We had zero intention of staying in Flagstaff, Arizona as part of this nomadic journey. Unfortunately, we had so many problems with Arizona that we ran out of options and found ourselves here! Luckily Flagstaff turned out to be a gorgeous place with impressive natural beauty, hiking, and great coffee.
An important note, that unlike most of the other cities in our journey, due to the problems we had finding a good place, we only stayed for two weeks, instead of our typical 30+ days. We think that our rating system was still somewhat effective, but there is definitely a chance we missed some key details.
So are we moving to Flagstaff, Arizona? Let's see what the numbers have to say.
Table of Contents
Overall Score
Scores by categories
Affordability
Cannabis
Coffee
Community
Diversity
Dog Friendly
Grocery Stores
Magical Spirit
Natural Beauty
Parks & Rec
Political Climate
Restaurants
Sustainability
Walkability & Bikeability
Weather
Wine & Beer
Summary of Flagstaff Livability Rating
Overall score: 68 / 100 = okay!
We now currently have THREE cities that got the same rating of 68 (Imperial Beach, Pismo Beach, and now Flagstaff) . The interesting things is all three cities got the same score in different ways.
Here is the summary of how the 68 score breaks down in each of our 16 categories for Flagstaff:
We noticed with interest that there are no categories with a 1 "worst" score in Flagstaff, and there are only three categories with a 5 "best" score. So this city really hit the middle of the road in a lot of ways.
Affordability
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 5.7
As of March 2022 Flagstaff Median Home Prices are a reasonable 656K, but trending up. This is the first city that we've explored since leaving California, and not surprisingly, it's also the most affordable one to-date. The market in Flagstaff is very competitive right now, which is pretty clear based on the low available inventory and a 5-day market-to-sale window.
We could theoretically find a 3 bed 2.5 bath 1100 square foot suburban style home with a yard in a "somewhat walkable" neighborhood for about 450K. This is actually far more house than we are looking for in our price range! Our ideal home is 2 bed/1 bath with a small outdoor space.
Finding houses in more walkable areas would mean spending at least a million and there is significantly less inventory in these neighborhoods (Downtown and Southside). So we're giving Flagstaff an "average" 3 rating for affordability.
It's also worth noting that affordability across other dimensions improved as we found ourselves spending significantly less money on gas and groceries once crossing the border from CA to AZ.
Cannabis Culture
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 3
There are approximately five cannabis dispensaries in the city of Flagstaff.
Our favorite is Noble Herb. It doesn't hurt that this dispensary was also closest to where we were staying (only a 5-minute drive). The staff is nice and helpful. The place has a great design and is very clean with a good flow to prevent bottlenecks and keep customers moving. You can browse and see the samples while other folks make their orders.
Prices seemed standard, $30 bucks for half gram of concentrate. No pressed pill edibles, called Hashtabs.
So why not a higher score? The cannabis culture in Flagstaff is still a little bit lacking, as people don't seem to be comfortable smoking in public areas and the vibe seems like it's still more edgy than mainstream.
Coffee / Cafes
Rating = 5
Weighted score: 5
It's obvious that the community of Flagstaff loves its coffee. There are nearly 20 coffees/cafes throughout the city. Since we were only in Flagstaff for two weeks, we didn't get a chance to try very many but the ones we did get to definitely impressed us.
We have two favorites spots to report:
- Lund Canyon Coffee located in the Southside neighborhood of Flagstaff has a really great community vibe. People in this cafe were actually talking to each other instead of heads down on their laptops and phones. They have delicious coffee, a selection of baked goods, and the best part, they allow dogs INSIDE the store, which is really nice on a cold morning.
- Eat n' Run Route 66 Cafe Looks can be deceiving. This little hole in the wall delivers big time on great food and coffee. We stopped by at this place the morning we left Flagstaff and weren't disappointed. The coffee is perfection and they serve a full selection of sandwiches and breakfast items along with a really tasty smoothie bar.
Community
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 5.7
With a population of about 75K and as home to Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff has a small mountain town feel to it. We were able to strike up some good conversations with locals from time to time including the owner of Pizza Patio, who was super friendly and full of great information about the city.
