Wondering what living in Gilbert feels like? This blog will provide ideas of the feel and landscape, especially if you are considering moving to the area.
If you are unsure of Gilbert, Its current population is 266,971. Since 1980, the population has doubled every 5 years. Approximately 70% of the population is families. The median ages are in the low mid-30s, with 70% of the population having some education and over 50% having a college degree.
History
Did you know that Gilbert used to be a farming community? It was incorporated on July 6, 1920. It was the Hay Capital of the World until the late 1920s. In 1902 the Arizona Eastern Railway started constructing the rail line between Phoenix and Florence. A rail siding was established on a property owned by William Gilbert. The town sprung about around it.
Diana has been living in Gilbert since 1994. She is originally from Minnesota, where she grew up on a lake. She originally lived in Phoenix when moving to Arizona. But she missed the water, green landscaping, and farming communities. Gilbert was the perfect place for her and for them to raise their two sons! They have lived here since.
Old Town
Just south of the newer strip in Old Town Gilbert, it has kept its original historic flare with establishments like the Farmhouse Restaurant, which has been a local favorite since 1989 in a 1918 building. Or the Liberty Market established in the 1930s. or Joe’s Real Barbecue, in a 1929 brick building.
Farmhouse
This is known for its comforting breakfast and lunch. It is family-owned and was built with adobe walls and wide-planked floors in 1918. You must come and enjoy both its wonderful food and architecture.
Gilbert is very pro-business, with some of the country’s lowest corporate and individual tax rates. There are over 3,000 manufacturing establishments in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The average earnings per manufacturing job in Gilbert is $69,035. There are over 65,000 manufacturing jobs within a 30-minute commute. Approximately 3500 are right here in Gilbert. In addition, other major employers in the immediate area include Go-Daddy, Dignity and Banner Health, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Isagenix, Costco, and so much more. There are several business districts, with the most recent being developed along the newer 202 freeway.
New Downtown
Gilbert has 2 central downtown districts. One of the reasons Gilbert has become so popular is that its downtown has been transformed over the last 5 years into a vibrant dining hub known as The Place to Eat. It has restaurants like Postino, Culinary Dropout, Zinburger, and Oreganos.
San Tan Village Shopping Center
San Tan Village Shopping Center, where you can get everything you need. It is an outdoor or Open-Aire mall where you can walk or drive to the stores. It has the old stand-bys like Dillards, Macy’s, and Best Buy and must-haves like Apple, H&M, Nordstrom Rack, Chicos, and restaurants galore, including Thirsty Lion, Kona Grill, Grimaldi’s Pizza, and The Harkins Theater.
Thirsty Lion
Thirsty Lion has multi-cultural cuisines with seafood and quality meats using local ingredients and craft beers, always changing with the seasons.
Neighborhood
Morrison Ranch is a 3000-acre master-planned community. It has tree-lined streets, set-back sidewalks for biking, walking, and jogging, and white two-rail fencing. It is a great neighborhood with a small-town charm where your kids can walk to soccer practice, or you can ride your bike to the store. It has a great park with a lake and all kinds of activities. It was developed by 5 different builders providing different styles of homes. Most were built between 2006-2020 and range from 1300-4500 sf and $310,000 – $1,100,000, with a median price of $500,000.
A single-family home in the area costs roughly…$300,000 – $2,700,000, with a median price of $405,000. The cost of townhomes in the area ranges from…$185,000 – $730,000, with a median price of $282,000. And the price of apartment-style condominiums mostly ranges from $155,000 – $355,000, with a median price of $225,000.
There is such a large variety of homes in Gilbert. You have the older ranch-style homes within walking distance of downtown. You have new construction of single-family homes, condominiums, and townhouses all over the area, and there are Spanish-style houses and newer contemporary-style homes. Whatever your preference, you will find the right style for you.
What is not to love about Gilbert? A couple of other important points to make is that Gilbert is proximate to both the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, with easy freeway access within 30 minutes. It has been the #1 safest City in the United States. After the Great Recession, Gilbert, Arizona, had the best overall ranking in the United States of economic distress, with Chandler and Scottsdale trailing behind them. Gilbert has been ranked as the 4th best School District in America. And it has been consistently in the top 10 for the best place in the United States to raise a family.
If you ever have any additional questions about the local area and maybe you have more questions on what it’s like living here, or maybe you want more information on the real estate market, please feel free to reach us at 480-226-1925.
