What Is It Actually Like To Live In Anthem, Arizona?

Anthem is a master-planned community at the north edge of the Phoenix area, along I-17, with the desert foothills right behind it. People move here for newer homes, parks and paths built into the plan, and a quieter pace than the middle of the Valley. Valerie Moe, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Sonoran Living in Anthem, Arizona, hears the same questions from relocating buyers again and again: how big is it, what's the weather like, which schools, how far is the drive, and what does it cost. Here's a plain, fact-based rundown.

Bigger than most people expect. Del Webb began building Anthem in 1998, and today it has about 10,000 homes. The 2020 census counted 23,190 residents in the Anthem census-designated place, which covers about 7.9 square miles.

Anthem is not its own city. It's an unincorporated community in Maricopa County, and the area west of I-17 is within the City of Phoenix for police and fire. East of the freeway, fire service comes from the Daisy Mountain Fire Department. That split can matter when you compare two homes only a few minutes apart.

A nonprofit, the Anthem Community Council, manages the community's shared assets like the park and community center, and works with Anthem's homeowners associations.

Anthem sits at about 1,860 feet, a little higher than central Phoenix. Summer is still hot. July highs average a little over 100 degrees, with lows in the mid to upper 70s. Winters are mild, with January highs in the mid 60s and lows around 40.

In practice, that means the same rhythm as the rest of the Valley: mornings and evenings outdoors in summer, and full days outside from late fall through early spring.

Most of daily life here was planned in from the start.

1. Anthem Community Park. A 63-acre park with lakes, an amphitheater, pagodas and sports fields. It's also where events like Autumnfest are held each November.
2. The Anthem Community Center. Home to outdoor pickleball courts and youth programs.
3. Paths and pocket parks. Walking paths run through the neighborhoods, bike paths follow the major streets, and smaller parks are spread throughout.
4. Golf. Anthem Country Club has two 18-hole courses, Persimmon and Ironwood, in the gated section of Anthem.

Anthem is served by Deer Valley Unified School District, including Boulder Creek High School and several K-8 schools, among them Anthem School, Diamond Canyon, Gavilan Peak and Canyon Springs. School boundaries can change and can split a neighborhood, so confirm the assigned schools with the district by address before you write an offer.

Downtown Phoenix is about 30 miles south along I-17. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is roughly 35 to 38 miles from most of Anthem, about 45 minutes in normal traffic, and longer at weekday rush hour.

Those are workable drives, but they're real drives. If you'll commute or fly often, test the trip at the time of day you'd make it before you choose a home. Valerie builds that drive into tours for relocating buyers.

It depends on the neighborhood. These ranges come from Valerie's recent market review, and they shift over time.

1. Anthem Country Club: about $525,000 to $1.775 million. Gated, with two golf courses and all single-story homes.
2. Anthem West: about $525,000 to $1.4 million. The west side of Anthem, west of I-17, in the 85086 and 85087 zips, with larger lots. Circle Mountain Ranch and Sendero Crossing are part of it.
3. Circle Mountain Ranch: about $595,000 to $1.1 million. Newer homes built through 2020, with several multi-generational floor plans. Read what it's like to live in Circle Mountain Ranch.
4. Sendero Crossing: about $500,000 to $1.1 million. A newer community nearby, now resale only.

These are general ranges, not a quote for any home. Ask for a current comparison of recent sales on the type of home you want before you tour, and add the costs a listing doesn't show: HOA dues and what they cover, property taxes, insurance and closing costs.

Anthem works well for buyers who want a newer home inside a planned community, with parks, paths and a community center close by, and who are comfortable with a real drive into Phoenix or to the airport. If being five minutes from everything matters more than space and quiet, compare Anthem against a closer-in community on facts like drive time, lot size and HOA costs, not on a general impression.

If you're moving from out of state, start with relocating to the area. When you'd like to talk it through, contact Valerie.

Q: How many people live in Anthem, Arizona? The 2020 census counted 23,190 residents in the Anthem census-designated place, which has about 10,000 homes.

Q: Is Anthem part of Phoenix? Anthem is an unincorporated community in Maricopa County. The area west of I-17 is within the City of Phoenix for police and fire.

Q: Which school district serves Anthem? Deer Valley Unified School District. Confirm the assigned schools for any address with the district.

Q: How far is Anthem from the Phoenix airport? About 35 to 38 miles, roughly 45 minutes in normal traffic and longer at rush hour.