Your Gilbert, AZ Real Estate Questions Answered

Once known as the “Hay Shipping Capital of the World,” you might not think of Gilbert, AZ, as an obvious place to move in the Phoenix metro. But take a second look. There’s a reason Gilbert is a fast-growing community in Arizona’s highly-populated Maricopa County. Residents live affordability within reach of one of America’s largest metropolitan areas in the beautiful Valley of the Sun.

Why people love Gilbert extends beyond its access to Phoenix, entertainment perks, job market, and schools. In Gilbert, you’ll find a top-rated city in the US for safety and crime, parks that have seen multi-million dollar investments, and plenty of friendly faces. 

Are you considering moving to Gilbert soon and enjoying those 300 annual days of sunshine? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about life and Gilbert real estate.

About Gilbert, AZ

Yes, gets its unique name from William “Bobby” Gilbert, the man who offered up land to the Arizona Eastern Railway in 1902. Why was that important? It created the space to build a rail line between Phoenix and Florence, AZ, where the town eventually sprang up. So Bobby Gilbert is something of a town founder.

Gilbert’s location in the eastern portion of the Valley of the Sun puts it right smack-dab next to Chandler, AZ, to the west and the Phoenix-Mesa Airport to the east. Here, the Phoenix metro cities start meeting the open skies of the Sonoran Desert. The houses and buildings of Gilbert drop away as you head south, opening up to the Gila River Indian Reservation and San Tan Mountain Regional Park. That opens the door to various outdoor activities, including horseback riding, mountain biking, and hiking.

What county is Gilbert, AZ, in?

Gilbert, AZ, belongs to Arizona’s highly-populated Maricopa County. You may recognize this county from national headlines. After all, it’s where most of Arizona’s seven million people live and work. Around 4.95 million are in the Phoenix metro. Arizona’s capital city is also the county seat.

To give you an idea of how many people live in Maricopa County, here are a few other counties that don’t boast quite so many citizens: San Diego, Miami-Dade, Dallas, and even Queens, New York.

But Gilbert is a unique slice of Maricopa County. Its iconic downtown water tower is a hallmark of its small-city roots, highlighting an area where there was once little else than a post office and a train track.

Is Gilbert, AZ, growing?

Not only is the city growing, but it’s expanding quickly. The Census Bureau data highlights how massive the growth in Gilbert has been over the past few decades. From 1990 to 2000, it saw a 275.8% increase. No, that’s not a typo. 

In those ten years, Gilbert’s population swelled from a small town of nearly 30,000 to over 109,000. In another ten years, Gilbert nearly doubled to 208,453 residents. Add one more decade, and you get to Gilbert’s 2020 population: over a quarter of a million Arizonans. 

And Gilbert is still growing, although its year-over-year pace is slowing a bit. The city expects to house 330,000 residents by the time it’s fully built.

What is the cost of living in Gilbert, AZ?

Maricopa County tends to run a little hotter than the national average when it comes to its cost of living, and Gilbert is no exception. According to Sperling’s Best Places Index, the index was 122 in Gilbert, compared to the national mean of 100. Gilbert has a reputation as being a safe, well-educated place to live, which is drawing people to live there. 

Gilbert also has a median household income of $105,733, as per US Census data. A high rating for per-capita income over the previous 12 months, $43,155, also highlights just how much money people are making in Gilbert. In fact, according to AZFamily, Gilbert has the highest income throughout the entire state. 

Buying real estate in Gilbert, AZ

US Census data marked $377,800 as the median value for Gilbert homes in 2021. The prices have only gone up from there. In fact, average housing prices in two Gilbert zip codes have reportedly hit the seven-figure mark.

Why so high? Well, Gilbert has a stellar reputation for being a great place to live, including the following accolades as listed via the city website:

• #1 Best City for Early Retirement (SmartAsset, 2022)
• #1 Safest City for Trick-or-Treating (Chamber of Commerce, 2022)
• #2 Best City for Renters (Forbes Advisor, 2023)
• #2 America’s Best Cities to Start a Side Hustle (LLC.org, 2023)
• #6 Best City to Raise a Family in the West (Dwellics, 2002)
• #7 Best City for First-Time Home Buyers (WalletHub, 2023)

The most recent available trends for Gilbert real estate show that the market is following a nationwide trend of fewer new listings and stabilizing median sale prices. In fact, the August 2023 median sale price for single-family homes of $590,000 was a slight 0.8% decrease from the prior year. Year-to-date home prices were down almost 6%.

