PHOENIX

Phoenix is the capital city of Arizona and is located in the central region of the state. People may know it for its year-round sun, desert beauty, and world-class resorts and golf, but as the fifth-largest city in the U.S., it also offers sophisticated urbanscapes, southwest culture and lots of outdoor adventure.

Discover the community

Housing

With an average home value of around $416,600, it's easier to find affordable homes in Phoenix than it is in other parts of the state, as the average home value is slightly lower than Arizona's average. Along with the affordable prices, you can also find a variety of communities and home styles throughout Phoenix to accommodate your needs.

Popular Types of Homes You'll Find in the Arizona Real Estate Market include: Pueblo Revival, Contemporary, Spanish Mission, Ranch-Style, Tudor Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Bungalows & condos.

With job opportunities, attractive weather, outdoor recreation, and plenty of fun things to add to your calendar - among many more perks - it's easy to see why Phoenix attracts many new residents each year.

Whether you're just beginning your career or you're looking to switch jobs, Phoenix is a great place to do it. The city is known for its startups and small businesses, but there are also plenty of larger places to dip into. You can find your fit at a Fortune 500 company like Magellan Health or get started in one of the city's booming industries - you'll be able to choose from opportunities ranging from aerospace and electronics to tourism and service.

Lifestyle

Sometimes, bigger really is better. Phoenix (the "Valley of the Sun" to locals) invites you to enjoy major destinations for recreation and relaxation, must-visit venues in the culinary and cocktail kingdoms, and long-standing arts, civic and cultural institutions.

Sports

The Valley Metro public light rail system pulls up right outside Chase Field, the downtown Phoenix ballpark that's home to MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks. Footprint Center, the arena that's home to the NBA's Phoenix Suns, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and the IFL's Phoenix Rattlers, is just a few blocks west. On any game day, you'll find flocks of fans pre- and post-gaming at nearby sports bars, upscale eateries and neighborhood taquerias.

Get back to nature

South Mountain Park Preserve, the nation's largest municipally managed park, is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts to experience Phoenix activities. Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders have more than 50 miles of trails, while bicyclists can test their endurance on the roadways that climb across three mountain ranges.

Discover next-level relaxation

The luxury resort scene in Phoenix includes a long list of historic and modern properties that go big. Families enjoy epic-sized pools with monumental play features. Wellness travelers find spa treatments and fitness programs that add euphoria to vacation days. And for those who find their bliss on a golf course, many of the area's top resorts boast some of the best year-round courses in the country.

Whet your palate …

Some of the country's most innovative restaurateurs hone their culinary creations and prowess in Phoenix. The best-known restaurants in Phoenix have racked up regular plaudits from national newspapers and magazines and nominations from the James Beard Foundation. In 2022, local chefs and restaurants were named semifinalists in eight different categories.

… Then wet your whistle

The city's cocktail and craft brew culture are as strong as some of the pours you'll find therein. While beer and cider drinkers sample flights and drafts at a local microbrewery or meadery, those in search of higher spirits can content themselves with a well-composed tipple in one of the city's many other popular gathering spots.

Embrace creative culture

The galleries and exhibits at the Musical Instrument Museum draw from a collection of more than 8,000 instruments from around the globe, including opportunities to see and hear the instruments played … and sometimes play them yourself. Those who might prefer to leave the playing to the professionals, meanwhile, can reserve tickets for a Phoenix Symphony or Arizona Opera performance at Symphony Hall, one of many performance venues that make downtown a cultural center with a vibrant arts scene all around.

Discover more about desert life-then and now

One of Phoenix's first cultural institutions, the Heard Museum has grown into an international destination to learn about Native American art and history, while the Pueblo Grande Museum and Archeological Park is a must-see Phoenix attraction that takes visitors on a path to remnants of a ballcourt and platform created by the Hohokam people who lived in this area from A.D. 450 to 1450. And at the 140-acre Desert Botanical Garden, more than 50,000 desert plants illustrate the beauty and variety of desert plant life.

Activities & Attractions

Outdoor adventures and cosmopolitan vibes in the desert

Known for its sunny climate and spectacular desert landscapes, Phoenix and the surrounding cities of Scottsdale, Glendale and other destinations in Arizona's Valley of the Sun feature vibrant culture and numerous opportunities for outdoor adventures and luxury. With the fabled Grand Canyon just four hours away, Phoenix is often thought of as the jumping-off point for vacation adventures, but the state's capital city also features attractions that, while perhaps not as awe-inspiring, are equally breathtaking.

Soul of the Southwest

On any trip to Phoenix, you shouldn't miss the Heard Museum to see its immense collection of Native American artifacts and to hear docents explain how native people thrived in the harsh desert environment. East of downtown, the S'edav Va'aki Museum preserves remnants of Hohokam culture, along with platform mounds and irrigation canals.

From its eclectic neighborhoods, such as Roosevelt Row, to the campus of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture outside Scottsdale (also known as Taliesin West), and Paolo Soleri's Arcosanti, the Phoenix area embraces culture in all its forms.

You can visit modern Native American art galleries in Phoenix and Scottsdale in the morning, then tour downtown Phoenix's St. Mary's Basilica and its soaring Spanish Colonial architecture in the afternoon. Don't miss the Queen Anne and Victorian architecture in downtown's Heritage Square.

Dozens of museums, including the striking Phoenix Art Museum and the 15,000-item Musical Instrument Museum, feature world-class collections.

Desert Scenery and Adventure

If you climb Scottsdale's Camelback Mountain - a favorite spot for runners, hikers and bikers - you'll be rewarded with spectacular views of the valley floor and the nearby mountains lining the Mogollon Rim. South Mountain Park, the largest municipal park in the USA, is another recreation mainstay that horseback riders particularly love. At Phoenix's Desert Botanical Garden in Papago Park, you can learn about the environment and see such sentinels as agave, yucca, ocotillo, palo verde, mesquite and saguaro cacti.

Cosmopolitan Vibes

It's this embrace of the world that lends an air of sophistication to the Valley of the Sun. While cowboy culture is still prevalent - visit Heritage Square in Old Town Scottsdale for a taste of the Old West - it coexists with the vibrant dining and rooftop nightlife scene in downtown Phoenix's CityScape.

With its large Hispanic population and proximity to Mexico, several local restaurants are known throughout the area for authentic and delectable dishes. People from across the world live in the area, and you'll find everything from mouthwatering pierogis and pasta to Vietnamese, Brazilian and fine French cuisine.

Resort Life

The area also knows all about relaxing and enjoying life in the sun. Recreation activities like the Big Surf water park and Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon excursions are never hard to find.

Hundreds of manicured resorts and emerald golf courses snake through desert sands, and world-class spas are scattered throughout the valley, drawing thousands of visitors to this oasis in the northern Sonoran Desert.