Glendale
Glendale, the state's fourth largest city, is located in the northwest portion of Phoenix. It was founded in 1892 and is known for its wealth of antique shopping.

Glendale, was founded northwest of Phoenix by conservative, community-minded farmers in 1892. Like other Valley cities, the face of Glendale has been changed by steady population growth and a shift from farming to manufacturing. Glendale has attracted numerous electronics plants, and its proximity to Luke Air Force Base has been even more beneficial to its economy.

Glendale Trivia: The City of Glendale trivia at their Web site: "Ostrich feathers were a huge business in Glendale from the late 1800s until around 1914 when World War I began. It was said that their diet of Glendale-grown alfalfa provided the feathers with a unique luster not found anywhere else in the world."

As a result of a 52% growth rate between 1980 and 1990, Glendale was listed as the 14th fastest growing city in the U.S. for that period. Most of that growth has been in the northern part, home to the beautiful masterplanned communities of Arrowhead Ranch, Arrowhead Lakes, and new subdivisions popping all over going ever north.

Home of National Football Championships – Glendale is home to three football classics. In 2007, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will relocate to Glendale, bringing along the National Band Championship in tow. Also in 2007, the Bowl Championship Series, BCS, will begin featuring a BCS Championship Game that will rotate cities, stopping in Glendale every four years. In 2008, the granddaddy of all sporting events, the Super Bowl will crown the 2007-08 NFL champion in Glendale.
Glendale Demographics

 
Sun City,Sun City West,Sun City Grand

These Sun City communities are not just any retirement communities. They are very active and thriving communities for the young at heart and abounds with life, entertainment, and community involvement.

Sun City is the quintessential retirement community in the nation. Located 12 miles northwest of Phoenix, Sun City is known for the active lifestyle of its senior citizens. There are more than 350 clubs and civic organizations and seven recreation centers. Sun City is not incorporated and taxes are one-half to two-thirds lower than in most other area communities.

Sun City, also a product of early 1960s growth, is the world's largest adult community. All of its residents are over the age of 50. Careful planning and uniform construction give Sun City its own look, one that clearly pleases its current population and continues to attract more; the town has grown to more than 69,000 in its brief history.

Sun City encompasses 8,900 acres of which 1,200 acres are golf courses. It has been called a "golfers' paradise." Golf links wind throughout the community creating large green open spaces. The electric golf cart, a non-polluting vehicle, is a favorite form of transportation.

Sun City West began in 1978 when all available land in Sun City, which is two miles east, was built upon.

The community, together with Sun City, has been rated the third best location out of 100 top-rated retirement communities in the nation. Nearly 24,000 residents call Sun City West home and when the community is fully completed there will be a population of 32,000. Sun City West is not incorporated.

Sun City Grand is the largest development in Del Webb's senior community on 3,700 acres between Bell Road and Grand Avenue. The community will have 11,200 homes when it's completed in 14 years.

Residents of the Sun City communities are often said to be too busy to retire.
Sun City Demographics
Sun City West Demographics

 
Peoria
Peoria is a rapidly growing suburban community in the northwest portion of the Valley of the Sun.

Formerly an agricultural town, Peoria is today a business and medical hub for the Northwest Valley area.

Peoria is bordered on the west by Sun City, on the east by Phoenix and Glendale, and on the north by Lake Pleasant. Peoria was incorporated in 1954.

Peoria started in the 1880s when several families from Peoria, Illinois, took up residence and began farming. The first post office in Peoria opened in 1888. Over the years, the number of farms increased and the town settled into a quiet rural lifestyle.

Peoria began to change in the 1960s when the retirement community of Sun City opened. From 1980 to 1990, the city experienced phenomenal growth with population increasing 300%. When Peoria was incorporated, it had about one square mile of land. Today Peoria encompasses 117 square miles.

A number of new commercial developments and major power centers have opened and more are under construction. Many of Peoria's residents commute to nearby jobs in northwest Phoenix.
Peoria Demographics

Surprise

The valley officials long anticipated the explosive valley growth: the town's population nearly tripled since 2001. Per an updated population count,

Surprise has more than 300,000 residents.

The town's history: Surprise was little more than a gas station and few small houses in 1938 when founder, Homer Charles Ludden, a Glendale real estate developer and state legislator, subdivided the rural square mile parcel into low-cost home sites for the area agricultural workers.

The small town friendliness has brought in Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers, the Cactus League Spring Training facility and stadium opened in 2003.

The Surprise real estate market has stayed strong.  Major businesses recognize the possibilities in this town: There will be a major shopping mall and hotel in 2007, creating hundreds of new jobs.

Commercial development is booming, as well, boosting sales tax revenues to an estimated $23.3 million in 2003-04, and plans are progressing for a 2007 auto mall, power center and lakefront home development along Loop 303.

Surprise Demographics

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