Best Small Places for Business and Careers 2019

Flagstaff, AZ

Flagstaff, AZ
the place image

Flagstaff, AZ

Flagstaff, AZ
gross metro product
$7.1B
population
142.9K
median household income
$55,635
median home price
$337,000
cost of living
9% above nat'l avg
college attainment
37.3%
net migration
310 (year: 2018)
unemployment
5.9%
major industries
Tourism, Education
job growth
1.3% (year: 2018)
As of October 2019
The city is named after a Ponderosa Pine flagpole made by a scouting party from Boston (known as the Second Boston Party) to celebrate the United States Centennial on July 4, 1876. Flagstaff is located adjacent to Mount Elden, just south of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountain range in the state of Arizona. The city has a strong tourism sector, due to its proximity to Grand Canyon National Park, Oak Creek Canyon, the Arizona Snowbowl, Meteor Crater and historic Route 66. The city is also a center for medical device
manufacturing. Flagstaff is home to two institutions of higher education, Northern Arizona University and Coconino Community College.
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On forbes lists
#179
In Cost of Doing Business
#61
In Job Growth
#23
In Education
By The Numbers
EmploymentHousingEducationQuality of Life
Job Growth
1.3% (year: 2018)
Projected Annual Job Growth
0.3%
Unemployment
5.9%
Median Household Income
$55,635
Household Income Growth
2.7%
High-Tech Employment
2%
  • Data is for the metro area
  • Sources: Moody's Analytics; Sperling's BestPlaces; U.S. Census.
  • Numbers as of October 2019


  • a - Value of 100 means that a family with the median income has exactly enough income to qualify for a typical mortgage on a median-priced single-family home. An index above 100 signifies that the family has surplus income.
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