816 S Wilson Street S, Tempe
Courtesy of Realty ONE Group. 602-953-4000
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Loving Phoenix Team | Real Broker
An honest neighborhood-by-neighborhood guide to Tempe, the East Valley city anchored by Arizona State University, Tempe Town Lake, and Mill Avenue. Landlocked at 40.2 square miles, fully built out, and unlike anywhere else in the metro.
Tempe is the only Phoenix-metro city defined by a major research university. Arizona State's main campus, the country's largest public university by enrollment, sits at the geographic and economic center of the city. That single fact shapes everything about buying here, from rental investor activity to school district math to which neighborhoods hold their value through every market cycle.
The City of Tempe covers just 40.2 square miles, which makes it one of the smaller Phoenix-metro cities by area but one of the densest by population. Tempe is fully landlocked, surrounded by Phoenix to the west, Scottsdale and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community to the north, Mesa to the east, and Chandler to the south. There has been no annexation possible since the 1970s, which means new construction is essentially limited to infill teardowns and the occasional condo or townhome project. Almost every Tempe home you tour will have been built between the 1950s and the 1990s.
Tempe was named in 1894 after the Vale of Tempe in Greece, on land that had been farmed since the 1860s by U.S. military service members and Hispanic workers supplying nearby Fort McDowell. The Hohokam people had built canals throughout the area centuries earlier. Today the median age in Tempe is 30 (the youngest of any major city in Greater Phoenix), the median household income is around $79,663, and the homeownership rate sits near 42% (well below the national average and well below other Phoenix-metro cities). All three of those numbers come back to ASU, and any honest Tempe buying conversation has to start there.
One thing I tell every Tempe buyer: investor activity is real here. After 20+ years working this market, I can tell you the Tempe rental market is one of the most active in the metro because of ASU. That can be a good thing if you are buying as an investment, but if you are buying a primary residence in a neighborhood close to campus, you should expect that some of your neighbors will be student rentals. North Tempe (close to ASU) and South Tempe (Warner Ranch, The Lakes, the Kiwanis area) are genuinely different markets, and the first conversation is always about which Tempe fits the way you want to live.
Five Tempe neighborhoods that come up most often in buyer conversations. Each represents a distinct era and corner of the city, from established 1980s lake communities to mid-century original blocks near the ASU campus.
The Lakes is Tempe's most recognizable master plan, built in the early 1970s around a series of interconnected man-made lakes. Many home sites in The Lakes have direct lake frontage with private docks, which is genuinely rare in the Phoenix metro and a feature that holds value through every market cycle. The community includes a mix of single-family homes, patio homes, and townhomes, plus the original community clubhouse and pool.
Buyers come for the lakes (you can paddleboard or kayak from your own backyard on a lake-frontage home), the established mature landscaping, and the South Tempe location with Kyrene Elementary district schools. The trade-off is age: most homes are 1970s original construction, and inspection details matter more here than in newer neighborhoods. The lake HOA fees are real and worth confirming on every listing.
Warner Ranch is South Tempe's largest master-planned community, built across the late 1980s and 1990s on the south end of the city. The community is structured around a series of distinct sub-enclaves: Warner Ranch Landing, Landing North, Manor, Village, and Warner Estates. Sub-enclaves vary in lot size, home size, and price point, all under the broader Warner Ranch master plan.
Buyers come for the family-oriented character (this is the part of Tempe that families actually settle into long-term), proximity to Kyrene district schools and Corona del Sol High School, and the genuinely walkable neighborhood structure with parks and paths. Warner Ranch sits well south of ASU and student rental activity is minimal. Inventory turns over more slowly than in the rental-heavy north Tempe neighborhoods.
The Alameda neighborhoods (Alameda Park, Alameda Campus, Alameda Estates, and Alameda Meadows) sit in central Tempe between Apache Boulevard and Broadway, walking distance from Mill Avenue, ASU, and the streetcar. Most homes are 1950s and 1960s mid-century originals on larger lots than newer Tempe neighborhoods.
Buyers come for the genuinely walkable lifestyle (almost everything is bikeable to ASU, downtown Tempe, or Mill Avenue), the mid-century architecture for buyers who appreciate that era, and pricing that often runs below master-planned South Tempe. The trade-offs are real: many homes have not been updated in decades and need work, lot sizes vary block-to-block, and the area sees more rental and investor activity than South Tempe. Inspection details matter a lot.
