Primary sources for Surprise, AZ
- Census Bureau profile of Surprise, AZ, ACS data
- EIA-861 utility data for Surprise, AZ, prices
- DOE LEAD tool for Surprise, AZ, energy burden
- NOAA storms and FEMA flood claims for Surprise, AZ
Electricity rates in Surprise, Arizona
Surprise, AZ ranks 4th of 34 Arizona cities for the highest median rent ($1,917 a month). Surprise, Arizona has 149,519 residents in 54,442 households; 50.3% heat with electricity.
Surprise on the map
Maricopa County, with Surprise marked
Housing and heating in Surprise
Surprise, AZ: 1,827 of 60,356 homes were built before 1980 and 44,807 in 2000 or later. Surprise, AZ has 51,483 detached houses, 4,131 homes in 5+ unit buildings and 2,870 mobile homes.
Age of homes in Surprise, AZ
% of homes by decade built, Surprise, AZ
- 0pre-40
- 040s
- 150s
- 060s
- 270s
- 480s
- 1990s
- 5600s
- 1510s
- 420+
Heating fuel in Surprise, AZ
| Surprise, AZ | Value | County | Gap | Rank (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surprise, AZ, median year built | 2004 | 1992 | +12 years | 8 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, built before 1980 | 3.0% | 29.4% | -26.3 points | 31 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, built 2000 or later | 74.2% | 35.4% | +38.9 points | 8 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, detached houses | 85.3% | 64.2% | +21.1 points | 8 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, apartments in 5+ unit buildings | 6.8% | 20.4% | -13.6 points | 24 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, mobile homes | 4.8% | 4.9% | -0.2 points | 16 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, renter households | 21.0% | 35.0% | -14.0 points | 27 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, median home value | $396,000 | $414,700 | -$18,700 | 13 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, median gross rent a month | $1,917 | $1,587 | +$330 | 4 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, people per household | 2.73 | 2.61 | +0.12 | 12 of 34 |
Who supplies Surprise
Maricopa County lists 5 utilities for Surprise, AZ (149,519 residents): homes pay 13.46 to 19.49 cents per kWh, about $145 to $209 a month at 1,075 kWh, 1.9% to 2.7% of the $93,371 Surprise median income. Maricopa County page.
Facts about Surprise
- Residents of Surprise, AZ, ACS 2023
- 149,51910 of 34 Arizona cities with 30,000+
- Median household income in Surprise, AZ
- $93,37114 of 34 of those cities
- Households in Surprise, AZ
- 54,4422.75 people each
- Owner-occupied homes in Surprise, AZ
- 79.0%42,996 owners and 11,446 renter households
- Housing units in Surprise, AZ
- 60,3565,914 vacant or seasonal
- Homes heated by electricity in Surprise, AZ
- 50.3%27,393 of 54,442 homes
- Land area of Surprise, AZ
- 110.5 sq mi1,353.1 people per sq mi
- Bill as share of income in Surprise, AZ
- 1.9% to 2.7%at 1,075 kWh a month over the $93,371 median household income
- Wind and tornado reports within 15 miles of Surprise, AZ
- 81NWS point reports 2015 to 2025, 54.2 per 100,000 residents
- Median year homes were built in Surprise, AZ
- 20041,827 of 60,356 homes (3.0%) before 1980
- Median home value and rent in Surprise, AZ
- $396,000$1,917 gross rent a month, 5.81% of value a year
Electricity price since 2015 around Surprise
Arizona Public Service Co charged Surprise homes 12.93 ¢/kWh in 2015. Surprise: 16.45 ¢ in 2024, 27% up. Surprise: against 23% up for the Arizona average.
Surprise: a 1,075 kWh month at that price. Surprise: $139 in 2015, $177 in 2024. Surprise: $2,122 a year, 2.3% of the $93,371 median income.
Surprise: 10 yearly prices
| Year | Arizona Public Service Co, Surprise | Surprise: Gap to Arizona average | Surprise: Gap to U.S. average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015, Surprise | 12.93 | +0.80 | +0.28 |
| 2016, Surprise | 13.11 | +0.96 | +0.56 |
| 2017, Surprise | 13.57 | +1.13 | +0.68 |
| 2018, Surprise | 14.16 | +1.39 | +1.29 |
| 2019, Surprise | 13.60 | +1.17 | +0.59 |
| 2020, Surprise | 13.24 | +0.97 | +0.09 |
| 2021, Surprise | 13.45 | +0.91 | -0.21 |
| 2022, Surprise | 13.87 | +0.85 | -1.17 |
| 2023, Surprise | 15.31 | +1.29 | -0.69 |
| 2024, Surprise | 16.45 | +1.54 | -0.03 |
Surprise, AZ: EIA-861 home prices, 2015 to 2024, not a Surprise, AZ price.
