Town file
Oro Valley, Arizona
Oro Valley, Arizona (Pima County, Arizona) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 678, "Birthday Murder Present" (28 February 2026). In August 2008 Lisa Berry was 25 and living in Oro Valley, Arizona, a wealthy suburb north of Tucson that its chamber of commerce marketed as the safest community in Arizona.
- Town
- Oro Valley
- County
- Pima County
- State
- Arizona
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 678
- Approximate location
- 32.421, -110.977
Episode 678 / 28 February 2026 / 70 min / express
Birthday Murder Present
"We're going to Oro Valley, Arizona, just outside of Tucson, in Pima County, area code 520." about 0:03:19
The case: Murder of Lisa Berry (August 12, 2008). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2026
- Population
- 46,515
- Median age
- 53.9
- Median household income
- $92,548
- Median home value
- $476,300
- Violent crime
- ▲ about eight times lower
History, in brief
- After the Second World War the Tucson area grew fast, and Oro Valley grew with it; owners of the citrus farms there saw more money in selling land than in growing fruit. about 0:06:24
- The first big suburban development in Oro Valley came in 1948. about 0:06:42
- Oro Valley did not incorporate until 1974, after fighting not to be part of Tucson. about 0:07:38
The reviews read out
5 stars
"A lovely town; people are very nice with a great sense of community, it is very safe and the police department is wonderful and has an attitude of serve and protect. The reviewer has enjoyed living there for eight years."about 0:07:52
3 stars
"A great retirement community with a lot of food and golf courses, though not the best place for teenagers."about 0:08:32
1 star
"The most bigoted, misogynistic, awful, privileged place the reviewer has ever lived; complains that an Oro Valley Water employee told her to look her question up on Google."about 0:08:47
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Catalina Foothills, Arizona9.8 miles
- Three Points, Arizona31 miles
- Florence, Arizona52 miles
- Casa Grande, Arizona57 miles
- Maricopa, Arizona73 miles
- Apache Junction, Arizona74 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.