Arizona · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area

Buying a home in Surprise, Arizona

In Surprise, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $435,100, Maricopa County's effective property tax rate is 0.44%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $8,516 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $2,033 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Surprise home costs, fact by fact

About Surprise

Surprise lies in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, which is home to 5,186,958 residents. Within the city, 79.1% of homes are owner-occupied, and the median gross rent is $2,033 per month.

Reading the Surprise figures

Rent is the sharper number in Surprise. A monthly $2,033 puts the city ahead of Tempe ($1,743) and well ahead of Phoenix ($1,582), even though the owner-estimated value of $435,100 sits only a little over the statewide $427,600. Owners dominate the housing here, at 79.1%. Goodyear and Peoria come in lower, with 77.7% and 76%, while Buckeye reaches 86%.

Maricopa County levies a 0.44% effective rate, which means a median bill of $1,983 a year. Because the county's median value is $452,800, above Surprise's own, a home near the city median would be taxed a little less. HUD puts a smaller home in the metro at $1,734, under the survey rent. Only Gilbert and San Tan Valley ask more, with $2,110 and $2,085. Loans in the county cost the median 2025 borrower $8,516, within a middle band from $5,536 to $13,577.

Calculate for Arizona

If you buy

Arizona state transfer tax

Arizona has no real estate transfer tax. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$427,600
State transfer tax$0
Share of the price—

Default price: the Arizona median value of owner-occupied homes, $427,600 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: No tax is levied on the price. The $2 fee is flat and already part of the $30 recording fee. Who pays: Section 11-1132 says the recorder collects the $2 before recording but does not say which party pays; it appears in the recorder's charge on the closing statement. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Arizona transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Arizona state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Surprise

How much is property tax in Surprise?

Homeowners in Maricopa County pay a median $1,983 a year in property tax, 0.44% of the county median home value of $452,800 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Surprise?

Home-purchase mortgages in Maricopa County carried median total loan costs of $8,516 in 2025; half of the 45,177 loans fell between $5,536 and $13,577 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Surprise?

Arizona charges no percentage transfer tax on a home sale. The Arizona Constitution bars new transfer taxes and fees, and the only per-sale charge is a $2 fee included in the $30 per instrument county recording fee.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Surprise?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Surprise ($435,100) equals 17.8 years of the median gross rent ($2,033 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Surprise?

Across Arizona, the main hazards for home insurance are extreme heat, flood, expansive soils and fissures. Maricopa County recorded 430 heat-related deaths in 2025, down from 608 in 2024; flood is the hazard standard insurance leaves out, and flood insurance is required only in high-risk zones with a federally backed mortgage.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Arizona rules that apply in Surprise

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Sources

Arizona · All states · Federal guides