For people shopping for a home in Arizona, safety is often part of the calculation before the moving truck ever arrives. A new national analysis suggests buyers in several Arizona communities have plenty of reason to feel confident.
All seven Arizona cities included in the study ranked among the nation’s 30 safest cities for new homeowners. Gilbert led the state at No. 3 nationally, followed by Chandler at No. 8, Mesa at No. 10, Scottsdale at No. 15, Phoenix at No. 21, Glendale at No. 27 and Tucson at No. 29.
The findings come from Vivint’s analysis of 93 U.S. cities, which combined 2025 property crime rates with the share of homeowners younger than 35, the percentage of recent movers and employment in security and fire-alarm installation. Property crime carried the greatest weight in the final score.
For its crime measure, Vivint used 2025 property-crime reports from local police departments, calculating rates per 100,000 residents. The analysis included offenses such as burglary, larceny and motor-vehicle theft.
The study also drew on U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data to measure younger homeowners and recent movers. Employment data for security and fire-alarm installers came from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Gilbert leads Arizona
Gilbert’s No. 3 overall finish was the state’s strongest showing. It also ranked fifth among the 93 cities for property crime.
Chandler and Mesa also performed particularly well on the crime measure, ranking 11th and 12th, respectively.
Arizona’s showing goes beyond low property crime. Six of the state’s seven cities ranked among the national Top 10 for recent movers, according to Vivint. Tucson ranked No. 18 on that measure. That matters because the ranking is designed around the experience of people buying and settling into homes, rather than simply measuring crime.
The security gap after moving in
Vivint also surveyed 1,000 U.S. homeowners, including 581 who had purchased their homes within the previous five years, about what they did after moving.
The survey suggests that basic security measures can get lost amid the boxes, contractors and other demands that come with a new home.
Among recent buyers, 34% had not reset their garage-door code and 26% had not changed their exterior locks.
Half said nobody had reminded them to make those changes. Another 9% said they had experienced a security issue they believed could have been prevented by acting sooner.
For homeowners looking for peace of mind, cameras were the most popular choice. Forty-seven percent of recent buyers cited security cameras, followed by new locks at 44% and video doorbells at 42%.
Recent buyers spent an average of $300 on home security, according to Vivint.
A Sun Belt-heavy Top 10
Arizona was one of several states with multiple cities near the top of the ranking. The national Top 10 were led by Port St. Lucie, Florida, and McKinney, Texas, followed by Gilbert. Frisco and Lubbock, Texas; Boise, Idaho; Tampa, Florida; Chandler; Henderson, Nevada; and Mesa completed the list.
At the other end were Detroit, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Portland, San Francisco, Long Beach, Memphis, Philadelphia and Oakland.
The broader picture is clear: Arizona isn’t represented by a single standout city. Its cluster of communities performed well across the 93-city comparison, from Gilbert and Chandler near the top to Phoenix, Glendale and Tucson comfortably inside the Top 30.
For someone choosing where to put down roots, that’s perhaps the most useful finding. Several Arizona communities combine strong safety numbers with the population growth and housing activity that continue to bring new homeowners to the state.
The ranking’s underlying data also shows why those communities stand out. Vivint’s property-crime calculations are based on 2025 reports from local police departments, while the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey provides the demographic and moving data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics supplied employment data for security and fire-alarm installers, giving the analysis a broader measure of the residential security market.
Together, those sources provide a picture that goes beyond a simple crime ranking: how safe a community is, who is buying there and how quickly people are moving in.
Matt Loeschman has had two separate stints at Independent Newsmedia. He began as a reporter covering Peoria and later Surprise from 2000-2009. In 2017, he returned to Arizona and INI as the news editor of the Daily News-Sun (now the Phoenix Independent). He previously covered the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League for more than a decade.
Community: During high school football season since 2017, he contributes live postgame radio reports to the AIA Friday Night Football Wrap Up Show. He supports organizations such as Phoenix Children’s, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley and the American Cancer Society.
Education: The University of Texas at Austin majoring in Journalism-News and Public Affairs.
Random Fact: He can sing and he has been fortunate to meet many famous people during his journalism career including First Lady Hillary Clinton, King of Country Music George Strait and Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey. Attended all 4 home games of the 2001 World Series.
Hobbies: Watching and playing a wide variety of sports, including golf, tennis, pickleball and softball. Playing PlayStation 5, working out, shopping and reading.
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