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Arizona real estate best
known attraction is the Grand Canyon, a stunning natural gorge that
spans 5,000 feet deep, 227 miles long and up to 18 miles wide. Arizona
also has more than 20 monuments, parks, memorials, historic sites
and trails as well as recreation areas within the National Park
Service system. Notable sites include the Glen Canyon National Recreation
Area, the Old Spanish National Historic Trail and the Tumacácori
National Historic Park.
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Arizona real estate
has a current population estimated to be close to 6 million,
with almost 4 million people living in the Phoenix metro. In the
last five years, the state’s growth rate has been roughly
three times the national average - a testament to Arizona’s
excellent quality of life. Almost 27 percent of the population is
younger than 18 years old and about 13 percent is aged 65 and over.
The resident base is split almost equally between men and women,
but the ethnic diversity is low. More than 85 percent of the Arizona
population is Caucasian.
Arizona real estate is well-developed and offers
substantial opportunity in several industries. The largest employing
sector is educational, health and social services, followed by retail
trade, professional services, manufacturing and tourism-related
services. Most of the workforce is employed in an office or administrative
support role. Sales and food preparation are popular roles as well.
The state’s per capita income in 2005 was $30,267, which is
somewhat higher than the U.S. average. Arizona’s largest employers
include the University of Arizona, Raytheon Missile Systems, Phoenix
Sky Harbor International Airport, Intel, General Dynamics and Arizona
State University.
Arizona real estate state’s housing market
has boomed in recent years as developers respond quickly to strong
demand. These developers have brought a variety of community types
to the Valley of the Sun in particular. Prospective buyers will
find a housing selection that includes many master-planned communities,
including golf, tennis or retirement, plus existing single-family
homes, new construction, condominiums, townhouses, urban lofts,
rural properties and horse properties. A large proportion of new
Arizona buyers are aged 55 or older and looking for second homes,
investment properties or downsized homes. In 2005, Arizona’s
median home price was $228,800.
Higher education in Arizona is under the authority of the Arizona
Board of Regents. The state offers a few public universities, many
community colleges and several private colleges and trade schools.
The largest public university in terms of enrollment is Arizona
State University, followed by the University of Arizona and Northern
Arizona University.
Arizona has an extensive transportation infrastructure anchored
by a network of freeways connecting the Phoenix metro to the rest
of the state. Phoenix and Tucson also have public bus systems, operated
by Valley Metro and Sun Tran, respectively. Regional bus service
is provided by Greyhound.
There are three main international airports in the state, Phoenix
Sky Harbor International (PHX), Tucson International Airport (TUS)
and Yuma International Airport (YUM). Prescott Municipal Airport,
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, Williams Gateway Airport and Scottsdale
Municipal Airport support the needs of non-commercial aircraft.
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