Tempe Royal Estates and Tempe Royal Palms are two of Tempe's earlier semi-custom communities, sitting in the central part of the city with mature landscaping and larger-than-typical lots for in-town Tempe. The homes vary widely in age and condition, with original 1960s and 1970s construction alongside extensive remodels and the occasional teardown rebuild.
Buyers come for the lot sizes (genuinely larger than most of central Tempe), the established trees and street character, and the central location that puts you 10 minutes from ASU, downtown Tempe, the airport, and downtown Phoenix. Inventory in these neighborhoods turns over slowly. Patience matters, and so does being ready to move when the right home comes up.
Optimist Park is one of Tempe's most established walkable neighborhoods, organized around the original Optimist Park at the heart of the area. The community is divided into four directional quadrants: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest. Each quadrant has its own character, but the area as a whole offers walkable streets, mature shade trees, and proximity to downtown Tempe and Tempe Town Lake.
Buyers come for the urban-walkable lifestyle (this is one of the few Phoenix-metro neighborhoods that actually feels like a walkable inner-city neighborhood), the original architecture, and the genuinely short walk or bike ride to downtown Tempe, Mill Avenue, the streetcar, and Tempe Town Lake. The trade-off is location-related: closer to ASU means more rental presence, more student turnover, and more weekend foot traffic during big events. Visit at different times of day before writing.
Looking for a specific Tempe community? Browse our complete A to Z directory of all Tempe subdivisions.
Tempe inventory varies by feature type more than by submarket size. Start from the feature that genuinely matters most to you and we can narrow from there.
Tempe is the most distinctive city in Greater Phoenix, and the trade-offs of buying here are real on both sides. Here is what I tell every buyer to think through.
Walkability and bikeability are the real deal. Tempe is the most walkable and bikeable city in Greater Phoenix, with over 220 miles of bicycle facilities, three free Orbit and Flash circulator bus routes, light rail, and a modern streetcar that opened in May 2022. It is the only Phoenix-metro city with streetcar service. If you want to live somewhere in the metro where you genuinely do not have to drive everywhere, Tempe is it.
Tempe Town Lake. Opened in 1999 from a 1965 ASU architecture class concept to dam the Salt River, Tempe Town Lake is one of Arizona's most visited public attractions, drawing more than 2 million visits a year. The 5.7-mile loop trail around the lake is one of the most-used recreation amenities in the metro, and the surrounding development includes Marina Heights (State Farm regional HQ) and Tempe Marketplace.
ASU access. Arizona State University's main campus brings cultural amenities most cities of this size do not have: ASU Gammage Auditorium (a Frank Lloyd Wright design that hosts Broadway tours and major performances), Sun Devil Stadium, the ASU Art Museum, and dozens of free public lectures and events year-round. Even if you have no connection to ASU, the cultural amenity density benefits residents.
Central location. Tempe sits 10 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor, 15 minutes from downtown Phoenix, 15 minutes from Old Town Scottsdale, and 10 to 20 minutes from most major East Valley destinations. For commuters, the location is genuinely unbeatable.
Established neighborhoods with character. Because Tempe has been built out for decades, the neighborhoods have mature trees, established landscaping, and the kind of street character that newer Phoenix-metro suburbs are still 30 years away from achieving.
Investor and student rental presence is real. Tempe's homeownership rate is around 42%, well below the national average of about 65%. Most of that gap is concentrated in the neighborhoods closest to ASU, which means North Tempe and central Tempe have a meaningfully higher share of rental properties than South Tempe. If quiet neighbor turnover is important to you, lean South Tempe (Warner Ranch, The Lakes) over North Tempe.
Three school districts serve Tempe. Most of South Tempe falls into the Kyrene Elementary School District (highly rated, A-rated district, 25 schools). Most of central and North Tempe falls into the Tempe Elementary School District (also strong, 21 campuses, recently ranked Arizona's #1 elementary district). All of Tempe feeds into Tempe Union High School District with six A-rated high schools. Always verify the elementary district by parcel address before writing.
