Avondale
Avondale is a modern city, near the heart of the Phoenix-metropolitan area. The current population is more than 70,000, and is expected to reach 123,000 by the year 2020. The anticipated build-out population is estimated to be 170,000 residents. That rapid growth makes Avondale one of the fastest-growing communities in the valley, and the nation. Over the last decade, housing starts grew more than 700% with a current average home price of $273,000. Household income has steadily increased and is currently estimated at $72,024.

To keep pace with the rapidly-growing population, a variety of cultural, economic, recreational and educational advantages have evolved. Resources range from the programs of the West Valley Arts Council to the academic resources of Estrella Mountain Community College and Universal Technical Institute. From the soccer fields of Friendship Park to the high excitement of Phoenix International Raceway(PIR), Avondale has something for everyone. PIR is billed as the world’s fastest one-mile paved oval and plays host to multiple NASCAR events annually, each attracting nearly 400,000 enthusiasts and hundreds of race teams, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars into the state and local economy.
 
Avondale is situated in an ideal commercial corridor at the crossroads of Interstate 10 and the Loop 101, which has piqued the interest of many investors, especially along the I-10 and Avondale Boulevard.  This corridor is a mecca of multiple power retail centers, an extensive auto mall, hotels, restaurants, business parks and more.

Avondale has already begun the next step in its evolution to meet the growing local demand for employment, with an emerging medical corridor, attraction of offices, business parks and light manufacturing.  Over 400 acres, designated as employment in the General Plan, is currently in various stages of design approval, and under construction.

Buckeye
Founded in 1888 and incorporated eight decades ago as a 440 acre town, Buckeye has surged into the 21st century with a planning area of almost 600 square miles.

While Buckeye's population of about 40,000 residents is expected to increase at a rapid rate over the next few decades, the family friendly festivals sprinkled throughout the year help maintain the small-town feel that makes Buckeye a nice place to visit – and to live.

There are currently 30 proposed master planned communities, and almost 400,000 single-family units have been approved.  In just six of those developments, more than a quarter-million homes are planned, as well as 71 elementary schools, 13 high schools and more than 4,500 areas of commercial, retail and employment development

Population figures are beginning to reflect that anticipated growth.  The 2000 census had Buckeye’s population at 6,537.  By 2005, that number had risen to more than 25,000.  Projections call for the Town to grow to 100,000 by 2010 and 265,000 the decade after.

But Buckeye isn’t just about new rooftops and new residents.  An upscale resort, major retail centers, office parks and almost three million square feet of industrial space are on the horizon.  A new Recreation Center and fire station have opened, and Buckeye is the site of the 20th youth baseball field donated by the Diamondbacks – Craig Counsell Field.

Carefree
Carefree is bordered by the city of Scottsdale to the south and the town of Cave Creek to the west.

Characterised as an upscale residential area, Carefree was conceived in the mid-1950's by business partners K.T. Palmer and Tom Darlington as a master-planned community. Land sales commenced in 1955 and homebuilding followed shortly thereafter in 1958. Typical of Carefree's character are its street names-- Tranquil Trail, Easy Street, Ho-and-Hum Roads and Long Rifle, Stagecoach and Bloody Basin-- which reflect both its quiet, casual air as well as its Western heritage. The motto of Carefree is "Home of Cowboys and Caviar, Where the Old West Meets the New."

Carefree is home to the third largest sundial in the Western Hemisphere. The town has 15 restaurants, which is 1 restaurant for every 247 people, the highest per capita ratio in the Phoenix area. Carefree is 17 miles west of Barttlet  Lake - a man-made reservoir that were formed by the damming of the Verde River.

Cave Creek
The community of   Cave Creek is a natural destination location for visitors to the Valley who are looking for events, activities, shopping, dining, golf, lodging, art, nightlife and more.

Intimately tucked away in the northeast Valley, the area offers an exclusive spot like no other to get a feeling for Arizona as it is supposed to be.

From the famous Carefree Fine Art & Wine festival where you peruse fine art in the amid the backdrop of Black Mountain, to the fun, informative historical events at the infamous Cave Creek Museum where you just might spot a javelina, a coyote or a real cowboy, the communities offer fun for everyone who visits.

Cave Creek has more than 30 restaurants to choose from, everything from fine dining to cowboy cook-outs. Horseback riding, rodeos, country and western dancing, museums, parks and nature preserves, hiking and biking and old mining tours.

