Sun City, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Sun City is a census-designated place
and unincorporated town in Maricopa County
, Arizona
, United States
. The population was 38,309 at the 2000 census
. Its adjoining sister city is Sun City West
both of which are retirement communities
popular with snowbird
s.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²), of which 14.5 square miles (37.6 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km², 0.62%) is water.
of 2000, there were 38,309 people, 23,490 households, and 12,520 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 2,639.5 people per square mile (1,019.4/km²). There were 27,731 housing units at an average density of 1,910.7 per square mile (737.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.44% White
, 0.51% Black
or African American
, 0.13% Native American
, 0.30% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 0.16% from other races
, and 0.44% from two or more races. 1.00% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 23,490 households out of which 0.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples
living together, 3.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.7% were non-families. 44.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 39.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.60 and the average family size was 2.07.
In the CDP the population was concentrated in the post-retirement years, with 0.4% under the age of 18, 0.3% from 18 to 24, 2.0% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 79.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 75 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $32,508, and the median income for a family was $40,464. Males had a median income of $35,459 versus $26,453 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $25,935. About 2.5% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
community on the site of what was once the ghost town
of Marinette
. Del Webb is a group that constructs retirement communities in the Sun Belt
. Sun City has a planned street network, but disrupts the secondary street layout of Phoenix
. Little has changed for the community in the last 40 years. However, as more retired to the area, Del Webb began construction on Sun City West in the late-1970s, Sun City Grand in the late-1990s, and Sun City Anthem in 1999 and Sun City Festival
in July 2006.
The community is well known to law students, as it is featured in the case Spur Industries v. Del E. Webb Development Co.
, 494 P.2d 700 (Ariz. 1972), commonly used in first year property law courses to illustrate nuisance law.
The community's design consists largely of circles.
Although independent audits have shown that the community would receive more efficient delivery of services at an ultimately lower cost by incorporation, the issue is adamantly opposed by many outspoken critics.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
and unincorporated town in Maricopa County
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 38,309 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. Its adjoining sister city is Sun City West
Sun City West, Arizona
Sun City West is a census-designated place in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 26,344 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sun City West is located at ....
both of which are retirement communities
Retirement community
A retirement community, or active adult community, is a very broad, generic term that covers many varieties of housing for retirees and seniors - especially designed or geared for people who no longer work, or restricted to those over a certain age . It differs from a retirement home which is a...
popular with snowbird
Snowbird (people)
The term snowbird is used to describe people from the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Midwest, or Canada who spend a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States,...
s.
Geography
Sun City is located at 33°35′31"N 112°16′19"W (33.597439, -112.272052).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²), of which 14.5 square miles (37.6 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km², 0.62%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 38,309 people, 23,490 households, and 12,520 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,639.5 people per square mile (1,019.4/km²). There were 27,731 housing units at an average density of 1,910.7 per square mile (737.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.44% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.51% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.13% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.30% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.16% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.44% from two or more races. 1.00% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 23,490 households out of which 0.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 3.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.7% were non-families. 44.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 39.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.60 and the average family size was 2.07.
In the CDP the population was concentrated in the post-retirement years, with 0.4% under the age of 18, 0.3% from 18 to 24, 2.0% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 79.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 75 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $32,508, and the median income for a family was $40,464. Males had a median income of $35,459 versus $26,453 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $25,935. About 2.5% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
History
Sun City started construction in the 1960s as a Del WebbDel Webb
Delbert Eugene Webb was an American construction magnate, real estate developer and sports-team owner, who is most significant for founding and developing the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona.-Early life:...
community on the site of what was once the ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Marinette
Marinette, Arizona
Marinette was a ghost town in Maricopa County, Arizona located just northwest of Peoria, Arizona along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. At some point in the mid-20th Century it was abandoned. The place where Marinette once was later became the site of Del Webb Corporation's Sun City,...
. Del Webb is a group that constructs retirement communities in the Sun Belt
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt or Spanish Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the South and Southwest . Another rough boundary of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel, north latitude. It is the largest region which the U.S government does not recognize officially...
. Sun City has a planned street network, but disrupts the secondary street layout of Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. Little has changed for the community in the last 40 years. However, as more retired to the area, Del Webb began construction on Sun City West in the late-1970s, Sun City Grand in the late-1990s, and Sun City Anthem in 1999 and Sun City Festival
Sun City Festival (Buckeye, Arizona)
Sun City Festival is an age-restricted master-planned community in Maricopa County, Arizona, located within the city boundary of northern Buckeye, Arizona. It is approximately 10 miles west of Surprise, Arizona...
in July 2006.
The community is well known to law students, as it is featured in the case Spur Industries v. Del E. Webb Development Co.
Spur Industries v. Del E. Webb Development Co.
Spur Industries v. Del E. Webb Development Co. is a case often used in first year law school property courses to demonstrate the principles of nuisance law...
, 494 P.2d 700 (Ariz. 1972), commonly used in first year property law courses to illustrate nuisance law.
The community's design consists largely of circles.
Government
Municipal services are provided by a variety of public and private organizations:- Police and street maintenance are provided by the county.
- Fire service is provided by Sun City Fire District, a local assessment district.
- Water and sewer utilities are provided by a private utility, American WaterAmerican Water (company)thumb|right|350px|The Iowa American Water Company plant in [[Davenport, Iowa]] on the banks of the [[Mississippi River]]American Water is a public utility company operating in the United States and Canada...
. - Solid waste is collected by a private hauler, Parks and Sons.
- Parks and recreation services are controlled by private organizations that sell their services by subscription.
Although independent audits have shown that the community would receive more efficient delivery of services at an ultimately lower cost by incorporation, the issue is adamantly opposed by many outspoken critics.