We also got a chance to meet a musician, Eric Caroffino, who had been living in Flag for a couple of years. He had some interesting insights into how much the city is changing and how unaffordable it is becoming. This seems to be a common refrain as we've heard a similar story in nearly every city we've visited so far.
Chances are had we had more time in Flagstaff, we would have gotten a stronger read on the community, but with only two weeks we only were able to give Flagstaff a 3 "average" rating.
Diversity
Rating = 4
Weighted score: 5.2
Flagstaff has a diversity index of 64.
Here's how the racial demographics of Flagstaff compares to the United States.
| Race | % Population in Flagstaff | % Population in U.S. | Flagstaff Vs. U.S. |
| Black | 2% | 13% | -11% |
| Hispanic / Latino | 20% | 18% | +2% |
| Asian | 3% | 6% | -3% |
| White | 63% | 76% | -13% |
| American Indian | 8% | 1% | +7% |
This is the first city where we've included a row in the table to share the percentage of American Indian (native and indigenous) population. This is usually due to the fact that most cities we've visited have had a close to 0% indigenous population.
We gave Flagstaff an "above average" 4 rating because of the college student influence in the area and the higher than typical indigenous population.
We also noticed that the community of Flagstaff works hard to protect indigenous history including conserving petroglyphs and ancient Pueblo dwellings. We also found the Sawmill Multicultural Art and Nature Center, which actually had artwork exemplifying diversity -- this was really nice to see!
We'll be honest, we weren't expecting this much cultural awareness in an Arizona city and we were really impressed by it.
Dog Friendly
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 3
The attitude around dogs was pretty disappointing in this town. The first sign of trouble came when we had so much difficulty finding a dog friendly AirBnB. There aren't many rental options and even when we found one, we discovered too late that the owner was not thrilled and made us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. You can hear about that drama in our The Problem with Arizona episode.
Another big problem was that a high number of restaurants didn't even allow dogs on their patios! We had never come across this rule anywhere in California where it is assumed that if the restaurant has a patio that the outdoor area allows for dogs. This meant that we had some trouble finding places to eat out.
On the plus side, we discovered Flagstaff is yet another poop bag paradise, providing plenty of waste pickup bags on the trails and even along some of the city sidewalks. In addition there were some some stretches of Arizona trail where I could let Oskar run free, although technically I was breaking the leash laws to do so. The trail was just wide open with no other traffic, so it felt reasonable to bend the rules.
All in all we ended up giving Flagstaff a 3 "average" score for dog friendly.
Grocery Stores/Farmer's Market
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 3.9
The grocery store options in Flagstaff are pretty standard fare with several big chains to choose from. We did most of our shopping at Fry's Food And Drug simply because it was closest to our house. The produce in Arizona left a lot to be desired, but that's probably going to be the case anywhere outside of California especially during a colder season.
Flagstaff also has one seasonal farmer's market (May - Oct) and one Asian grocer.
Magical Spirit
Rating = 4
Weighted score: 4
We felt bright and energized living in Flagstaff. The city has some really positive energy vortexes. Even though the AirBnB situation was gloomy, we still overall felt really good. It was also easy to go out into the trails and get rejuvenated, and the access to indigenous preserves was really inspiring.
There is also something magical about the earth here. The volcanic rock around us emits a warm buzzy energy from the ground. There are some spiritual practitioners in the area, and if you really want to get a big dose of woo, it's less than an hour drive to Sedona.
Natural Beauty
Rating = 5
Weighted score: 5
Ponderosa pine forests, flat ridges, volcanic rocks, snowy mountain peaks, big skies, clear nights with views of the stars…it's really beautiful in Flagstaff and so we had to give it our 5 rating.
Fun fact about Flagstaff is it's a Dark Sky Community, which means the city actively works to keep light pollution down so that the stars are visible at night. We had no idea that this community even existed!
Parks & Rec
Rating = 5
Weighted score: 5
This was an easy one to give a perfect score to. Flagstaff is home to the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS), which means that beautiful walking and hiking trails lace through the entire community. A few favorites:
- Thorpe Park Sports & Recreation Complex is home to a nice trail network and an epic disc golf course.
