City safety & data profile

SurpriseAZ

Surprise, AZ is a 143K-resident city in Maricopa County with a median household income of $96,711.

Maricopa County, Arizona. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Surprise, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Surprise has a population larger than 96% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $435,100, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

143K
Population
Top 4%
By size
$96,711
Median income
$435,100
Median home
8.6%
Poverty rate

The read on Surprise

Surprise posts a median household income higher than 66% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Surprise area.

Top 34%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Surprise

Where Surprise income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$96,711 Top 34% higher than 66% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. AZ $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Surprise, AZ beyond the headline numbers

Surprise sits inside Maricopa County, Arizona, at roughly 33.63°N, -112.33°W. Population 143,148, $96,711 median household income. Median home value $435,100, median rent $2,033. Poverty rate 8.6%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Surprise's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 34.4%, then short sleep duration at 33.4%. 2 hospitals in/around Surprise, 0 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Surprise from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
143,148
Surprise
Median Income
$96,711
+42% vs avg
Median Home Value
$435,100
+91% vs avg
Median Age
41.4
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Maricopa County) - Surprise's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
4.6M+17%
Median Income
$89,300+67%
Median Home Value
$452,800+157%
Poverty Rate
11%-34%
Unemployment
4.5%-53%

Economics

Economics indicators for Surprise, AZ
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$2,033/mo
Poverty Rate
8.6% -39% vs avg
Unemployment 4.2%
Bachelor's Degree+ 30.5%
Work From Home 19.5%
Public Transit 0.1%

Population

White 71.7%
African American 4.6%
Asian 2.6%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
34.4%
Short Sleep Duration
33.4%
Obesity
29.4%
Physical Inactivity
19.7%
Binge Drinking
14.9%
Frequent Mental Distress
14.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
12.1%
Diabetes
11.2%
Lack of Health Insurance
10.5%
Current Smoking
10.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 64.7%
Annual Checkup 76.1%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
10.2%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.9%
Stroke
3.6%

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Surprise, AZ? ▼
Surprise, AZ has a population of 143,148 people, located in Maricopa County, Arizona.
What is the median household income in Surprise? ▼
The median household income in Surprise, AZ is $96,711 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 8.6%.
What is the median home value in Surprise? ▼
The median home value in Surprise, AZ is $435,100. Median rent is $2,033/month.
What are the top health concerns in Surprise? ▼
The top health indicators in Surprise include High Blood Pressure (34.4%), Short Sleep Duration (33.4%), Obesity (29.4%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Surprise? ▼
Surprise has 2 hospitals. 0 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Surprise? ▼
The median age in Surprise, AZ is 41.4 years. 30.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Surprise, AZ is located in Maricopa County, Arizona. With a population of 143K and a $96,711 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 2 hospitals. Safety alerts for the Surprise area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Arizona

Real-time AQI for every monitored Arizona location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

El Mirage, AZ 34K Sun City West, AZ 25K Sun City, AZ 37K Peoria, AZ 191K Glendale, AZ 240K Avondale, AZ 81K Goodyear, AZ 79K Maryvale, AZ 208K
All cities in Arizona → Compare Surprise vs El Mirage → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Surprise's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Surprise area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Surprise against Arizona peers on any ranking lens. Explore Arizona

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Maricopa County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.