One of the major suburbs of Pheonix, Peoria is a picturesque city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties of Arizona. Located just 13 miles from the capital and most populous city of Arizona – Phoenix – Peoria has been ranked as the #1 city to live, work, and play in Arizona by Ranking Arizona. Peoria is the spring training home of the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners that share the Peoria Sports Complex. 

What is the community of Peoria like?  

Home to around 176,000 residents, Peoria is a gorgeous city just about 30 minutes northwest of downtown Phoenix. Starting in 1886 as an agricultural community, Peoria has made unparalleled strides in becoming a rapidly-growing, modern city that offers a high quality of living in the breathtaking setting of the Sonoran Desert.  
Ranked by Niche as the 7th best suburb to live in Phoenix Area, Peoria is home to a plethora of lush parks, hiking trails, shopping malls and outlets, stadiums and sports complexes, as well as exquisite dining options. With 300 days of pristine sunshine every year, the city offers a wonderful setting for residents and visitors to enjoy an outstanding array of outdoor recreational opportunities. 
In addition, Peoria is known for being home to the famous Peoria Sports Complex, which was established in 1994 and plays home to two Major League Baseball teams - San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners – as a training facility. Spanning over 145 acres with a capacity of 12,000, the Peoria Sports Complex consists of the main baseball stadium (Peoria Stadium) and 12 practice fields and is one of the six facilities that host the Arizona Fall League games. The complex also features seven lighted fields for night games, four half fields, eight covered hitting tunnels for the major league and 12 for the minor league, and 30 practice mounds. 
Peoria is home to Lake Pleasant Regional Park, which spans over 23,000 acres and is a popular spot for boating, fishing, water skiing, kayaking, camping, and even scuba diving. The residents of Peoria also enjoy access to 570 acres of parks including 36 neighborhood parks and three large community parks, as well as more than 60 miles of beautiful hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails.  

What is Real Estate like in Peoria?     

Real estate in Peoria has shown an average growth of 3.7% per year since the year 2000. Since 2000, the prices of homes in Peoria have appreciated by a strong 114.37%. Local real estate expert Doug Schneider categorizes Peoria’s housing market as ‘very competitive’. The sale prices of homes in Peoria have experienced strong growth of more than 20.6% over the last year.   
The median home price in Peoria is $405,000. Currently, there are 729 active homes for sale in Peoria, and normally it takes just 38 days for a listed home to sell. The average cost to rent a house in Peoria is $1,807 per month. At present, there are 59,659 homes and apartments in the city, 73.6% of which are owned, and the remaining 26.4% are rented.      

How is the economic landscape of Peoria?     

Over the last year, Peoria’s job market has grown by 3.3%, while its unemployment rate stands at a decent 5.8%. The US average is 6%. Also, the city’s job market is expected to grow by 32.5% over the next ten years.  
On average, a Peoria resident earns around $29,000 per annum, modestly higher than the US average of $28500. The city’s median household income of almost $63,000 per resident is, however, decently greater than the US average of approximately $53000. Most of the residents of Peoria work in construction, manufacturing, retail, finance, education, accommodation. professional and technical services, and healthcare.    

How are the schools in Peoria?     

Peoria is covered by 3 school districts, with Peoria Unified School District being the city’s major school district encompassing 41 schools and 36,706 enrolled students. Peoria also lies in proximity to many colleges including, among others, Glendale Community College, Arizona College of Allied Health, and Brown Mackie College Phoenix. 
When it comes to higher education, lies just 23 miles from one of Arizona’s most prestigious universities – the Arizona State University (ASU). Founded in 1885, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the United States. Home to nearly 150,000 enrolled students across its five campuses and four regional learning centers throughout Arizona, ASU offers 350 program options from its 17 colleges and more than 170 cross-discipline centers and institutes for undergraduate students, as well as more than 400 graduate degree and certificate programs. The university's faculty of more than 4,700 scholars has included 5 Nobel laureates, 6 Pulitzer Prize winners, 4 MacArthur Fellows, and 19 National Academy of Sciences members.  

Peoria in a nutshell        

To sum up, Peoria is a major suburb of Phoenix that plays home to a vibrant community and offers an extensive array of outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities. Offering easy access to great educational facilities, pristine parks, a thriving sports culture, and access to incredible professional and business opportunities of the greater Phoenix area, Peoria is an ideal place to call home, should you decide to move to Arizona.