Hot Air Balloon 1, 2005
Anthem’s story
28 years in pictures
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
- 1998Anthem is settled
AnthemAZ
A town of 22,584, settled in 1998.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: dougegood · CC BY 2.0
Population
22,584
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$558K
−0.9% in a year
Household income
$121K
median
Median age
46.3
years
Jobs based here
2,894
A commuter town
TownGrade
A−
#7 of 139 in AZ
Is Anthem a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Anthem grades A− overall, 7th of 139 graded towns in Arizona. It is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns. The median household earns $121K and its schools rank ahead of 81% of Arizona towns. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $558K, 6.3 years of the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income. Anthem’s median rent is $2,548 a month, against $1,190 a month in Arizona’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Only 13 of Arizona’s 207 towns score lower on history. The biggest place to walk is Anthem Community Park, 66 acres with 1.9 miles of trail.
What makes Anthem stand out
Where Anthem beats most towns.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Anthem for work
Where Anthem’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,894jobs based in Anthem
6%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Anthem grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Anthem is from typical.
HealthHonorhealth Sonoran Crossing Medical Center 4.2 miles awayA+Open →Cost of livingDOpen →Jobs & incomeA−Open →SchoolsA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.4 of 20; 2.9% of households have no car; 1.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities; heat waves tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market77 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 46.3; 51% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Anthem: who provides what
Anthem is unincorporated, so Maricopa County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerCity of Mesa20.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEpcor - Anthem water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMaricopa CountyMaricopa County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Arizona you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMaricopa County RecorderMaricopa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8508685086 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Anthem.
Anthem has schools in the top 5% of Arizona, has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and has less tooth loss than most of Arizona.
OutdoorsB+
Conserved land covers 3.7% of Anthem
14 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Anthem’s trail density is 1.8 miles per square mile.
#35for trails in AZ
| Anthem | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.8 miles per square mile | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.7% | 15% | 4.3% |
3.7%
conserved · 184 of 5,038 acres
14 mi
of trails · 1.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Anthem Community Park | 1.9 mi | 66 |
| 2. Liberty Bell Park | 0.6 mi | 9 |
| 3. State Trust Land | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA−
For schools, Anthem earns an A−
Its A− ranks #6 of the 139 Arizona towns we grade for schools. Its A− for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $558K.
Its public schools are run by the Deer Valley Unified District. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Boulder Creek High School, with 2,221 students.
81%of AZ districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Canyon SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 740 | A |
| Boulder Creek High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 2,221 | B+ |
| Anthem SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 400 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
HealthA+
For health, Anthem earns an A+
Its widest gap with Arizona is tooth loss: 6.1% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.7% statewide.
11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Anthem. Anthem beats the Arizona average on 24 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 15% of adults get no exercise outside work in Anthem.
96%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Anthem | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 24% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.5% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Arizona
24 better5 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Anthem | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.1% | 14.7% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.4% | 13.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 8.8% |
Honorhealth Sonoran Crossing Medical Center
4.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
96th
percentile among AZ towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade D
For cost of living, Anthem earns a D
The typical value, about $558K, is 10% below its July 2022 peak. The median property tax bill is $3,184, against $1,879 across Arizona, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
85% of Anthem households own their home. The typical Anthem home is worth about $558,000, down 0.9% in a year, 34% above the Arizona typical home.
$558KZillow home value
Typical home value
Anthem$558K
Arizona$417K
Market temperature
77
days on market
97.5%
sale-to-list price
−0.9%
value change, 1 year
58
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
More than half of Anthem’s working residents commute to Phoenix
Jobs based here grew from 1,703 in 2013 to 2,894. 33.1% of workers work from home, against 18.4% across Arizona.
Most working residents leave Anthem for work: only 6% work in town. Since 2013, Anthem has added 1,191 jobs, to 2,894 in 2023. Only 7 of the 140 Arizona towns we compare have a higher share of workers working from home than Anthem.
6%work in town
| Anthem | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 33% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $121,000 | $68,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.1% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Anthem6%
Phoenix51%
Scottsdale11%
Tempe5%
Glendale4%
23 mi
median commute distance
2,894
jobs based in Anthem
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Anthem, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Carefree weather station, 13 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 313 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns. The Carefree weather station, 13 miles away, records that about 153 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Anthem has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. The July high in Anthem is 104°F.
104°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter42–66°
Spring54–83°
Summer75–103°
Fall59–86°
Dec 16
typical first frost
Feb 4
typical last frost
+2.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
104°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Anthem faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by heat waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Anthem since 2023.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Heat wavesInland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 2023
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 62 attractions →State Farm Stadium and 52 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Anthem. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaState Farm Stadium
28 mi Stadium & arenaMortgage Matchup Center
28 mi Stadium & arenaChase Field
23 mi Stadium & arenaDesert Diamond Arena
31 mi Stadium & arenaMountain America Stadium
9 mi Park & preserveLake Pleasant Regional ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
State Farm Stadium: Taken by en:Flickr user MCSixth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mortgage Matchup Center: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chase Field: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tyler J. Bolken, Public domain · Desert Diamond Arena: Unknown, CC BY 2.0 · Mountain America Stadium: Clintus McGintus, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Lake Pleasant Regional Park: Tony the Marine (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Anthem
18pages on Anthem
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Anthem
Chamberlain University-ArizonaUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Phoenix12.3 mi$20,785 tuitionMidwestern University-GlendaleUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Glendale13.1 miArizona College of Nursing-PhoenixUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Phoenix14.6 mi$26,041 tuition
About 4 of every 100 Anthem residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
About Anthem
Place in Arizona, United States
Anthem is a planned community and census-designated place in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, within the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of Anthem was 23,190.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1998
- Area
- 8.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,863 ft
- Area code
- 623
Anthem’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Anthem.
New RiverAnthem
How the neighbors grade
Anthem and New River report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Anthem with a neighbor →
Questions about Anthem
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Anthem, AZ a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Anthem grades A− overall, better than 80% of U.S. towns and #7 of 139 in Arizona. It grades A+ for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Anthem, AZ expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.