CSVOutage risk around Surprise
Surprise, AZ, NWS reports within 15 miles of the center, 2015 to 2025: 81 wind and 0 tornado, 54.2 per 100,000 residents of 149,519. Top gust near Surprise, AZ: 72 knots, 83 mph. Damage near Surprise, AZ: $997K.
Reports within 15 miles of Surprise, AZ
wind and tornado reports, Surprise, AZ
- 6'15
- 0'16
- 12'17
- 21'18
- 0'19
- 4'20
- 10'21
- 19'22
- 5'23
- 3'24
- 1'25
| Surprise, AZ | Wind | Tornado | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surprise, AZ, 2015 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Surprise, AZ, 2017 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Surprise, AZ, 2018 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Surprise, AZ, 2020 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Surprise, AZ, 2021 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Surprise, AZ, 2022 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| Surprise, AZ, 2023 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Surprise, AZ, 2024 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Surprise, AZ, 2025 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Cost of living with electricity in Surprise
Surprise, AZ: 54,442 households at $1,695 a year per home for electricity (Maricopa County average, DOE LEAD) come to about $92.3 million, an estimate; all home energy is $1,936 a year per household.
| Group in Surprise, AZ | Households | Power per home | Power bill of the group | Share of Surprise, AZ median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surprise, AZ, all households | 54,442 | $1,695 | $92.3 million | 1.82% |
| Surprise, AZ, homeowners | 42,996 | $1,912 | $82.2 million | 2.05% |
| Surprise, AZ, renters | 11,446 | $1,305 | $14.9 million | 1.40% |
Who lives in Surprise: income, cars, homes
In Surprise, AZ, 5,954 of 10,929 renter households pay 30% or more of income in rent; 21,458 households moved in since 2018 and 2,433 before 2000, so electric accounts turn over at a moderate pace. In Surprise, AZ, 7,007 of 54,442 households earn under $35,000, 13,781 $35,000-$75,000, 22,908 $75,000-$150,000 and 10,746 $150,000 or more. In Surprise, AZ, 1,612 households own no vehicle and 34,405 own two or more; home EV charging depends on that. 11,589 residents of Surprise, AZ live below the poverty line, and the median age is 41.6. Of 65,383 workers in Surprise, AZ, 11,522 work from home, 46,204 drive alone, 61 ride transit and 537 walk. Surprise, AZ homes: 41,031 have 3+ bedrooms, 4,684 none or one, median 5.9 rooms.
Household income in Surprise, AZ
| Surprise, AZ | Value | Rank in Arizona (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|
| Surprise, AZ, households under $35,000 | 12.9% | 25 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, households $150,000 or more | 19.7% | 13 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, residents below poverty | 7.8% | 22 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, median age | 41.6 | 13 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, homes with 3+ bedrooms | 68.0% | 16 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, households without a vehicle | 3.0% | 25 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, households with 2+ vehicles | 63.2% | 15 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, workers at home | 17.6% | 13 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, cost-burdened renters | 54.5% | 9 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, moved in since 2018 | 39.4% | 18 of 34 |
| Surprise, AZ, moved in before 2000 | 4.5% | 28 of 34 |
Climate and electric heating around Surprise
Surprise is in Maricopa County, AZ. Surprise: degree days are county values.
Surprise: 1,404 heating degree days a year. Surprise: 3,724 cooling degree days a year.
| Surprise | County value |
|---|---|
| Surprise, heating degree days, 1991-2020 normal | 1,404 |
| Surprise, heating degree days, 2016-2025 mean | 1,317 |
| Surprise, cooling degree days, 1991-2020 normal | 3,724 |
| Surprise, cooling degree days, 2016-2025 mean | 3,949 |
| Surprise, homes heated with electricity, ACS 2019-2023 | 69.0% |
Surprise: NOAA nClimDiv 7 Oct 2026; ACS B25040.
