Quick Facts About Tempe
A college town in one of the country’s biggest metro areas, there isn’t much that you’d want to do that you can’t do in Tempe. Hiking and mountain biking, kayaking and golf, dance performances, art galleries and comedy shows are all part and parcel of this culturally rich area. Even if you have your heart set on skiing, you’ll find powdery slopes less than three hours away. And it won’t take you much longer to reach one of the most impressive places on Earth — the Grand Canyon.
Tempe is one of the most popular suburbs in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area and Maricopa County. Just 10 minutes from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and around 20 minutes from downtown Phoenix, Tempe’s popularity and population have grown markedly over the past decade. Since 2010, the city of 189,834 has gained nearly 30,000 new residents, many of whom are drawn to the tech-centric job market, while others have come for the family-friendly atmosphere and nearly frost-free weather.
Of course, Arizona State University is one of the biggest draws to the city, bringing researchers and students to the region from all over the world. ASU’s business partnerships and cultural centers — like the ASU Art Museum and ASU Gabbage — make the university a true community resource and a major revenue-generator for the region.
Although real estate prices in the Valley of the Sun are steeper than the U.S. average, the amenities of this enormous area make a compelling argument to shell out a bit more for housing. And, wrapped in the exquisite Sonoran landscape, where the saguaro cactus rise out of the sands and pricky pears and spiny stars spike the desert with colorful blooms, you won’t find a more unusual and beautiful place to call home.
If you’re thinking of moving to Tempe, Arizona, here’s a rundown of things you need to know before making the move. Learn more about the city’s climate, job market and housing costs below, where you’ll also find a list of fun places to go and things to do in Tempe.
Tempe’s Climate
Like the rest of the greater Phoenix metro area, Tempe is one of the warmest cities in the country to call home. The average annual temperature is a balmy 72 F, and you’ll likely see highs past the 100°F mark in at least four months of the year, sometimes hitting 115 F or higher. You’ll want to take every precaution before setting out in extreme temperatures — apply sunscreen, carry more water than you think you’ll need, and have access to A.C. to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Temperatures in this dry, desert town also fluctuate wildly from morning till night. In October, you might grab a fleece jacket when you head out for your morning coffee, but you’ll be eyeing your neighbor’s swimming pool by noon.
Wintertime in Tempe can be brisk, and the mercury does occasionally fall below the 32-degree mark. But the average temperature from December-February falls in the mid-50s F, and snow is basically unheard of. The last time natural measurable snow fell was in 1990, but the Tempe Marketplace does bring 12 magical nights of machine-generated flakes to downtown each year for Christmas.
Tempe’s Cost of Living
Like most parts of Arizona, Tempe’s real estate prices have been on the rise. The median home value in this southeastern Phoenix suburb is now $382,100 — more than $100,000 above the U.S. average. Renters living in the city are unlikely to find a bargain, either, with a median of nearly $1,500/month. Compared to other cities in the area, Tempe falls somewhere in the middle, with prices slightly higher than they are in Phoenix proper and in the city of Mesa, but far lower than you’ll find in Chandler, where the average tops $420,000 or in Scottsdale, where the median has astonishingly climbed past the $650,000 mark.
However, Tempe’s homeownership rates are far lower than its nearest neighbors. In the U.S., roughly 65% of people own their own homes, a number reflected in Mesa, Chandler and Scottsdale. And while 56.4% of Phoenix residents are homeowners, only 40.7% of Tempe residents are. This may have to do with poverty rates in these cities, both of which exceed the national average by 3-6%. While Tempe households bring home an average of $72,022, that doesn’t go as far as the U.S. average of $75,149 in less expensive markets. It’s also possible that Tempe’s younger population is choosing to rent, waiting for mortgage rates to come down or housing prices to level off. Be sure to examine all the financial angles before you decide whether renting or buying will be best for your family.
Education in Tempe
If you’ve been looking for a unique college town to call home, Tempe certainly fits the bill. The biggest game in town is, of course, Arizona State University (ASU), which has more than 57,000 students enrolled on the Tempe campus alone, and over 145,000 individuals enrolled between its other locations and online programs. According to U.S. News & World Report, ASU is the #1 most innovative school in the nation, known for its business, arts and engineering programs, as well as its undergraduate teaching. If you’re hoping your kids will stick close to home for their college education, ASU gives them dozens of reasons to stay local.
