Half of Sun City West’s homes were built after 1989
More historic than 7% of U.S. towns · #103 of 140 in Arizona. What drives it
Most of Sun City West was built recently: 0.2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1957 on, and the census since 1980.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Sun City West is more historic than 7% of U.S. towns, #103 of 140 in Arizona. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Sun City West’s overall grade.
Few Arizona towns list much on the Register (a typical Arizona town has 0.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Sun City West’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (29% of Arizona towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.2 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Sun City West’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Sun City West was constructed on an 11,000-acre (4,500 ha) site to the west of Sun City, including part of the former Lizard Acres cattle ranch. The community was constructed by the Del E. Webb Construction Company, overseen by R.H. Johnson. Sun City West was completely built out in 1997, and a sister city, Sun City Grand, to the southwest of Grand Avenue was started.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city announced on March 11, 2020 the closures of all recreation centers. This later led to the closures of all seven golf courses on April 13, 2020. All facilities were reopened on March 15, 2021.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Sun City West. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1957Calderwood Butte sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Sun City West.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewQSL N7RD
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Sun City West’s page.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Lizard Acres
6cemeteries and burying grounds inside Sun City West
Camino Del Sol ColumbariumChurch of the Advent Episcopal Church ColumbariumCrown of Life Lutheran Church Memorial GardenDesert Garden United Church of Christ ColumbariumLord of Life Lutheran Church Memorial ColumbariumShepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church Columbarium
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Sun City West is more historic than 7% of U.S. towns, #103 of 140 in Arizona. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Sun City West?
0.2% of Sun City West’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 0.4% for an Arizona town; the median home was built in 1989.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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