Surprise

Surprise is a city in Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. The population was 143,148 at the 2020 census, up from 117,517 in 2010 and just 30,848 in 2000.

The city has a 10,562-square-foot (981.2 m2) Aquatics Center and Maricopa County’s northwest regional library, a $5.5 million, 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) library, along with a 100.3 cost of living index.

Geography

Surprise is between 20 and 30 miles (32 and 48 km) northwest of Phoenix. It is bordered to the northeast by Peoria, to the east by unincorporated Sun City West and Sun City, to the southeast by El Mirage, to the south by Glendale, and to the west by Buckeye and unincorporated Wittmann.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 30,848 people, 12,484 households, and 9,725 families residing in the city. The population density was 443.9 inhabitants per square mile (171.4/km2). There were 16,260 housing units at an average density of 234.0 per square mile (90.3/km2).