Thinking about moving to Phoenix?
Phoenix is now the sixth largest city in the country. The city has shined on the national spotlight for hosting several Super Bowls, the national football championships and the yearly Cactus Spring Training League. The city offers downtown high-rises and historic neighborhoods like the Willows for you to plant your roots.
Our guide to Phoenix neighborhoods will give you the flavor of different sections of town and our best realtor list provides a trusted resource to find a top agent to secure your new home.
Phoenix Essential Resources
City of Phoenix website Everything you need to know about living in Phoenix. Chock full of useful resources, including information about the City of Phoenix government, calendars of city meetings and events, important city terminology…
Traffic
Phoenix traffic seems to increase each year, but compared to other big cities the gridlock isn’t bad. According to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Report, Phoenix only ranks 40th for the time people spend in traffic. However the report says Phoenix drivers should plan to spend 64 minutes behind the wheel to make a 20-minute trip on time in rush hour. A Travel Time Index developed by AZTech found that in the morning the I-10 in both directions is the slowest freeway, followed by Loop 101 Northbound from Chandler to Scottsdale and the Loop 202 West. Your best commute lies on SR 51 South.
Beat the commute: Carpool/HOV lanes, try the light-rail system, download routing apps like Waze to steer clear of accidents and live close to where you work.
Weather
Ask why someone moved here and at least half the time you’ll hear weather as the reason. Phoenix basically enjoys two seasons: heaven and hell. The majority of the year is dry and mild, but come summer, temperatures are well over 100 degrees and the city experiences a monsoon that brings rain and dust storms.
Average High/Low
Winter: 43° F-73° F
Spring: 51°F-92°F
Summer: 75°-104° F
Fall: 75° F-87°F
Economy
Historically tourism was the big driver of the Phoenix economy, and while it is still very strong, lucrative tech jobs are coming to the city. Over the next decade Arizona is projected to be #2 in the nation for IT jobs and #4 in STEM jobs. The challenge for the city is to attract more corporate headquarter and more skilled workers.
Unemployment rate: 4.7% (April, 2016)
Average mean hourly rate: $22.04 (May, 2014)
Where New Residents of Phoenix Are Moving From
About 88,000 people moved to the Phoenix metro area from 2014 to 2015, the fourth largest gain among other U.S. metros, according to U.S. Census data. Growing at a rate of 2 percent from the…
