals. The rapidly growing West Valley city ranked No. 27 overall and No. 10 nationally for affordability and economic environment.

Peoria came in at No. 42 overall, with a No. 21 ranking for affordability and economic environment. Tempe followed at No. 46, while Chandler rounded out Arizona’s top-50 performers at No. 50.

The results give Metro Phoenix an unusually strong presence near the top of the national rankings, particularly as buyers and investors navigate elevated home prices, mortgage rates and affordability challenges.

“Current home prices are extremely important, but there’s much more that you need to look at when determining the health of a city’s real estate market,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. He pointed to cost of living, potential home-value appreciation, availability of recently built homes and the strength of local job markets as other important considerations.

Arizona also placed several additional cities in WalletHub’s 300-city ranking, including Scottsdale at No. 108, Yuma at No. 109, Phoenix at No. 115 and Mesa at No. 136.

But with five communities cracking the national top 50, Metro Phoenix remains well represented among the country’s most attractive real estate markets.