Alta Mira Community

Perfect for families who want the best of suburban and city life, Alta Mira offers a charming collection of cul-de-sac homes with 3-4 bedrooms and backyard fun, all less than 20 minutes from downtown Tempe and the university campus. Home prices range from $300,000 to $500,000 for a wide selection of options for everyone.

The Area

Located in the less urban portion of Tempe, Alta Mira contains its own park, in addition to being located close to several others, as well as tennis courts, pools, and skate parks. The neighborhood is within walking distance to everyday amenities, like grocery and drug stores, salons, tailors, medical plazas, restaurants, golf courses, etc. Alta Mira is truly a community, with neighborhood meetings, events, and initiatives for grants to improve public spaces (check it out for yourself on their Facebook page).

Take the lite rail to downtown Tempe for more shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities—like one of Tempe’s many charity marathons, a musical at ASU Gammage Theater, or a Sun Devils football game. Also, just a quick drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, living in Tempe makes it easy to get where you want to go. Tempe is by far the most diverse and exciting area in all of Arizona, making Alta Mira the ideal choice for those that want to choose when, where, and how to pick up the pace or slow it down.

The Schools

Alta Mira is within the Kyrene School District for elementary and middle school students, and the Tempe Union High School District. Children will therefore attend Kyrene Elementary, Kyrene Middle, and Corona Del Sol High School. With a graduation rate of 98% and a 95% college attendance rate, Corona Del Sol is one of the top public schools in Tempe. 95% of their students attend college, with numerous accolades and scholarships for academics, sports, and other activities. The school offers AP and honors classes, in addition to a wide selection of extra-curricular activities.

Parents wishing to send their children to private school can choose between four preschools and two Christian schools in the immediate area. If parents are willing to travel more than 10 minutes to take their kids to school, they can choose from Tempe’s 70 other educational options.

With ASU located less than twenty minutes away, parents may not have to endure the painful sending-the-kid-off-to-college ordeal. The university also provides a wide range of educational benefits to younger children, with a wide array of culture, events, lectures, and university students willing to help tutor and serve as teaching aids in Tempe schools.

The Economy

Serving as the headquarters for US Airways, Insight Enterprises, LifeLock, First Solar Project, and many others, Tempe is a bustling epicenter for commercial business. However, incentives like ASU and the University of Phoenix stadium also draw money into the city at incomparable rates. ASU, Maricopa Community College District, and the Salt River Project are the city’s top employers. The median income for a Tempe family is $55,237 according to the 2006 census.

The average price of a home in Tempe is approximately $311,000, meaning that Alta Mira offers both par-for-the-course and higher quality housing options. Tempe’s housing market is on the up-swing, with an increase in housing prices by $40,000 since last year to a median of $177,150. The least expensive areas are closest to the university, most likely because of the greater amount of traffic, crime, and noise—making Alta Mira’s 17 minute commute from the university a safe distance for individuals who would rather live without.

Tempe’s price-per-square-foot increased by 34% this year to $129. While the rest of Arizona has faced extreme hardship in foreclosures, Tempe’s foreclosures are a mere fraction with only 36% of re-sales accounting for them, while the rest of Arizona’s were 62% in 2010. The remainder of the state has consistently improved since then, but these statistics speak volumes for Tempe’s impenetrable market.

Is Alta Mira for You?

Yes, if you want access to the best that the Valley has to offer, but 24/7 urban living. With high quality, charming suburban homes, Alta Mira provides a unique experience for families in a diverse range of prices.