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Paradise Valley, Arizona
Welcome sign in Paradise Valley   Paradise Valley, looking east to Mummy Mountain
Welcome sign in Paradise Valley
Paradisevalleypanorama
Paradise Valley, looking east to Mummy Mountain
Motto(s): 
There is a reason we call this valley 'paradise'
Paradise Valley, Arizona is located in Maricopa County, Arizona
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Location in Maricopa County, Arizona
Paradise Valley, Arizona is located in Arizona
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Location in Arizona
Paradise Valley, Arizona is located in the United States
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  Arizona
County Maricopa
Area
 • Total 15.41 sq mi (39.90 km2)
 • Land 15.38 sq mi (39.83 km2)
 • Water 0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation
1,342 ft (409 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 12,658
 • Density 823.02/sq mi (317.77/km2)
Time zone UTC-7 (MST (no DST))
ZIP code
85253
Area code(s) 480
FIPS code 04-52930
GNIS feature ID 9197
Website

Paradise Valley is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and a suburb of Phoenix. It is Arizona's wealthiest municipality. The town is known for its luxury golf courses, shopping, real estate, and restaurant scene. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town was 12,820. Despite its relatively small area and population compared to other municipalities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Paradise Valley is home to eight full-service resorts, making it one of Arizona's premier tourist destinations. It is also known for expensive real estate.

The town's name comes from the expansive area known as Paradise Valley that spreads from north of the Phoenix Mountains to Cave Creek and Carefree on the north and the McDowell Mountains to the east. 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 Hospital, Paradise Valley Mall, and Paradise Valley Golf Course are all several miles north of the town, in Phoenix. The Paradise Valley Unified School District does not serve the town; its boundaries end a few miles north of the border.

Residents attend schools in the Scottsdale Unified School District.

Overview and history

Paradise Valley is the wealthiest suburb of Phoenix. It is known primarily for its many resorts and expensive real estate. However, its history dates back to a more agrarian 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, being given by surveyors from the Rio Verde Canal Company and its manager at the time, Frank Conkey. According to the official town website, this name may have been chosen due to the abundance of spring wildflowers and Palo Verde trees. 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 lots for which it became known.

As the neighboring settlements of Phoenix and Scottsdale began to grow and annex adjoining areas, the residents of what would become Paradise Valley were concerned that the qualities they most valued would be lost if they were consumed by their larger neighbors. These residents formed "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 petition was granted by the Supervisors, allowing the town of Paradise Valley to be incorporated on May 24, 1961.

Geography

Paradise Valley is located at 33°32′41″N 111°57′23″W / 33.54472°N 111.95639°W / 33.54472; -111.95639 (33.544596, -111.956451).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.5 square miles (40 km2), all of it land.

The central terrain of Paradise Valley is dominated by Mummy Mountain. Other landmarks include Camelback Mountain on the southern border and the Piestewa Peak mountainous area on the western border.

Paradise Valley-Barry Goldwater Memorial-1
Barry Goldwater Memorial
Paradise Valley-Barry Goldwater Memorial-2

There are several historical sites within the town including the Harold C. Price Sr. House, Norman Lykes House, McCure Mansion/Hormel Mansion, and the Barry Goldwater Memorial Park.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
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

Paradise Valley's motto, coined by residents, is "there is a reason we call this valley 'paradise'".

As of the census of 2000, 13,664 people, 5,034 households, and 4,163 families resided in the town. The population density was 881.7 people per square mile (340.4/km2). The 5,499 housing units averaged 354.8 per square mile (137.0/km2). The racial 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. The per capita income for the town was $81,290. About 1.9% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over. In 2012, the Forbes 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.

Economy

Top employers

According to Paradise Valley's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the town are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Camelback Inn 604
2 Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Montelucia 358
3 The Scottsdale Plaza Resort 330
4 Sanctuary on Camelback 307
5 DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley – Scottsdale 165
6 Phoenix Country Day School 133
7 Paradise Valley Country Club 113
8 Hermosa Inn 101
9 Town of Paradise Valley 80
10 Scottsdale Cottonwoods Resort and Suites 72

Education

Most of Paradise Valley is within the Scottsdale Unified School District. A relatively small portion, however, is served by Creighton Elementary School District and Phoenix Union High School District.

Several charter schools also are in the area, including nearby Great Hearts Academies and BASIS Schools, as well as private schools such as Phoenix Country Day School.

Notable people

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Paradise Valley (Arizona) para niños

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