ASU may be the biggest game in town, but it’s not the only game. The Maricopa County Community College District is the nation’s largest community college system, and they now offer seven bachelor’s degree programs. There are also specialized institutions of higher learning in the Tempe area, like the University of Advancing Technology (UAT) and the Sonoran University of Health Sciences (previously known as the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine).
All of these institutions provide a well-trained workforce in the region, and nearly 50% of Tempe residents have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher — that’s almost 15 percentage points above the national average.
Job Market and Opportunities in Tempe
It’s no secret that ASU is one of Tempe’s biggest economic assets. The university employs more than 18,500 people and is the city’s largest employer. The ASU Research Hub brings together some of the world’s most powerful companies, creating opportunities for innovative, public-private partnerships and collaborative exchange. In addition to ASU’s MacroTechnology Works, other tenants include Edward Jones, US Foods, Nexus and the PADT Innovation Center.
The greater Phoenix Metro area has several Fortune 500 companies, and one of those — Carvana — calls Tempe home. But if the job market in Tempe is dominated by anything it is technology, and heavy hitters like Microsoft, Honeywell and L3 Communications all have operations in the city. The city estimates that nearly 20% of all employers and workers in Tempe are now in the tech market.
Of course, the technological innovation in the city doesn’t revolve solely around computers. Tempe is known for healthcare and biotechnology organizations like Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital, Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Express Scripts and the ASU Biodesign Institute, which has pioneered research in everything from water safety to early biomarkers for cancer.
Tempe’s Culture and Lifestyle
Tempe may be a college town, but the cultural amenities here will appeal to every age group. Here are some of the local favorites.
For Outdoor Enthusiasts
Arizona is home not just to one of the nation’s best attractions, but one of the world’s most miraculous natural wonders — the Grand Canyon. This amazing national park is only a three-and-a-half-hour drive from the city, which makes it easy to visit in any season, including the wintertime, when the crowds are smaller.
But when you don’t have time for a drive, you can visit the state’s second-most-visited attraction — Tempe Town Lake. This Salt River reservoir is in the center of town, and residents and visitors love to use it for sailing and paddle-boating. The bike and walking path around the lake is very popular, and you’ll find e-bikes, scooters and hardcore morning runners getting in their miles before the heat sets in.
Within 20 minutes of the city, you can find yourself in the veritable wilderness. Spend the day horseback riding at South Mountain Village, where there are also killer mountain biking trails. Highly experienced hikers will find their kin on Camelback Mountain, which promises “extremely difficult” treks but sweeping, panoramic vistas from the top. Trails may close during extreme heat events, which now occur deep into September.
When you’re just looking for a fun place to go with the fam, Papago Park will give you enough nature to satisfy your craving for fresh air but keep you within easy reach of creature comforts. This sandstone mountain range has easy hiking, and the ever-popular Hole-in-the-Rock trail provides a natural window out onto the city. If the desert plants and animals on the trails aren’t enough, you can see even more lupines and penstemon at the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo will charm you with its desert iguanas and Mexican wolves. Both attractions are located within Papago Park.
Golfing is one of the most popular outdoor activities in this region, and while it may sometimes be too hot to enjoy a round, you’ll almost never be rained out. You’ll find the best courses are around Scottsdale, where idyllic havens like the Phoenician and We-Ko-Pa offer excellent turf, course play and uninterrupted views of the Sonoran Desert.
For Arts and History Fans
While Phoenix certainly has a wealth of indoor attractions, Tempe residents needn’t make the trek to get their culture fix. ASU Gammage, a performing arts space, brings the delights of Broadway all the way to central Arizona. It’s also one of the best concert venues in town, and this season’s lineup includes Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Kimberly Akimbo and Some Like it Hot.