Landlocked and built out. Tempe stopped growing geographically in the 1970s. There is no new master plan coming, and almost all new construction is infill teardown rebuilds. That is a positive for established neighborhoods (limited supply), but it also means most homes are 1950s through 1990s originals that need careful inspection.
Event traffic and noise during ASU football and big events. Sun Devil Stadium home games, Tempe Town Lake events (Ironman Arizona, the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon), and the Mill Avenue scene all create real traffic and parking pressure several weekends a year. Neighborhoods near the stadium and downtown feel it the most.
Sky Harbor flight path on the western edge. The far western edge of Tempe sits under Sky Harbor's primary east-west flight path. Homes near the Salt River bend west of I-10 hear regular jet noise. Visit at different times of day before writing.
Tempe Town Lake floodplain. Some properties immediately adjacent to the lake fall into a regulated floodplain. Flood insurance and lender requirements are real and worth confirming on lake-adjacent listings.
Watch for polybutylene pipe. Many Tempe homes went up between the late 1970s and the mid 1990s, the window when gray polybutylene supply pipe was common, and it can fail without much warning. Know whether to buy a house with polybutylene pipe before you commit.
One thing that surprises out-of-state buyers most: Tempe is the closest thing the Phoenix metro has to an actual urban core that is not downtown Phoenix. The streetcar, the walkability, the dense restaurant scene on Mill Avenue, the foot traffic around Tempe Town Lake, the fact that you can genuinely live without a car if you choose to. None of that exists anywhere else in the metro. If that is what you want, Tempe is the only city to look at. If you want a quieter, family-oriented suburban Tempe, lean South Tempe and the buying experience changes completely.
What life looks like for most Tempe residents, beyond the home itself.
The 5.7-mile loop trail around Tempe Town Lake is one of the most-used recreation amenities in Greater Phoenix, with paddle rentals, fishing, and year-round events. Tempe Beach Park anchors the south side and Tempe Marketplace sits just southeast. The lake hosts Ironman Arizona, the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, and major Fourth of July celebrations every year.
Mill Avenue is the heart of downtown Tempe, with dozens of restaurants, bars, the historic Hayden Flour Mill, and the Tempe Tourism Office. The streetcar runs along Mill Avenue connecting downtown Tempe to ASU, Marina Heights, and the eastern Tempe corridor. The downtown scene is genuinely active year-round, not just during ASU semesters.
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and opened in 1964, ASU Gammage hosts Broadway touring productions, the Concert Hall series, and major public events year-round. It also hosted one of the three Presidential debates in 2004 (Bush vs. Kerry) and has welcomed multiple sitting and former presidents. Tickets to Broadway tours sell out fast for residents who plan ahead.
Tempe Diablo Stadium is the spring training home of the Los Angeles Angels every February and March. The smaller scale (compared to Salt River Fields or Goodyear Ballpark) means a more intimate baseball experience, and tickets are typically easier to come by than at the bigger Cactus League venues.
The Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA) opened in September 2007 as a $65 million publicly owned performing and visual arts center on the south side of Tempe Town Lake. It includes a 600-seat theater, a 200-seat studio theater, a 200-seat multi-purpose space, and a 3,500 square foot gallery. Programming includes concerts, theater, dance, and visual art exhibitions.
Hayden Butte (locally known as A-Mountain for the gold "A" on its south face) sits next to Sun Devil Stadium and offers one of the most accessible short hikes in the metro. The summit climb takes about 15 to 20 minutes and rewards you with panoramic views of downtown Tempe, ASU, and Tempe Town Lake. A genuine residents-actually-use-it amenity.
Tempe home values vary widely by submarket. South Tempe family neighborhoods, central Tempe established blocks, North Tempe ASU-adjacent properties, and lake-frontage homes all move differently. Get an updated estimate based on real recent sales near you, not a generic algorithm.
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What is the difference between North Tempe and South Tempe?
Tempe is divided roughly along US-60 (Superstition Freeway). North Tempe (north of US-60, including downtown Tempe, Mill Avenue, the ASU campus, and the Apache Boulevard corridor) is more urban, more walkable, more rental-heavy, and more event-impacted. South Tempe (south of US-60, including Warner Ranch, The Lakes, the Kiwanis area, and the Pecos corridor) is more family-oriented, more suburban, predominantly owner-occupied, and feeds into Kyrene district elementary schools. The two are functionally different markets and the buying experience is genuinely different in each.
