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Deer Valley

General

Big, new homes near desert preserves and older affordable houses in smaller neighborhoods can both be found in this Phoenix area.  Easy freeway access and many employers are a draw for residents. A thriving municipal airport anchors this neighborhood. Plenty of restaurants and shopping centers are located here.

This neighborhood guide - like every one on Street Scout - was researched and written by experts from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. It's based on public records, census data and on-the-ground reporting. Our Emmy-winning photographers and videographers have brought images of each neighborhood to life. We know our neighborhoods. If you want to live here, you want to read this.

Transportation

Deer Valley has easy freeway access with Interstate 17, the Loop 101 and the Loop 303 running through the neighborhood. The Carefree Highway is just north of it.

School Map
Walk Score

Explore the 4 Areas of Deer Valley

Cave Buttes: 85024

Cave Buttes has several new and older neighborhoods. The area is named after the large Cave Buttes Recreation Area, located on its northern edge. Many residents work nearby in the Deer Valley Airpark area.

Deer Valley Airport: 85027

Deer Valley Airport has many business parks. Neighborhoods with mostly brick and block homes built in the 1970s are affordable. A busy municipal airport owned by the city of Phoenix is near the center of this neighborhood.

North Gateway: 85083

North Gateway is an upscale area of north Phoenix with newer homes on bigger lots. Deems Hill Recreation Area is in the middle of this neighborhood. The Loop 303 runs through this neighborhood. And the Carefree Highway is just north of it.

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve: 85085

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve includes much of the popular open space it is named after. The area is home to new neighborhoods, upscale shopping and a large corporate campus for military insurer USAA.

Housing

Housing

Deer Valley has a mix of homes. New, larger homes on bigger lots near desert preserves can be found on the northern side. Affordable older neighborhoods from the 1970s and 80s are near the area’s airpark. Apartments and condos for rent are aplenty. There’s room for more new neighborhoods farther north.

The Market

Cave Buttes85024

Deer Valley Airport85027

North Gateway85083

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve85085

  • Home prices range in this neighborhood from below $150,000 in the Deer Valley Airport area to well above $300,000 in the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve area.

  • Older homes and foreclosure properties in Cave Butte and Deer Valley Airport have drawn more investors and flippers. The renovation and sale of those homes has led to more rentals in the areas and a rise in home prices.

  • New, more expensive homes are going up in the Phoenix Sonoran and North Gateway neighborhoods. High-end retail has followed these rooftops.

Living Here

Living here

Expect lots of desert preserve land and access to multiple freeways. People move here for more affordable and bigger new homes and to be near the many large employers in the area. Shopping centers and restaurants can be easily found, particularly on the northern end of this neighborhood where there’s a lot of new development. Deer Valley Airport is a busy site for both personal and corporate aircraft.

Things To Do

Cave Buttes85024

Deer Valley Airport85027

North Gateway85083

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve85085

Main attractions

Close proximity to the Valley’s major freeways means quick and easy access to all the best local venues and attractions. Especially close by is the Musical Instrument Museum, a one-of-a-kind world-class facility with over 15,000 musical instruments.

Out on the town

Desert Ridge Marketplace is nearby and offers dozens of retail, dining and entertainment options for all ages. A state-of-the-art AMC Theater as well as a Dave & Buster’s arcade and restaurant can be found there. Recreation is made easy at Reach 11 Sports Complex with its 18 regulation-size fields.

Main attractions

During the hotter months, cool off at one of the Valley’s premiere summer attractions, Wet ‘n’ Wild waterpark. The fun comes in many speeds, from thrilling waterslides to lazy floating rivers. Nearby is the Glendale Community College North Campus. Weather permitting, expect to see colorful skies teeming with hot-air balloons. This area is a popular for air tours of the Sonoran Desert.

Out on the town

You can find pretty much everything at the Shops at Norterra and Happy Valley Towne Center. There’s Harkins Theatres, luxury spa and salon services, Barnes & Noble and Dick’s Sporting Goods. For a full belly, there’s Mellow Mushroom, Red Robin and P.F. Chang’s China Bistro.

Main attractions

Close proximity to the Valley’s major freeways means quick and easy access to many local venues and attractions. During the hotter months, cool off at Wet ‘n’ Wild waterpark. A short drive north is the community of Anthem. There you’ll find deals at the packed Outlets at Anthem. Family fun can be had at Anthem Community Park and Daisy Mountain Railroad.

Out on the town

You can find pretty much everything at the Shops at Norterra and Happy Valley Towne Center. There’s Harkins Theatres, luxury spa and salon services, Barnes & Noble and Dick’s Sporting Goods. For a full belly, there’s Mellow Mushroom, Red Robin and P.F. Chang’s China Bistro.

Main attractions

For two especially Arizonan experiences, visit Ben Avery Shooting Facility, one of the largest publicly operated shooting ranges in the country. And then there’s the Pioneer Living History Museum with authentically reproduced 1800s Old West town. A short drive north is the community of Anthem, where you’ll find deals at the packed Outlets at Anthem.

Out on the town

You can find pretty much everything at the Shops at Norterra and Happy Valley Towne Center. There’s Harkins Theatres, luxury spa and salon services, Barnes & Noble and Dick’s Sporting Goods. For a full belly, there’s Mellow Mushroom, Red Robin and P.F. Chang’s China Bistro.

Explore the Outdoors

Outdoors

Deem Hills Park, in the heart of the area, is a small recreation area that includes several trails that are easy to hike. There’s a nearly six-mile trail around the circumference of the park. It also has soccer fields and basketball courts. The Phoenix Sonoran Desert Preserve is one of the Valley’s most popular hiking and mountain biking spots. Hikes vary from easy to very difficult. Dixie Summit Trail is the toughest, but offers views from more than 2,200 feet in elevation.

Stats & Facts

Cave Buttes85024

Deer Valley Airport85027

North Gateway85083

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve85085

Who lives here

Deer Valley’s newest houses are concentrated in upscale neighborhoods. Most of the houses in the North Gateway (85083) and Phoenix Sonoran Preserve (85085) neighborhoods were built since 2000. North Gateway has one of the highest median household incomes in the Valley, but other neighborhoods in the area also show solid finances

5 Things To Know About Phoenix

It’s big.

Phoenix is the nation’s sixth biggest city and is growing faster than many other U.S. cities. The city was named in the mid-1800s by settlers, who compared their new home to the mythical bird that burned and rose from the ashes.

It’s a great place to hike.

National Geographic ranked Phoenix as one of America’s 15 best hiking cities. The city has a vast network of desert preserves and hiking trails, including iconic summits like Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak. Find trail maps and descriptions at https://www.phoenix.gov/parks/trails.

It has a reputation for being a well-run city.

Phoenix has received various awards for good governance. It has the highest credit rating of the nation’s largest cities. But the city has struggled to get its fiscal problems in order since the Great Recession. City Council members regularly have coffee meetings open to all residents. https://www.phoenix.gov.

It is focusing on urban growth and transportation.

Phoenix’s general plan focuses heavily on infill development along the light-rail corridor. Light rail will continue to be one of Phoenix’s key redevelopment tools. City leaders hope to triple its miles of track by 2050.

It has a thriving cultural scene.

The Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Arizona Opera and Ballet Arizona all perform in the city’s Symphony Hall located downtown. The Orpheum Theatre, Herberger Theater Center and Valley Youth Theater are nearby. Several museums for art, Arizona history and children are located here. A popular monthly art walk called First Fridays is held on the first of each month.