Kunle Falayi
Arizona Republic
Arizona’s cities and towns are growing fast and nowhere is this more apparent than Queen Creek, where the population has doubled in just eight years.
Queen Creek had an estimated population of 35,534 people in 2015. According to the 2022 population estimates recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 70,000 people now live in the Phoenix suburb. That makes it not just the fastest-growing municipality in the East Valley, but in the entire state of Arizona.
The town has one of the highest median household incomes in Arizona, too, according to the 2021 American Community Survey. Its median of $111,743 puts it at No. 8 in the state, nearly the same level as Carefree, at $117,813. Paradise Valley tops the list at $203,659.
Most Queen Creek residents own their homes and nearly half the population has at least a bachelor’s degree, according to U.S census data.
A Queen Creek block party.
Why is this burgeoning city so attractive to new financially well off and more educated residents? Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce President Chris Clark said it’s a combination of the geography, low crime rate, attractive buildings and good building standards.
“The town requires more variations in elevations so houses and buildings don’t all appear the same,” he said. “The walls of subdivisions are required to have more variations and use of different materials so you don’t have long runs of plain block walls. “With landscaping, he believes these simple, small changes add details that create architectural beauty that attracts new residents.Queen Creek’s average home price has trended downward in the past year, too. The median home price was $599,400 as of the end of July, according to Redfin. Even though that is still higher than metro Phoenix’s median price of $443,000, the price in the town has seen more than a 14% year-over-year decline.
