Tucson Real Estate Market Report - July 2008

Relocating to Tucson? Quick Facts for Tucson Real Estate Areas

August 13, 2008

I wrote this a year ago, but it is still one of my favorite posts for folks relocating to Tucson. Tucson is so spread out, and each area has a very different feel, that it is handy to have the quick overview before delving into each area more thoroughly. I’ve updated the numbers for these areas as of today.

I do quite a bit of business with people who are relocating to the Tucson area. Many have never been to Tucson, or have only been here briefly. It’s always my pleasure to help someone discover this fair city, and to teach people about the different areas of town.

This is an MLS map of Tucson, which divides the city into various areas: West, Central, East, Northwest, North, Northeast, Southwest, South, and Southeast. There are farther, more remote areas, but those are the big nine.

~~Click on the image of the map to download the full PDF map~~Right click on the map and select “Save Target As” to save the PDF to your desktop.

Each area has a different look and feel. It is a worthwhile investment to spend the time driving around the various areas of Tucson to find the place that feels like home to you.

Here’s some information for each area of town, for the last 6 months, single family homes only:

Northwest

Average Sales Price is $300,046, Median Sales Price is $240,000
Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1958 square feet
Northwest has had an explosion of new home construction over the past few years. Oro Valley and Marana are part of what I consider Northwestern Tucson. There’s a lot of good infrastructure here, with grocery stores, small shopping areas, and other nice amenities never far away.
Find Northwest Tucson Homes

North

Average Sales Price is $481,342, Median Sales Price is $399,435
Average Home is 4 bedroom, 3 baths, and 2205 square feet
North Tucson is a rather ritzy area, check out that average sales price! North is bounded by the Catalina Mountains, and would be what people call the Catalina Foothills. There’s a good amount of older housing on large lots, intermixed with the newer custom homes on the infill lots.
Search for North Tucson Homes

Northeast

Average Sales Price is $373,768, Median Sales Price is $308,000
Average Home is 4 bedroom, 2 baths, and 2204 square feet
Northeast Tucson seems more peaceful and laid back than the North, to me. This is the Tanque Verde Valley, with mesquite bosques, gracious older homes on acreage, and a reasonable amount of new construction as well.
Search Northeast Tucson Homes

West

Average Sales Price is $232,885, Median Sales Price is $188,500
Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1645 square feet
When people think of West Tucson, they think of larger lots than what is found in other parts of the city. The nice homes have city and mountain views. West is a fairly small area, comparatively, because it is bounded by the Tucson Mountains. West doesn’t have as much grocery shopping or dining, but it’s usually an easy trip to find those things.
Search West Tucson Homes

Central

Average Sales Price is $211,357, Median Sales Price is $185,000
Average Home is 3 bedroom, 1.75 baths, and 1453 square feet
I’m a Central gal, a sucker for the 1950’s double brick ranch style homes. Central is home to the University of Arizona, and housing in that particular section is pricey. Otherwise, Central is characterized by older homes, good sized lots, and established neighborhoods. Central is probably the least homogenous part of Tucson.
Search Central Tucson Houses

East

Average Sales Price is $195,499, Median Sales Price is $180,000
Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1616 square feet
There’s something about East Tucson that makes people who live East, stay East. Much of the East is an easy drive to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and there’s a lot of cycling in the area. East is a unique mix of older homes with smaller, infill neighborhoods. There’s no huge master planned communities, but there’s a nice mix of housing.
Search East Tucson Homes

Southwest

Average Sales Price is $173,241, Median Sales Price is $163,000
Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1795 square feet
The Southwest exploded with new construction about 3 years ago. It’s a very affordable area of town. Most of the new homes are on the far side of the Southwest area, but all of the new housing is sure to draw development of the infrastructure: grocery stores, shopping, and dining.
Search for Homes in Southwest Tucson

South

Average Sales Price is $142,410, Median Sales Price is $139,000
Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1498 square feet
South tends to be a mix of industrial and housing areas, and is home to the Tucson International Airport and a good portion of the railroad. There are good buys to be had here, for occupying as well as investment property.
Find Homes in South Tucson

Southeast

Average Sales Price is $218,432, Median Sales Price is $194,300
Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1781 square feet
Southeast is also very close to Davis-Monthan AFB, and is largely homes built in the last 10 years. Southeast includes the city of Vail, which is booming with new construction as the city pushes it’s way along the I-10 corridor. Parts of the Southeast are well developed by retail and commercial properties, and some parts are still too new to have those amenities close by.
Find a Home in Southeast Tucson

That’s my city, and the short version of the long tour around town. Whatever brings you to Tucson, I’d love to show you the city and help you figure out your housing needs.

tags: relocating, tucson, tucson real estate

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