Chandler

In 1891, Dr. Alexander John Chandler, the first veterinary surgeon in the Arizona territory, settled on a ranch south of Mesa. By 1900, he had acquired 18,000 acres of land, and began drawing up plans for a townsite on what was then known as the Chandler Ranch. The townsite office opened onMay 17, 2012. By 1913, a town center had become established, featuring the luxurious Hotel San Marcos, the first golf resort in the state.

A modern mix of youthfulness and tradition makes the City of Chandler, a spectacular destination for residents and visitors alike. Chandler’s diverse culture, vibrant history, and top-notch services weave together to create a highly dynamic, progressive city.

As of February 2008, chandler boasted a diverse population of 249,799, in a city that incorporates 70 square miles and contains 53 parks.

As the High Tech Oasis of the West, Chandler boasts a strong, high tech employment base which attracts and retains high quality employees, many of whom make our community their home.

The City of Chandler also was recently named one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People by America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth.

El Mirage
El Mirage is the gateway to the Northwest Valley. Located in the heart of the rapidly growing west valley, the community has grown from a small-town dependent on agriculture to a diverse urban economy with a population of over 40,000.

Fountain Hills

Fountain Hills was incorporated as an independent municipality in 1989, after spending most of its history as a master planned development on the far north eastern end of Scottsdale. For many years the land on which the town sits was a working cattle ranch, and 4,500 acres of it were sold to Robert P. McCulloch in 1968. The town of Fountain Hills is situated on the lower east slopes of the McDowell Mountains as they drain into the Verde River.

The name of the community comes from the famous fountain in it's downtown area which was built in 1971 by Robert P. McCulloch, the same year that reconstruction of the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, another of McCulloch's projects, was completed. The fountain sprays water about every hour. The plume of water rises from a concrete water-lily sculpture in the center of a large man-made lake and is driven by three 600 horsepower (450 kW) pumps. When all three pumps are on under zero wind condition, the fountain can reach over 560 feet (170 m) in height. When built, it was the world's tallest fountain and held that record for over a decade.

Fountain Hills could be described as an upscale community with hometown character. The richness and quality of life here is evident the moment you crest the mountain pass leaving behind the hustle and bustle of Scottsdale and the rest of the Valley.

The community’s most valuable asset is its beauty. Incredible views and natural terrain provide for a wide range of outdoor activities including hiking, biking, boating and some of the more challenging and picturesque golf courses you’ll find in the country

Gilbert
Gilbert is a young, affluent community in central Arizona. Incorporated on July 6, 1920, Gilbert is a relatively new community that has seen tremendous growth during the past two decades.

In 1902, the Arizona Eastern Railway asked for donations of right of way in order to establish a rail line between Phoenix and Florence. A rail siding was established on property owned by William "Bobby" Gilbert. The siding, and the town that sprung up around it, eventually became known as Gilbert. Gilbert was a prime farming community, fueled by the construction of the Roosevelt Dam and the Eastern and Consolidated Canals in 1911. It remained an agriculture town for many years, and was known as the "Hay Capital of the World" until the late 1920s. Gilbert began to take its current shape during the 1970s when the Town Council approved a strip annexation that encompassed 53 square miles of county land. Although the population was only 1,971 in 1970 the Council realized that Gilbert would eventually grow and develop much like the neighboring communities of Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler. This proved to be a farsighted decision as Gilbert positioned itself for growth in the 1980s and beyond

Gilbert has experienced a rapid transition from a historically agriculture-based community to an urban center and suburb in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. In the last two decades, Gilbert has grown at a pace unparalleled by most communities in the United States, increasing in population from 5,717 in 1980 to over 138,000 in January 2003. As Gilbert has grown, the community has recognized the need to develop a strong, diverse economy while preserving its highly desirable quality of life.

Goodyear

Goodyear, Arizona is a city with a rich, rewarding quality of life and great community spirit. Nestled near the base of the Estrella Mountains, Goodyear is one of the fastest growing cities in the State. Yet it offers all the advantages of a small community – less traffic, safe neighborhoods day and night, and a friendly atmosphere that lets you feel at home right away.

A mere 20 minutes west of downtown Phoenix, Goodyear also benefits from the cultural and entertainment resources of the Phoenix metro area with its diverse population and wide range of resources. The theater, the opera, the symphony and the big four professional sports – baseball, basketball, football and hockey – provide an endless variety of events.

Litchfield Park
Recognized by "Phoenix Magazine" as “one of the 8 best places to live in Arizona,” the City of Litchfield Park is a beautiful small city of 4,500 residents located approximately 15 miles west of Phoenix.