How is Tempe different from Mesa or Chandler?
Three things. First, Tempe is much smaller geographically (40 sq mi vs. Mesa at 138 sq mi or Chandler at 65 sq mi) and fully built out. Second, Tempe is much younger (median age 30 vs. Mesa at 36 or Chandler at 38) because of ASU. Third, Tempe is much more urban and walkable than either neighbor, with the streetcar, light rail, Mill Avenue, and Tempe Town Lake giving it a genuinely different character. If you're weighing several Phoenix-metro options, our Phoenix relocation guide walks through the broader area-by-area math.
Should I worry about ASU rental properties in my neighborhood?
It depends entirely on which Tempe submarket you're in. Neighborhoods within a mile or two of ASU (most of central Tempe, Optimist Park, Maple-Ash, the Apache corridor) have a meaningful share of investor-owned student rentals. Things like parking pressure, weekend noise, and tenant turnover are real considerations there. South Tempe neighborhoods (Warner Ranch, The Lakes, Kiwanis) are predominantly owner-occupied with very few student rentals. If quiet stable-neighbor turnover matters to you, that single factor is the most important thing to plan around when picking which Tempe corner to look in.
Which school districts serve Tempe?
Three. Kyrene Elementary School District covers South Tempe and parts of Ahwatukee, Chandler, and Guadalupe (25 schools, A-rated). Tempe Elementary School District covers central and North Tempe plus parts of east Phoenix and Guadalupe (21 campuses, recently ranked Arizona's #1 elementary district three years running). Tempe Union High School District covers all of Tempe at the high school level with six A-rated comprehensive high schools (Corona del Sol, Desert Vista, Marcos de Niza, McClintock, Mountain Pointe, and Tempe High). Always verify your elementary district assignment by exact parcel address, because the boundary between Kyrene and Tempe Elementary runs through the city.
Is there new construction in Tempe?
Very little, and only as infill. Tempe has been landlocked since the 1970s and there is no land left for new master plans. Most new construction is teardown-rebuild on existing residential lots in neighborhoods like Maple-Ash, Optimist Park, and the Alameda area. The Novus Innovation District (a partnership with ASU on the south side of Sun Devil Stadium) is producing some new apartment and condo product, and there has been periodic mid-rise condo development around Tempe Town Lake. If new construction matters to you, you'll have more options in Chandler, Gilbert, or Queen Creek.
What about the streetcar and light rail?
Tempe is the only Phoenix-metro city with modern streetcar service. The Tempe Streetcar opened May 20, 2022 and makes 14 stops along a 3-mile route connecting downtown Tempe, ASU, Marina Heights, and the eastern Tempe corridor. Light rail (the regional Valley Metro line) runs east-west across Tempe connecting Phoenix to Mesa. Both are real assets for residents who want transit access, and homes near transit stops have seen steady value growth. The trade-off is that transit-adjacent neighborhoods tend to attract more rental conversion than suburban Tempe.
Should I be concerned about Tempe Town Lake flooding?
Some properties immediately adjacent to the lake fall into a regulated floodplain. The lake itself is a managed reservoir formed by inflatable dams on the Salt River, and the dam infrastructure has been upgraded since a 2010 incident. Flood insurance and lender requirements vary by parcel, and the floodplain map is the authoritative source. On any lake-adjacent listing I confirm the flood designation and current insurance requirements before showing.
What about the Cardinals headquarters move?
The Arizona Cardinals' headquarters and practice facility have been in Tempe since the team moved from St. Louis in 1988, and Sun Devil Stadium hosted Cardinals home games from 1988 through 2005. The team announced a planned move of the headquarters to a new facility in north Phoenix in 2028. The economic impact on Tempe is modest (the games already moved to State Farm Stadium in Glendale years ago) and the property the headquarters sits on will have new uses. Not something to factor into a homebuying decision.
South Tempe family neighborhoods, central Tempe established blocks, North Tempe walkable urban, lake-frontage in The Lakes, custom in Tempe Royal Estates, or one of the established sub-enclaves in Warner Ranch. Tempe is small geographically but genuinely varied in lifestyle. The first conversation is just to listen and answer questions. No pressure.
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