The 12 Best Costcos in Arizona, According to Locals

Costco has plenty of fans out west, including in Arizona. Residents of the state enjoy the store's bulk items and rotisserie chicken to take home for dinner or add to their latest recipes.

Finance Buzz surveyed more than 6,000 Costco shoppers across the U.S. to find out how they rated their local stores on cleanliness, friendliness, stock availability, quality of samples, quantity of samples, and parking on a scale of 1-10.

The survey included 12 of the 20 Arizona Costco locations. So, which Costco is the best place to save money on groceries in Arizona? Keep reading to find out.

The Costco location on East Tucson Marketplace Boulevard earned the lowest ratings in several categories, which landed it at the worst spot among the 12 Costcos surveyed.

The store ranked lowest for friendliness, stock, quality of samples, and parking.

The Tuscon location on West Costco Drive didn't fare much better, with the lowest scores for cleanliness and stock dragging down the store's overall score. It also had the second-lowest score for parking.

"It's always so busy there and never enough parking," one reviewer said.

The Costco location on East Cactus Road earned the second-highest score for cleanliness and the third-highest score for friendliness.

However, samples in Paradise Valley were not paradise, with the location getting by far the lowest score for its sample quantity, a 6.3 rating.

Scottdale's Costco location did OK in the Finance Buzz ratings, but lower scores on some topics pulled its overall score down.

The location didn't rank well for its quality and quantity of samples, and parking, landing in the bottom five for all three categories.

Surprise had some good and bad things show up in the Finance Buzz survey.

The location's 8.8 was one of the higher ratings for cleanliness, but lower scores for quality and quantity of samples pulled its overall score down.

Glendale did average overall in the Finance Buzz survey, even though it tied with one of the Tucson locations for the least clean Costco among the Arizona locations surveyed.

The store also sunk in the rankings with the second-lowest score for friendliness.

The Costco location on North Arizona Avenue in Gilbert earned the second-best score for cleanliness with a 9.1 rating but got bogged down with lower scores for its quantity of samples and stock.

"Inventory on everyday items is out of stock," said one customer.

Mesa is the top-ranked location of those surveyed in Arizona when it comes to being well-stocked, with the store earning an 8.9 rating.

Several reviewers noted the store's stocked shelves as a reason they enjoy shopping there. "The place is always well-stocked," one reviewer said.

Another location surveyed in Gilbert was the Costco on South Market Street, which did much better in the Finance Buzz survey.

The store earned a 9.1 rating for cleanliness, which tied for the second-highest rating among the Arizona stores surveyed. It also earned the second-highest rating for friendliness.

One customer noted, "It's always adequately staffed with friendly and helpful associates."

Head to Prescott if you want to shop at a clean and friendly Costco.

The location was the top-rated store in the Finance Buzz survey for cleanliness and friendliness. It may have done even better in the overall survey if not for its third-lowest score for parking.

The Cave Creek Costco tied for the worst rating for stock, with a rating of 8.2. But the store also garnered the best score for the sample quantity, which helped pull it higher.

You'll also want to shop at Cave Creek if you like ample parking, as it picked up the top spot for its parking lot.

It was the only store surveyed in Arizona to get an 8-plus rating for its parking situation, with a score of 8.3.

Check out the North 27th Avenue location of Costco in Phoenix if you want to experience the best store of the 12 Costco locations surveyed by Finance Buzz.

The location earned one of the best scores for friendliness. It also earned the best score for the quality of samples with an 8.7 rating and the second-best rating for the quantity of samples with a 7.9.

One customer noted they "love the free samples so you can try before you buy."

Costco can be a great option if you're trying to save money by buying in bulk, but a Costco run can be pricier than your typical trip to a grocery store.

Check your wallet for the best cash back credit cards when you head to Costco so you can save more while shopping.

It's also a good idea to take a shopping list and stick with it if you're worried about staying within your budget the next time you visit Costco.