Analyst note on Surprise
27,393 of the 54,442 occupied homes in Surprise, AZ heat with electricity. Surprise, AZ counts 149,519 residents in 54,442 households, on 110.5 square miles. Household income in Surprise, AZ is $93,371; 42,996 of its 54,442 households own.
Surprise, AZ has 60,356 housing units, 5,914 of them vacant or seasonal. Surprise, AZ ranks 8th of 34 Arizona cities for the newest homes (median year built 2004). Surprise, AZ ranks 8th of 34 Arizona cities for the lowest share of renters (21%).
Surprise, AZ ranks 9th of 34 Arizona cities for renters paying 30% or more of income on rent (54.5%).
Bill and heat pump calculator, Surprise
Compare Surprise with nearby cities
| City near Surprise, AZ | Distance from Surprise | Residents | Median income | Median year built | Median home value | Storm reports within 15 miles | Work from home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surprise, AZ (this page) | 0 mi | 149,519 | $93,371 | 2004 | $396,000 | 81 | 17.6% |
| El Mirage, AZ | 9.1 mi southeast | 35,823 (-113,696) | $74,764 (-$18,607) | 2004 (+0 yr) | $282,000 (-$114,000) | 178 (+97) | 13.4% (-4.2 pts) |
| Sun City, AZ | 10.5 mi east | 38,018 (-111,501) | $52,111 (-$41,260) | 1973 (-31 yr) | $259,800 (-$136,200) | 213 (+132) | 19.6% (+1.9 pts) |
| Peoria, AZ | 11.5 mi northeast | 194,338 (+44,819) | $93,403 (+$32) | 1998 (-6 yr) | $429,400 (+$33,400) | 79 (-2) | 20.2% (+2.6 pts) |
| Glendale, AZ | 17.9 mi southeast | 250,193 (+100,674) | $70,139 (-$23,232) | 1986 (-18 yr) | $347,000 (-$49,000) | 298 (+217) | 13.1% (-4.5 pts) |
| Buckeye, AZ | 19.8 mi southwest | 99,844 (-49,675) | $98,778 (+$5,407) | 2010 (+6 yr) | $384,100 (-$11,900) | 54 (-27) | 17.5% (-0.1 pts) |
ZIP codes in Surprise
| ZIP area touching Surprise, AZ | Share of the ZIP's land inside Surprise | Share of Surprise's land in the ZIP |
|---|---|---|
| 85387 (Surprise, AZ) | 65.3% | 35.6% |
| 85361 (Surprise, AZ) | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 85374 (Surprise, AZ) | 100.0% | 11.6% |
| 85388 (Surprise, AZ) | 94.3% | 11.0% |
| 85379 (Surprise, AZ) | 100.0% | 9.7% |
| 85342 (Surprise, AZ) | 2.2% | 7.5% |
| 85396 (Surprise, AZ) | 6.0% | 5.5% |
| 85378 (Surprise, AZ) | 75.2% | 2.5% |
Census 2020 ZCTA to place land-area overlap. Look up any ZIP.
Arizona: home prices since 2001, planned plants.
Questions on Surprise
Surprise: what is the electricity rate?
Surprise, AZ has no price of its own; its 149,519 residents are served by one of 5 utilities, and a 1,075 kWh month costs $145 to $209.
Surprise: how does it rank among Arizona cities?
Surprise, AZ: rank 10 of 34 by its 149,519 residents, rank 14 of 34 by $93,371 median income.
Surprise: how many homes heat with electricity?
Surprise, AZ: 27,393 of 54,442 occupied homes, 50.3%; Maricopa County 69.0%.
Surprise: how much income goes to electricity?
At 1,075 kWh a month, 1.9% to 2.7% of the $93,371 median income in Surprise, AZ.
Surprise: damaging storms reported nearby?
81 NWS wind and tornado reports within 15 miles of the center of Surprise, AZ, 2015 to 2025, 54.2 per 100,000 residents.
How old are the homes in Surprise?
Surprise, AZ: median home built 2004; 1,827 of 60,356 homes (3.0%) predate 1980, 51,483 are detached and 4,131 sit in buildings of 5+ units.
How many Surprise, AZ renters struggle with rent?
5,954 of 10,929 renter households pay 30% or more of income in rent.
How many households in Surprise, AZ earn under $35,000?
7,007 of 54,442, against 10,746 at $150,000 or more.
How many Surprise, AZ households have no car?
1,612 households; 34,405 have two or more.