|
Great Facts about Phoenix Situated in the southwestern part of the United States, Phoenix is Arizona’s capitol and the sixth largest city in the United States, with almost 1.5 million residents and growing. The city takes up more than 500 square miles, geographically exceeding Los Angeles. Phoenix has more than 300 sunny days a year and an average temperature of 74 degrees – an unbeatable combination that has made the city a prime destination for tourists, business and industry. The city enjoys a Standard & Poor’s bond rating of AA+ and is the center of a $50 billion regional marketplace. Motorola, Intel, Honeywell and Boeing are among the companies that have major operations here. I want to...
About the Phoenix Metropolitan Area The population of Maricopa County is about 3 million people. Maricopa County's population is largely comprised of the Phoenix metropolitan area, which consists mostly of the cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Peoria, and several other neighboring cities and towns. The Phoenix metro area is just over 9,000 square miles in area. About the People - There are basically an equal number of men and women in the state.
- About 58% of the people have had at least some college education.
- There are 15 institutions of higher learning, including Arizona State University and Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management.
- Over 40% of the people in the metropolitan area are single (includes children).
- About 25% of the population is Hispanic/Latino, 4% is African-American,
- 2% is Asian and 2% is Native American.
- Although Phoenix is well known as a retirement spot, only 12% of the population is over age 65 (compared to 17% in Miami).
- The average wage in the Greater Phoenix area in the year 2000 was close to $35,000. About 30% of the households have an annual income greater than $50,000.
About the Environment The skies are clear 59% of the time, partly cloudy 22% and cloudy 19%. Annual rainfall is about 7 inches. July is technically the hottest month, but in June and August when the temperature gets over 115 degrees it all feels the same to me. The unofficial Phoenix greeting is ". . . but it's a dry heat!" The major industries are manufacturing (hi-tech), tourism and travel. The sales tax is in the 7-8% range, and varies slightly depending upon the city. As in any large city, Phoenix is trying to deal with crime issues. Gang-related and drug-related crime are most common in west and south Phoenix. The areas in Tempe, near ASU that are off the beaten path can be dangerous. Other Phoenix Stuff - There are four area codes in the Phoenix area: 602, 480, 623 and 928. To obtain specifics about how to call different parts of the valley, see the area code page.
- Phoenix is on Mountain Standard Time, and never moves the clock forward or back. Only the Navajo nation observes daylight saving time.
- The average price for a new single-family home is $138,270 (1999) and the average property tax is about 10%.
- Phoenix originated in 1866 as a hay camp.
- There are six major lakes within an hour's drive from Phoenix
Arizona Stuff - State Flower: Saguaro Cactus Flower
- State Bird: Cactus Wren
- State Tree: Palo Verde
- State Fossil: Petrified Wood
- State Gemstone: Turquoise
- State Amphibian: Arizona Tree Frog
- State Reptile: Arizona Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake
- State Nickname: The Grand Canyon State (yes, Grand Canyon IS in Arizona, NOT Nevada)
|
