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Moving to
Sun Lakes.
Sun Lakes is an unincorporated community in Maricopa County, AZ. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Sun Lakes
Sun Lakes is an unincorporated community in Arizona with commutes that run shorter than most cities and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Sun Lakes deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, household incomes below the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Extreme summer heat
How Sun Lakes compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Sun Lakes
Based on Sun Lakes's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,876
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $77,520 a year
- 67% of Sun Lakes renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$91,040
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $45,520
- Homes cost 6.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 37% above US
$1,938/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,938 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $455,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $455,200 · 67% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Maricopa County is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Maricopa County (county-wide)
Safety
277 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Sun Lakes doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 901/100k · Policed by Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2024 data
Getting around▼ 21% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.5 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 22% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 108°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 37°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
0 public schools inside the boundary
No public school is located inside the boundary; students attend schools in the surrounding district. There is 1 private school inside it.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (25 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Sun Lakes's strongest points are commutes that run shorter than most cities and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,938/mo) equals 34% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (22% of workers here already work from home) and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Sun Lakes
All Arizona guides →Moving to Chandler →
5 mi away · pop. 280,136
Rent $1,902/mo · Income $108,095
Compare with Sun Lakes →Moving to Gilbert →
10 mi away · pop. 280,262
Rent $2,110/mo · Income $122,551
Compare with Sun Lakes →Not sure Sun Lakes is the one?
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