Litchfield Park is a planned residential community, only 2 miles north of I-10 and 16 miles west of central Phoenix. It is a unique suburban community boasting a casual small town atmosphere with beautiful homes, mature landscaping, charming sidewalk cafes, the celebrated Wigwam Golf, Tennis and Spa Resort, award-winning schools and friendly neighbors. Litchfield Park was incorporated in 1987.

The community which was later to become Litchfield Park was begun in 1916 when Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased a huge land parcel (ultimately 14,000 acres) 16 miles west of the then-fledgling city of Phoenix. The objective was to grow Egyptian long-staple cotton to use in tire cords. With the advent of World War I, Goodyear Tire could no longer obtain their cotton supply from overseas. This Arizona project was developed by Paul Litchfield, then a junior executive with Goodyear Tire who was sent here from Akron, Ohio.

The new community became headquarters for Goodyear Farms which had thousands of acres under cultivation in the area; and the company town was given Litchfield's name in 1926. From 1931 to 1944 this area was also home to the test site for Goodyear auto, truck and tractor tires. In the 1960's Goodyear Tire designed a master plan for development of Litchfield Park and several other neighboring communities into self-sufficient villages. Although this concept was never fully completed, positive aspects of the village design can still be seen today in this beautiful community.

Mesa
Mesa is the third-largest city in Arizona after Phoenix and Tucson. Mesa is one of the United States' fastest-growing cities, and currently ranks as the 38th largest. 2006 Census Bureau estimates put the city's population at 447,541.

The first settlers in Mesa were probably the Hohokam Indians, who made life on the arid landscape of the region possible by developing an extensive canal system. Much later, Spanish missionaries and soldiers traveled through the area. Then, several groups of Mormon, or Latter Day Saints, pioneers settled in the area. Over time, residents from other areas of the Valley of the Sun  also moved into Mesa, increasing its population further.

The city of Mesa was founded in January 1878 by Mormon pioneers and its population is still roughly one-tenth Mormon.

Although it has a large population, Mesa is a bedroom community. Neighborhoods across the city are diverse — some areas have experienced urban blight while others contain elaborate custom homes.

Paradise Valley

Paradise Valley is an affluent town in According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 14,558. Despite the town's relatively small area and population compared to other cities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Paradise Valley is home to twelve resorts, making it one of Arizona's premiere tourist destinations. It has exclusive real estate, with a median home price at $1.74 million, with many exceeding $5 million and some over $20 million.

The Town of Paradise Valley was incorporated in May of 1961. It encompasses an area of 16.5 square miles and exclusively zoned for single family residential use.  The majority of the Town is zoned for one acre lots with one house per lot.   No multiple housing units or common walls are permitted.  Any land use other than residential must be authorized by a Special Use Permit, which may only be granted after public hearings before both the Planning Commission and the Town Council.

In the late 1950’s, Phoenix and Scottsdale were looking to expand their respective boundaries. Residents who lived in Paradise Valley area feared that they would lose the rural lifestyle they had become accustomed to and would soon be swallowed up by Phoenix or Scottsdale, and eventually subdivisions, shopping centers, new zoning laws and property taxes would be a commonly. These concerned residents formed a “Citizens Committee for the Incorporation of The Town of Paradise Valley, Arizona,” who set out with petitions urging residents to join them in their attempt to incorporate Paradise Valley. The residents' main goals were to keep zoning to a one house per acre minimum; to keep the area entirely residential; and to keep government regulation to a minimum. In April 1961, the Citizens Committee for Incorporation presented their petition to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. On May 24, 1961, incorporation was granted and the Town of Paradise Valley was established.

Peoria

The City of Peoria was established in the 1880’s when William J. Murphy’s vision of fertile farm lands fed by water from the Salt River became reality with the completion of the Arizona Canal in 1885. Once this canal was completed, Murphy went East to interest people in settling in this new community. Mr. Murphy was successful in catching people’s attention – over 5,000 acres of land in the new district was purchased by citizens from Peoria, Illinois. Four families from Peoria, Illinois were among the first to move to Arizona to occupy and work their land.

Residences in the new community sprang up, and a school and Post Office were established by 1889. More people followed the original families and Peoria continued to grow as a farming community. The farmlands were fertile and the people made a good living, despite having to battle swarms of red ants and the occasional rattlesnake in the kitchen.

