Chandler Real Estate Info

A large city in Maricopa County and a prominent suburb of the Phoenix area, Chandler, Arizona, lies in the south-central part of the state, about 20 miles south of Scottsdale and about 25 miles southeast of Phoenix. The city has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade, with its population rising by more than 40% since the 2000 census to an estimated 247,000 in 2008. Chandler encompasses an area of 58 square miles and was incorporated in 1920.

Chandler was first settled by Dr. Alexander John Chandler, who came to a ranch in 1891. By the turn of the century, he had amassed 18,000 acres and began plans for to soon-to-be-established Chandler Ranch. The town was in swing by 1913, complete with the state's first golf resort at the Hotel San Marcos. Today, the city continues to develop as more and more residents move here to find some coveted Chandler real estate. In 2008, residents had a median household annual income of just under $70,000, while the median value of Chandler homes was just under $280,000. Median gross rent in 2008 was $1,044.

Most of the children residing in Chandler are assigned to publish schools in the Chandler Unified School District, though some on the outskirts are zoned to the Kyrene Elementary School District and the Tempe Union High School District, Mesa Public Schools and Gilbert Public Schools. Higher educational institutions include the Chandler-Gilbert Community College, with an enrollment of around 13,000, and Western International University. One of the state's most notable colleges, Arizona State University, is just 14 miles away in Tempe. Corporations with a large presence in the city include Intel, with four offices in Chandler, and the Orbital Sciences Corporation. About 25% of workers in the city not employed by the government work in or with high-tech manufacturing firms, and Chandler has not been hit as hard by the recession as other cities; in October 2009, its unemployment rate was just 6.6%, versus the state's average of 9.3%.

Attractions in Chandler include the 1,500-seat Chandler Center for the Arts, the Arizona Railway Museum at Tumbleweed Park, the Children's Museum of Chandler and three shopping malls, including the Chandler Fashion Center. Each year, the city celebrates its annual Ostrich Festival, celebrating the birds that used to be raised here, at Tumbleweed Park. The park also hosts an annual Fourth of July festival and a "day of play." The city operates the Chandler Public Library system, with a main branch downtown and three branches throughout the city. There are six aquatic centers, a community center, a senior center and two recreation centers in the city. For getting about town, two express buses leave the city's downtown area and a park and ride facility was recently established south of town. The Chandler Regional Hospital provides residents with all the medical care and services they may need.