But with new listings down 43% and market interest still high, Gilbert had a 1.6-month supply of homes for sale. Real estate markets change, so connecting with a local real estate agent can give you the current picture of what’s happening locally. 

Are there any waterfront properties found in Gilbert, AZ?

Gilbert is a place for people who love the sun—but not necessarily the water. Though the Salt River flows through portions of the Valley of the Sun, including the Phoenix area, Gilbert is too far south to enjoy that waterfront access. However, you gain easy access to an airport (Phoenix-Mesa Gateway borders to the east) and the regional parks.

Are there golf course communities in Gilbert, AZ? 

Yep, you’ll find plenty! Seville Golf Course & Country Club is a leading name here. It’s home to a private golf course, one of five located around Gilbert. In addition to being a golf course community, resident features include a gym, a restaurant, water park slides, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

El Dorado Lakes neighborhood is another local golf course community to buy Gilbert real estate. It’s in northeast Gilbert near Highway 87, which runs north and south. That gives residents access to the entire Phoenix metropolitan area while serving as a gateway to the rest of Gilbert.

Are there active adult communities in Gilbert, AZ?

The statistics show the median age in Gilbert trends young: about lower-to-mid-30s. But that also reflects the fact that Gilbert is a growing community. If you’re 55+, plenty of other like-minded adults and retirees have the same idea you had: lots of sunshine, activities, and entertainment. The Gilbert real estate market has several adult living communities. 

For instance, the Copper Springs Retirement Community has multiple amenities you could want in retirement. The units have individual climate controls, full kitchens, and utilities included. The perks include resort-style dining, a theater, and some on-premise essential shops and services like a pharmacy and barber.

Other 55+ communities, like Verena at Gilbert, have fitness classes or social clubs or are pet-friendly, like The Watermark at Morrison Ranch.

What is the property tax rate for Gilbert, AZ?

Property tax rates in Gilbert were $10.84/$100 of assessed value in 2023 when multiplied against the assessment ratio of 10%. For instance, owning a $1,000,000 property in the Gilbert Public School District would create a property tax bill of $10,840. So, it’s not quite as high as that initial ratio might sound once you do the calculations. 

Considering the quality of the schools and the overall quality of living in Gilbert, these property tax rates shouldn’t be too prohibitive to finding a home you can afford.

What neighborhoods are in Gilbert, AZ?

As you’d expect from a community with the size and reputation of Gilbert, a few distinct neighborhoods are worth pointing out here. Master-planned Val Vista Lakes, for example, features some 24 subdivisions and gated communities around its lake developments. You’ll find relaxed residential living here, including single-family homes, condos, and townhomes.

There’s also Seville, which we briefly touched on earlier. This is the home of Seville Golf & Country Club, one of the area’s more affluent neighborhoods. There’s plenty of nearby shopping and restaurants. Given its proximity to San Tan Mountain Regional Park, it’s worth considering for anyone who loves the outdoors.

Power Ranch frequently ranks high as the best neighborhood to live in Gilbert. The 1,400-acre community has over 30,000 residents and homes of all sizes. Tree-lined streets make for great walking, and the fishing lakes are a unique perk in a desert city. Sunset fishing is just another way to enjoy the peace and comfort of living in one of the safest cities in the state.

What areas are near Gilbert, AZ?

Gilbert sits at the Sonoran Desert’s nexus and the Phoenix metropolitan area, giving it a unique position in Arizona. On one side, you’ll see the aforementioned San Tan Regional Park, where you can escape to wild desert hills. But Gilbert is beside Chandler, AZ, another top-rated place to live in the state. 

It’s close enough to Mesa, Highway 60, and the 202 Loop, linking Gilbert closely to other suburbs like Tempe, where you can find Arizona State University and the Town Lake. 

Gilbert’s position in the southeastern Phoenix metropolitan area also gives it faster access to I-10, which snakes southeast toward Tucson, AZ. So, if you’ve got family to visit there, Gilbert may be one of your best bets if you need to live in the Phoenix area for your work but want to travel around the state.

What to know about living in Gilbert, AZ

You should know that Gilbert isn’t just another Sonoran desert community. We’re talking about serious awards here. Just look at this list. Ranking Arizona, for example, had it as the best place to live in the state in 2022. SmartAsset mentioned it as the best city for an early retirement. These rewards reflect the safety, the upscale atmosphere, and the walkability of one of the friendliest cities in the southwest. The only question is: when are you moving in?

Start searching for Gilbert real estate with the power of a professional at your side. Together, we’ll find the right neighborhood for you.