Peoria was incorporated in 1954, with boundaries covering one square mile of land. The warm climate and small-town atmosphere of Peoria continued to attract people, and still do today. Currently, Peoria covers 162 square miles, and is home to over 120,000 residents. Peoria is Arizona's 4th largest city in terms of incorporated area, and 9th largest city in terms of population. From a simple visionary farming community, Peoria, Arizona - a dynamic desert city, has grown.

Between 1990 and 2000 Peoria was the fifth fastest growing city in the United States with a population of over 100,000, increasing in population 114 percent. In 2004 Peoria was home to over 130,000 residents spread out over 170 square miles. Growth, however, does pay for growth. Peoria charges impact fees to developers and requires economic impact analyses on major development projects.

Peoria is said to in the future identify much more with resort and leisure living than the past, as that type of lifestyle migrates from the northeast Valley to Peoria. Peoria’s economic plan focuses on establishing the under-construction Loop 303 freeway as an industrial, commercial, mixed development use, unlike the Loop 101, Agua Fria Freeway, which has many housing developments up against it.

 

Phoenix
Situated in the southwestern part of the United States, Phoenix is Arizona’s capitol and the fifth largest city in the United States, with almost 1.5 million residents and growing. The city takes up more than 500 square miles, geographically exceeding Los Angeles. Phoenix has more than 300 sunny days a year and an average temperature of 74 degrees – an unbeatable combination that has made the city a prime destination for tourists, business and industry. The city enjoys a Standard & Poor’s bond rating of AA+ and is the center of a $50 billion regional marketplace. Motorola, Intel, Honeywell and Boeing are among the companies that have major operations here.

The development of Phoenix since 1950 has been the most spectacular. Consider that at that time, Phoenix had an area of 17.1 square miles and a population of 106,000 that placed it 99th among American cities.

Today, the city covers almost 470 square miles and has a population of 1.15 million, ranking it seventh in the country. While Phoenix is the corporate and industrial center of the southwest it has not forgotten its past, and it has retained its long-time reputation of friendliness and concern of its citizens for one another and their government.

This has been attested to by the National Civic League, which four times since 1950 selected Phoenix as an "All-America City" in competition with hundreds of other cities and towns across the nation.

The hallmark of an All-America City is the extent that its private citizens get involved in the workings of their government. Thousands of citizens have served on various city committees, boards and commissions to assure that major decisions are in the people's best interest.

Since 1950, the residents of Phoenix have shown their faith in city government by approving bond issues totaling about $3.5 billion for necessary improvements in urban facilities and services. The 1988 Phoenix bond election, which authorized the issuance of more than $1 billion in bonds, is one of the largest general-purpose municipal bond elections ever.

Currently, more than $1 billion in public and private projects are under construction or planned in the city.

Scottsdale
Scottsdale has become internationally recognized as a premier, upscale tourist destination, while maintaining its own identity and culture as "The West's Most Western Town." However, despite this motto, in the 1970s, most construction of new horse corrals was prohibited. What had, in the 20th century been vacant desert, was converted to urban or suburban environment. According to the 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 240,410.

In 1888, a U.S. Army Chaplain, Winfield Scott, paid the paltry sum of $2.50 an acre for a 640 acre stretch of land where the city is now located. Winfield's brother, George Washington Scott was the first resident of the town that was then known as Orangedale and later changed to Scottsdale in 1894.

In 1937, internationally renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright set up his "winter camp" at the foot of the McDowell Mountains, creating what is now known asTeliesin West . Scottsdale, and the rest of Phoenix, have seen an everlasting influence from Frank Lloyd Wright. Many buildings throughout the region were designed by the famous architect. Today, a Frank Lloyd Wright memorial stands in North Scottsdale and a major street bears his name.

From its official incorporation in 1951 with a population of 2000, the town of Scottsdale has grown to a 2007 Census of 240,710. It is now the state's sixth-largest city. Scottsdale is commonly defined by its high quality of life. In 1993, Scottsdale was named the "Most Livable City," in the USA by the United States Conference of Mayors. This title is notoriously lampooned across the state because of the high cost of living in Scottsdale. It is continually ranked as one of the premier golf and resort destinations in the world, with a sizable portion of tax revenue being derived from tourism. It is also home to the FBR  Open Golf Tournament held at the Tournament players Club, which carries the distinction of the best-attended event on the PGA Tour.