- The Arizona Trail, which travels 800 miles across the entire state from North to South, from Mexico to Utah. Flagstaff is the only urban segment of this epic trail. We were able to access one section of the AZ Trail just a few short blocks from our house. But our favorite segment started at Buffalo Park where the Arizona Trail takes you into the Coconino National Forest.
- The Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve and The Tom Moody Loop. This trail is described as being "less popular", which is fine by us. The loop starts at a humble wastewater treatment plant, but then traverses into beautiful forest, emerging at the site of impressively preserved Zuni petroglyphs and lovely waterfalls (the trail also intersects with... you guessed it, the AZ Trail).
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Political Climate
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 4.8
Flagstaff, AZ is somewhat liberal in a state that considers itself a "conservative shade of blue" and which is largely still controlled by the Republican party. That said, about 60% of Flagstaff voted democrat in the 2020 presidential election, which is enough for it to earn the (pretty much) default 3 average score.
We had one conversation with a newer resident of the city, and he describes the politics of the area as being independent. He said that while a lot of the nation was in lockdown and reeling from the response to the pandemic, for example, Flagstaff tried to carry on with "business as usual."
Restaurants
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 3
For its size, Flagstaff seems to have a reasonable variety of restaurants to choose from. Overall, the food culture we experienced just didn't really stand out. However, here are a few of the spots we enjoyed:
- Pita Jungle - a fast-casual mediterranean eatery with multiple loations in Arizona, but only this one in Flagstaff. We liked the low price and fresh, healthy veggie friendly ingredients. They do have a small outdoor patio, but it was too cold for us to sit out there so we ordered to-go.
- The Toasted Owl Cafe - we enjoyed a delicious brunch on a sunny Saturday morning on their expansive dog-friendly patio. Fresh and delicious ingredients, great coffee, and awesome service made this a place we could see returning to again and again.
- Fratellis Pizza - wood fired pizza with clever and tasty toppings. This was the first time we enjoyed walnut topping on our 'za and it was surprisingly good!
Sustainability
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 3.9
Flagstaff adopted its Climate Action and Adaptation Plan in 2018 in which they set out a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. The city definitely gets points for having a CAP (not all cities in the U.S. have one).
However, if we compare Flagstaff's goal with San Diego's goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 (and tracking ahead of this goal), it's obvious that Flagstaff's plan falls a bit short.
This isn't surprising considering that the state of Arizona is a conservative leaning state with little support for climate action (they have not developed a statewide action plan).
Walkability/Bikeability
Rating = 2
Weighted score: 2.2
Flagstaff, AZ is a car dependent city and the address where we stayed was absolutely no exception to this. We were up a hill with several switchbacks and at the end of a cul-de-sac. The neighborhood was 100% residential with exactly zero commercial places within walking distance.
It would possible to find a little bit of walkability if you live in a house near downtown or in the South Side neighborhood, but most neighborhoods are absolutely going to require a car to get pretty much anywhere.
What's more, driving in Flagstaff requires a lot of going around obstacles to loop back to your destination: for example, you'll find yourself driving further south to cross the railroad tracks so you can double back north.
On a more positive note, the city does have some infrastructure for bicycling if you can withstand the harsh cold and hot climate.
Weather
Rating = 2
Weighted score: 3.2
Summers in Flagstaff are warm and clear while winters are very cold. Annual temperatures range from 19°F to 81°F, and rarely go above 88. Overall, this 7,000-foot elevation city is much colder than other parts of Arizona and doesn't reach the sweltering temps that other parts of the state are known for.
That said, the cold snowy weeks we experienced with icy winds and freezing temps were enough for us to say no way not for us when it comes to Flagstaff weather.
Wine & Beer
Rating = 4
Weighted score: 4
Flagstaff is a great place to visit if you love beer. The small city is home to at least a dozen breweries with over a half dozen located in the downtown area alone. A couple of standout places to enjoy:
So that's our experience staying in Flagstaff. We'd love to hear from you. Hop on over to our contact page to leave us a message and share your experience with Flagstaff. Did we miss something that you love about the city?
Listen to Our Flagstaff Rating Episode
