Where to Find Homes Around Luke Air Force Base

Luke Air Force Base in Maricopa County, Arizona, is one of the most vital bases in the US Air Force. It makes full use of Arizona’s dry, open landscapes as a training ground for some of our country’s finest pilots. It hosts our fighting men and women and the sworn-in military members and civilians who make their work defending our country possible. 

To run an Air Force base of Luke’s prominence, you need high-quality people, and a lot of them. If you’re moving to Maricopa County because your military family will be relocating to serve at Luke Air Force Base, it helps to know this area. Our guide to Luke Air Force base housing includes the local neighborhoods around the base that deliver exceptional quality of living while keeping it an easy commute to work for you. 

What You Need to Know about Luke Air Force Base

Luke Air Force Base is situated west of Glendale, AZ, near where the Phoenix metropolitan area meets White Tank Mountain Regional Park. With approximately a 30-40 minute drive to downtown Phoenix, its location makes it easy to head west for wide-open skies or east for suburban Phoenix living. 

The site itself has been in military operation for a long time, dating to World War II. It was ATC (Air Training Command) when reactivated under the newly-formed US Air Force for the Korean conflict. To this day, it remains a top spot for AETC, Air Education and Training Command. 

For that reason, plenty of young military families end up around Luke Air Force Base for extended training. If you’re selected to serve the F-16 Fighting Falcon or the F-35A Lightning II, there’s a good chance you’ll be spending time at Luke Air Force Base.

So when you’re based here, where should you look for housing? Most housing near the area is privatized, meaning the real estate options aren’t run by the Air Force or always situated on-base. 

While there are resources to help military families with their housing, you’re on your own to find a good spot to live near Luke Air Force Base. You’ll quickly find that a real estate search online yields all sorts of potential communities: Bumstead, Litchfield Park, Glendale, and more. What’s the most appropriate place for a military family to settle and grow? 

Check out these options around Luke Air Force Base. For simplicity, we’ve narrowed the selection to communities with a 20-minute commute to the base.

Glendale

Glendale is an obvious choice for housing around Luke Air Force Base. The top Phoenix suburb has multiple available homes and living spaces for buying or renting. But there is one trade-off: it has a longer commute over the Agua Fria River and less proximity to the base. If you find a Glendale listing, make sure that you check the commute: there may be areas on the far eastern side of Glendale that make it a bit of a hike to the base.

Do keep in mind that Glendale isn’t quite like the other communities on this list. Now approaching 200,000 residents, it has a robust infrastructure with quality schools, multiple shopping plazas, health care, and more. 

Entertainment attractions in Glendale, like the Desert Diamond Casino and the Westgate Entertainment District, make great respite from the Air Force Base. Its State Farm Stadium is home to the Arizona Cardinals, plus spring training games. The well-rounded access to essentials and play is one reason why the city appeals to those coming to the Valley of the Sun while on active duty.

In another perk, Glendale is home to Luke Family Homes. This residential community offers rental homes to active-duty Air Force families. Some homes are available for rent exclusively to military retirees or DOD civilian employees—with a limited number of homes open to the public.

If you’re browsing the Luke Air Force Base website, you’ll also notice Balfour Beatty Communities. These communities offer tenant lease agreements that may align with your assignments—though that will vary depending on every individual’s family and military situation.

Put together, Glendale is a well-off community with plenty of schools and activities, making it ideal for families. It’s also a popular retirement spot for people who are no longer active in the military but retired. 

Bumstead

While Bumstead is technically a neighborhood of Glendale, it rests on the western side of the Agua Fria River, making it one of the best places in Glendale if you want better proximity to Luke Air Force Base.

Occupying that area also makes it a bit tricky to find housing in Bumstead. The area’s rife with handy local businesses covering everything from boat storage to brewing companies. There’s precious little space here for residential living. 

But as you go north, you’ll find more single-family homes. However, if you’re looking for affordable and readily available real estate, you might have to go east or west to find it—across the Agua Fria River to the east, there are plenty of homes in Agua Fria Ranch.

Citrus Park

Speaking of west of the base, Citrus Park is a small community almost immediately to Luke’s western edge across Hwy 303. If you move into Citrus Park, that proximity is one of the key advantages. It’s just a hop and a skip over to the base. 

Technically, this is an unincorporated area, and its small population of just over 5,000 makes for a small-town atmosphere. However, this area is growing. While it was over 4,000 in 2010, it grew by 28.9% for the 2020 census. Its proximity to Luke Air Force Base is to thank for that. 

But what else about Citrus Park living should you know if you’re considering the area west of the base? It’s an unincorporated area, which means your children will be in school districts of the larger communities, primarily Litchfield Park. These schools tend to be well-rated, but you’ll want to check your address if quality education is a priority. There are some child-friendly places to visit nearby, such as the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, & Safari Park. And for your outdoor hobbies, the regional parks are within a half-hour out west.

Waddell

Speaking of unincorporated communities, Waddell, AZ, is similar to Citrus Park. In fact, it resides just on Citrus Park’s northern end. It’s just as close to the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, & Safari Park, which technically resides in Litchfield Park, the incorporated community immediately south of the base.

And what will you find to do in Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, & Safari Park? The entire family will encounter some intelligent seafaring mammals, like sea lions, up close at the aquarium. The Park has amusement rides, wildlife classes, and even a “Safari camp,” which will expose your family to Arizona’s wild side.

As for housing in Waddell, it’s essentially one neighborhood. Housing is predominantly single-family homes available if you’re considering setting down roots here. Like much of Maricopa County, prices are slightly elevated compared to the national averages, so it may take some hunting before you find one that’s an ideal fit for your budget.

Many people like Waddell because of its top-rated Mountain View School—not to be confused with a similarly-named school in Phoenix. This is part of the Dysart Unified School District, which focuses on pre-K through grade 8.

Litchfield Park

Though it only has the population of a small town (just under 7,000), Litchfield Park is the local incorporated city that hosts many of the neighborhoods mentioned above and amenities. The Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, & Safari Park, for example? Technically, it’s in Litchfield Park. The community also has an extensive golf resort with three 18-hole championship courses.

Though Luke Air Force Base is technically located in Glendale, AZ, many areas of Litchfield Park are far more accessible than some of the neighborhoods in Glendale.

Litchfield Park offers similar housing options to the unincorporated spots near the base. Single-family homes are dominant, but there are some condo, townhome, and apartment options. If you’re looking for short-term rentals or apartments because you’re still not settled where you want to live, Litchfield Park may be your best bet nearest the base. 

Moving Near Luke Air Force Base

Because Luke Air Force Base is situated in a well-populated area, find plenty of options for your housing. On the downside, you won’t have the perks of base housing. Since housing is completely privatized, you’re responsible for choosing the best solution for you. 

But with surrounding small towns, large suburbs, and even downtown Phoenix, you shouldn’t struggle to find a place to stay while serving your country. And if you need help, a local real estate expert will be glad to find housing that meets your family’s needs.