The city is loosely divided into four areas: South Scottsdale (McKellips Road north to Chaparral Road), Old Town (Downtown) Scottsdale, Central Scottsdale (also known as the, "Shea Corridor"; extends from Chaparral Road north to Shea Boulevard), and North Scottsdale. The real estate market in Scottsdale is among the most expensive in the United States. In 2005, both Scottsdale and Paradise Valley were among the top ten markets in the nation for luxury home sales, and the only two cities outside of California. Paradise Valley was ranked ninth with $637 million in luxury home sales, while Scottsdale was ranked tenth with $594 million in luxury home sales.

South Scottsdale has been known for many years as more or less the working class region of Scottsdale, although today it is transforming into a dynamic urban area. It contains the major nightlife for the area and is a major art center of metro Phoenix. The median resale home price is $291,500, compared to $667,450 in North Scottsdale. A portion of McDowell Road in South Scottsdale is known as "Motor Mile," with 32 dealerships represented along the street. The strip generates over $10 million in sale tax revenue each year and is one of the most profitable auto-miles in the U.S. South Scottsdale will also soon be home to a new research center for Arizona State University, known as Sky Song. The development has attracted the research and development arms of a number of international corporations.

Old Town Scottsdale is an area with many streets, stores, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and western art galleries evoking the old cowboy era. Scottsdale's main cultural district is also in this area, which includes the high-end Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall, one of the twenty largest malls in the United States. The district has currently seen a revival, with new condominiums and hotels under construction.

The Shea Corridor is so named because it is in close proximity to the east-west running Shea Boulevard. The homes in this region were generally built during the 1970s. Despite their older age, real estate in the Shea Corridor (Central Scottsdale) has increased during the 1990s, and overall, the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale real estate market has seen the largest gain in home prices in the nation, with a 38.4% increase in value. There are a number of communities in this central region of Scottsdale that remain among the most highly-desired residential areas in the metropolitan area, including Gainey Ranch and McCormick Ranch. A large portion of Scottsdale Road in the Shea Corridor has been dubbed "Resort Corridor" for the high number of resorts locating on the street. The second Ritz Carlton in the Phoenix metropolitan area will be constructed along this corridor.

North Scottsdale is currently the most actively developed area of Scottsdale as it was historically the least built up. This portion of the city also claims many of the most expensive homes in Scottsdale, with many exceeding $5 million in value. The city's borders rapidly expand to the east and west in this area, containing the McDowell Mountain range. Troon is a large-scale development in North Scottsdale.

 

Sun City West
Sun City West offers a diverse range of homes priced from $127,000 to $940,000. The golf fees are among the lowest in Arizona. The $296 per person recreation membership fee is low compared to other Arizona golf retirement communities. The community includes swimming, tennis and fitness center activities which are included in that cost. And property taxes are low. Many of their homes do not have a school tax.

Surprise

The city was founded in 1937 by real estate developer and state legislator Homer C. Ludden, who named it after his hometown of Suprise, Nebraska. Although there were only a few houses and a gas station on the one-mile-square parcel of land when Ludden subdivided it to build inexpensive houses for agricultural workers, Surprise has experienced tremendous growth in the years since.

Tens of thousands of retirees moved to the city in the 1990's and early 2000's to live in Sun City Grand, an age-restricted resort-like community, with homes built by the property development firm Del Webb. Surprise is about five miles northwest of Del Webb's original Sun City development and adjacent to Sun City West

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Since it opened in 1996, Sun City Grand has become a large contributor to the city's population, which more than septupled from 10,187 to about 75,000 in 2004. The city's population is now considerably larger than Ludden's hometown, which had a population of 44 in the 2000 United States Census.

Rapid growth has led city officials to estimate the population at over 103,000 as of 2007, a figure the city maintains in spite of more conservative population estimates by the Census Bureau. Thirty-two of the state's top 50 homebuilders cater to new homebuyers, who are attracted by the city's modestly-priced homes, its relative proximity to Phoenix, and by the property taxes, which the city claims are among the lowest in the state.

 

Tempe
The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley portion of the Phoenix Metropolitan area; it is bordered by Phoenix on the west, Scottsdale on the north, Chandleron on the south, and Mesa on the east. Tempe is the home of US Airways, Arizona State University and, until 2007, the Arizona Cardinals.

With a population of 165,000, The City of Tempe cultivates a unique urban environment in the heart of the metropolitan Phoenix area. The city offers the most educated workforce in the area and amenities such as Arizona State University, Tempe Town Lake, loft living and a vibrant downtown with more than 20,000 workers. Triathlons, art festivals, national sporting events and a variety of musical venues spotlight Tempe’s creative spirit.