Paradise Valley, Arizona | |
|---|---|
 Welcome sign | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: "There is a reason we call this valley 'paradise'"[1] | |
 Location in Maricopa County, Arizona | |
  Paradise Valley  Paradise Valley  Paradise Valley | |
| Coordinates:33°31′52″N111°56′34″W / 33.53111°N 111.94278°W /33.53111; -111.94278 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arizona |
| County | Maricopa |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mark Stanton |
| • Vice Mayor | Ellen Andeen-Keller |
| Area | |
• Total | 15.41 sq mi (39.90 km2) |
| • Land | 15.38 sq mi (39.83 km2) |
| • Water | 0.027 sq mi (0.07 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,854 ft (565 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 12,658 |
| • Density | 823.0/sq mi (317.77/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST (noDST)) |
| ZIP code | 85253 |
| Area code | 480 |
| FIPS code | 04-52930 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413114[3] |
| Website | www |
Paradise Valley is a desert and mountain town inArizona east of state capitalPhoenix. The town is known for its golf courses, resorts and restaurants, the workshop ofPaolo Soleri, and close proximity to Scottsdale and Phoenix.[5][6] According to the2020 census, its population was 12,658.[4]
The town's name comes from the expansive area known as Paradise Valley that spreads from north of thePhoenix Mountains toCave Creek andCarefree on the north and theMcDowell Mountains to the east. Resident children in the majority of the municipality attend schools in theScottsdale Unified School District.
The town's history dates to a moreagrarian society. After the initial European settlement, Paradise Valley was first used for cattle grazing. In the 1880s, when the land was being surveyed so it could be developed into agricultural lots, the name "Paradise Valley" first came into use, given by surveyors from theRio Verde Canal Company and its manager at the time, Frank Conkey.[7] The name may have been chosen due to the abundance of spring wildflowers andpalo verde trees.[8] Mainly an agricultural area during the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, the area began to be settled after World War II, on large one-to-five-acre (4,000 to 20,200 m2) lots for which it became known.
As the neighboring settlements of Phoenix andScottsdale began to grow and annex adjoining areas, the residents of what became Paradise Valley were concerned that the qualities they most valued would be lost if they were consumed by their larger neighbors.[9] These residents formed the "Citizens Committee for the Incorporation of The Town of Paradise Valley, Arizona", which collected enough signatures to take to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. The supervisors granted the petition, allowing the town of Paradise Valley to be incorporated on May 24, 1961.[8]
Today, Paradise Valley is one of Phoenix's wealthiest suburbs.[10][11][12]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 15.4 square miles (40 km2), of which 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2), or 0.18%, is water.[2]
Mummy Mountain dominates Paradise Valley's central terrain. Other landmarks includeCamelback Mountain on the southern border and thePiestewa Peak mountainous area on the western border.
Several historical sites are within the town, including the Harold C. Price, Sr. House, McCune Mansion/Hormel Mansion, and Barry Goldwater Memorial Park.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6,637 | — | |
| 1980 | 11,085 | 67.0% | |
| 1990 | 11,773 | 6.2% | |
| 2000 | 13,664 | 16.1% | |
| 2010 | 12,820 | −6.2% | |
| 2020 | 12,658 | −1.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] | |||
As of the 2020census the town had a population of 12,658, consisting of 5,728 households.
From the 2000 census: The population density was 881.7 inhabitants per square mile (340.4/km2). The 5,499 housing units averaged 354.8 per square mile (137.0/km2). Theracial makeup of the town was 95.6% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.0% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. About 2.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 5,034 households, 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.1% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.3% were not families; 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town, the population was distributed as 24.9% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 18.8% from 25 to 44, 35.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $150,228, and for a family was $164,811. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $52,302 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $81,290. About 1.9% of families and 2.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over. In 2012, theForbes magazine named Paradise Valley's zip code, 85253, the 71st-most expensive in the United States. This ranking also makes it the most expensive in the state of Arizona.[14] In February 2024,Business Insider highlighted how the city was seeing a notable increase in the number of wealthy transplants fromCalifornia.The Wall Street Journal described this trend a year earlier.[15][16]
Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner, first elected in 2018, began his third term asmayor of Paradise Valley in 2022.[17] The mayor and six town council members are the elected representatives of the Town of Paradise Valley. The council has six members, who are elected to serve four-year staggered terms. In 2010, voters approved direct election of the mayor. Scott LeMarr became the first directly elected mayor in 2012. The council still selects its vice mayor from among its members.
The Town's accredited police department[18] is led by Chief Freeman Carney.[19]
In 2012, citizens gathered 500 signatures on a petition requesting that the council reconsider the issue of direct election of the mayor. In June 2012, the council voted to return the question of direct election of mayor to the people.[20] Residents voted to keep direct election of the mayor.
Paradise Valley is in the1st Congressional District, which has been represented byDavid Schweikert since 2021.[21] Despite the town's conservative lean, at the state level it has been represented by three Democrats since 2020. A part ofLegislative District 28, it is represented byChristine Marsh in theState Senate and byKelli Butler andAaron Lieberman in theHouse of Representatives.[22]
Most of Paradise Valley is within theScottsdale Unified School District.[23] A small portion is served byCreighton Elementary School District andPhoenix Union High School District.[24]
Severalcharter schools also are in the area including nearbyGreat Hearts Academies,BASIS Schools, and private schools such asPhoenix Country Day School.
According to Paradise Valley's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,[25] the top employers in the town as of 2020 were:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa | 331 |
| 2 | Sanctuary on Camelback | 324 |
| 3 | The Scottsdale Plaza Resort | 283 |
| 4 | Hermosa Inn | 202 |
| 5 | Mountain Shadows | 190 |
| 6 | Double Tree Paradise Valley Resort | 160 |
| 7 | Phoenix Country Day School | 145 |
| 8 | Town of Paradise Valley | 109 |
| 9 | Camelback Inn | 97 |
| 10 | Early Learning Childhood Center | 82 |
The town is not to be confused with Paradise Valley Village, an official municipal designation, in northeast Phoenix. For instance,Paradise Valley Community College,Paradise Valley High School,Paradise Valley Mall, Paradise Valley Golf Course, and the formerParadise Valley Hospital are all several miles north of the town, in Phoenix. The Paradise Valley Unified School District does not serve the town of Paradise Valley either, only the areas north of it; its boundaries end a few miles north of the border.
Media related toParadise Valley, Arizona at Wikimedia CommonsMunicipalities and communities ofMaricopa County, Arizona,United States | ||
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