Tens of thousands of people have been moving to Arizona’s Maricopa County in recent years. Home to Phoenix, this county saw more people move here than any other in the entire U.S. in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau as AZCentral.com reports. City officials say that people are choosing Phoenix, the county’s center city, at disproportional rates as it’s made investments in infrastructure and transportation that improve the quality of life.
No matter what reason you found yourself searching through homes for sale in Phoenix AZ, and ultimately made the move – or are still contemplating it now, there are probably quite a few things you don’t know about this Arizona city.
It’s Big
By total land area, Phoenix is quite massive at 517 square miles. It’s bigger than the sprawling city of Los Angeles with only a handful of cities that are larger: Houston, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Jacksonville, Florida; and Anchorage, Alaska.
It’s Not All Dry
While many people talk about Phoenix as experiencing a “dry heat,” the Greater Phoenix area is located in the Sonoran Desert, one of the greenest and wettest deserts on the continent. It receives anywhere from three to 15 inches of annual rainfall. Of course it’s true that the skies are almost always blue as the city soaks up more sunshine than any other major metro area in the nation with 211 sunny days and 85 partly sunny days.
It Really Is a City of Transplants
If you’re thinking of moving to Phoenix and are concerned about fitting in with the locals, don’t be. This city has a well-deserved reputation of being a city filled with transplants. About 60 percent of residents were born outside of the state, one of the lowest rates when it comes to a homegrown population. About nine percent of those who move to this area are from California according to a New York Times study. People from Illinois, New Mexico, Texas, Ohio and New York frequently relocated here too.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Makes It Easy to Get Back Home
If you move to Phoenix and get homesick it’s easy to get back for a visit as Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport handles flights to over 100 domestic and international destinations. It has some 1,200 daily flights (~500 nonstop), and serves more than 40 million passengers each year. According to a review of the country’s 30 busiest airports it was rated the top airport in the country, earning top marks for having the shortest commute from downtown, affordable parking fees and light rail access.
It’s a Great Place for Love
Phoenix is home to the only known feral population of rosy-faced lovebirds. Native to South America, about 1,000 of them live in the area, and are believed to be descendants of a released or escaped pair that had been kept as pets. The most colorful birds you’ll see in the skies all over central Phoenix, they’re often mistaken for escaped parakeets as they seem so out of place, but the city is nearly identical to their native Namibia, resulting in a thriving population.
Shift Frequency © 2018 – Things You Didn’t Know About Phoenix