Located next to Rio Salado Park, the Tempe Center for the Arts puts more unusual acts in the spotlight, like MOMIX’s Alice, a musical dance fantasy of Lewis Carroll’s classic, and Mummenschanz, a charming and hilarious Swiss performance troupe. The Gallery at TCA and its satellite space exhibit thoughtfully curated exhibitions, like Reclaiming Hope: Afrofuturist Visions, which features the work of emerging Phoenix-area artists, like Granville Carroll, alongside luminaries like Lorna Simpson and Kara Walker.
The ASU Art Museum has a fascinating permanent collection, which focuses heavily on 20th- and 21st-century works from across the Americas, including activists’ prints from the Mexican Revolution, contemporary ceramics and craft and works by many important Latinx artists. Best of all, it’s always free to visit.
Anyone invested in how the Grand Canyon State came to be should certainly pay a visit to the Arizona Heritage Center. Located in Papago Park, you can learn see all sorts of amazing things here — a WWII AT-6 plane, native gemstones and minerals, Navaho weavings and even the HAM radio that belonged to controversial Arizona senator Barry Goldwater, who was born three years before Arizona even became a state.
For the Foodies
In this college town, the food scene definitely skews young, but that’s actually a good thing, because it means you can find some great eats on a budget. But when you’re looking for more elevated fare, there are plenty of award-winning restaurants to tempt you.
Cocina Chiwas is always at the top of our list, both for its airy, stylish digs, and its gorgeous, deeply flavorful plates — bone marrow tacos, wood-fired birria quesadillas and octopus with aguachile broth.
Caffe Boa has been a Tempe-centric mainstay since the ‘90s, centering local, organic fare on its irresistible Italian menu. Their ossobuco is served with a creamy polenta made with herbed mascarpone. All their pasta is house-made, and we’re partial to the Coniglio, which features savory, roasted rabbit and mushrooms.
Vincintorio’s is another traditional Italian fave, and their extensive, crowd-pleasing menu makes them a weeknight hero when you want to eat well but do not want to leave the house — just curbside that ravioli carbonara and don’t forget the tiramisu.
The Crepe Bar started out on four wheels, but the popularity of the mobile provisioner finally convinced this purveyor of French fare to put down roots. The vanilla bean custard crepe is lovingly adorned with strawberries, salted caramel and candied peanuts, while the savory side of the menu offers amazements like the Grand Prix — a coffee crepe with crispy pork belly, chili aioli, an espresso-maple zhuzh and a sunny, runny egg. Grown-ups can wash these down with a greyhound or a chai bourbon and the kids can go for a tall glass of chocolate milk.
In this business-centric region, Tempe is no stranger to the power meal, and when you want to impress a crowd, take them to the Peppermill. This very new steakhouse sets itself apart with house-made baguettes, a creative tapas menu and unexpected updates, like the miso-marinated fried lamb chops or the green apple poblano chimichurri that tops their New York strip.
No doubt about it, you will enjoy eating your way through the delights of Tempe’s culinary landscape.
For Families and Kids
With great parks and family-focused museums and attractions, kids will never have an excuse to be bored in Tempe. One of the most popular hangouts in the city is the Tempe Marketplace — a sprawling, outdoor mall on the Salt River. You can shop and dine at all your favorites, and the kids can cool off in the splash pad near the Barnes & Noble.
When you want to take a deeper dive into nature, SEA LIFE Arizona gives kids a fish-eye view of the universe. Dip your hands into the touch pool to see what a sea anemone feels like. Meet Donna, SEA LIFE’s rescued sea turtle. Or explore the mysterious depths of a shipwreck. Any trip to this aquarium is a treat for landlocked Arizonans.
Little ones in your crew will no doubt enjoy a visit to the LEGOLAND® Discovery Center, where their favorite building blocks become larger than life. Most of the activities at this indoor play center are designed for kids 3+, and it’s a great place to let the smaller set burn off some steam when it’s too hot to hit the playground.
Tempe does have great greenspace, though, and one of our favorite places to go is Kiwanis Park. There’s an awesome playground with a towering, twisty slide, a beautiful lake and — best of all — an indoor recreation center with a wave pool. There’s also a new heated pool at Clark Park, which is a wonderful place to go in the winter.
Prepare for Your Move to Tempe, Arizona
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Curious about what life is really like in the Grand Canyon State? Our Moving Guide to Arizona will give you a local’s perspective on this Southwestern treasure.
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