We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. Learn more.

By:
Editor:
Published: Jan 09, 2023 4 min read
Three people hiking in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Tourism

Sometimes, you just gotta bring the lake to you.

When you hear of a city like Tempe, Arizona — located on the northern edge of the Sonoran Desert about 10 miles east of Phoenix — a waterfront vista full of paddle boarders, kayakers and boaters might not be the first image that pops into your mind. Downtown Tempe will nonetheless treat you to those unexpectedly gorgeous views vis a vis Tempe Town Lake.

But it wasn’t always that way. Despite its name, Tempe Town Lake is actually a two-mile long, 225-acre artificial reservoir that was created in 1999 by damming the dry Salt River.

Legend has it that the project was born in the ‘60s, when an Arizona State University architecture professor asked his students to reimagine the Salt River bed, which was being used as a landfill. Whatever its origins, the project became a huge success, and the city government says that Tempe Town Lake is now the second most popular attraction in all of Arizona, ostensibly behind the Grand Canyon.

Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.AdAds by Money disclaimer
Your dream home is within reach with AmeriSave
Get a low Mortgage Rate on a home you’ll love. AmeriSave Mortgage can guide you in your home-buying journey. All it takes is one click on your state to get the ball rolling.
HawaiiAlaskaFloridaSouth CarolinaGeorgiaAlabamaNorth CarolinaTennesseeRIRhode IslandCTConnecticutMAMassachusettsMaineNHNew HampshireVTVermontNew YorkNJNew JerseyDEDelawareMDMarylandWest VirginiaOhioMichiganArizonaNevadaUtahColoradoNew MexicoSouth DakotaIowaIndianaIllinoisMinnesotaWisconsinMissouriLouisianaVirginiaDCWashington DCIdahoCaliforniaNorth DakotaWashingtonOregonMontanaWyomingNebraskaKansasOklahomaPennsylvaniaKentuckyMississippiArkansasTexas
VIEW RATES
Not all products are eligible. All loans are subject to credit approval. Additional terms & conditions apply.

Beyond a great lake, what makes Tempe the best place to live in the West (and No. 2 on our overall Best Places to Live list) is a perfect mix of a strong economy, diversity of population and affordability.

Money has narrowed down our Best Places list into four regions, and we focused on places with populations of at least 50,000 that were located in the 13 Western states as defined by the U.S. Census. Those states include: Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

We also limited the rankings to one place per county and two places per state. As with our core Best Places to Live ranking, we collected approximately 350 pieces of data on each Western place and grouped that information into nine primary ranking categories such as amenities, cost of living, diversity, economic opportunity and more. (See our full Best Places methodology for more details.)

While home to Arizona State University, Tempe is much more than a college town. Of course, there are ample opportunities to study and party, but the mid-sized town of approximately 190,000 residents also boasts a thriving arts and music scene while providing several ways to enjoy the outdoors with its plentiful trails and parks.

Tempe’s economy is particularly worth noting. Its unemployment rate — which has been hovering in the low 3% range — has been consistently lower than neighboring Phoenix, the state of Arizona and the country overall. Job growth in the area is expected to remain strong in the years ahead as well, jumping more than 9% through 2026, according to projections from Moody’s Analytics. And that’s on top of 9% growth between 2016 and 2021.

All these factors show what locals already know: You can’t find a better place than Tempe to work and play in the West. Check out our full top 10 list below:

The 10 best places to live in the West

  1. Tempe, Arizona
  2. Kirkland, Washington
  3. Boise City, Idaho
  4. Irvine, California
  5. Fremont, California
  6. Hillsboro, Oregon
  7. Denver, Colorado
  8. Salt Lake City, Utah
  9. Westminster, Colorado
  10. Orem, Utah
Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.AdAds by Money disclaimer
Stop dreaming — a new home is possible with AmeriSave Mortgage
Don’t waste another minute and start the process of locking a Mortgage Rate that’s right for you by clicking below.
View Rates
Not all products are eligible. All loans are subject to credit approval. Additional terms & conditions apply.

More from Money:

The 50 Best Places to Live in the U.S.

The 10 Best Places to Live in the Northeast

The 10 Best Places to Live in the South