What it's like to live in Glendale
Glendale is a large city in Arizona. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Glendale deals with crime rates above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, larger class sizes than the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The not so good
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Extreme summer heat
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Glendale compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Glendale
Based on Glendale's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,056
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $61,120 a year
- 56% of Glendale renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$77,500
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,750
- Homes cost 5.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,528/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,528 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $387,500. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $387,500 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 33% above US
438 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 2352/100k · Glendale Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 104°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 42°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
3 hospitals
There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 32% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
76 public schools inside the boundary
There are 76 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (57 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Glendale's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are crime rates above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,528/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Glendale
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