Anthem
Del Webb master-planned CDP along I-17 north of Phoenix
Why People Move Here
Anthem is the Del Webb master-planned community that anchors the North Valley along I-17, about 30 miles up from downtown Phoenix in unincorporated Maricopa County. Built in two halves -- the all-ages Parkside and the gated private Anthem Country Club around its Ironwood and Persimmon golf courses -- it was designed from the ground up around a 63-acre community park with two lakes, a three-story playground, an amphitheater, and the Anthem Veterans Memorial, where a sunbeam aligns at exactly 11:11 am on November 11 to light a mosaic of the Great Seal of the United States. Governance runs through the Anthem Community Council rather than a city hall, so residents trade municipal services for an HOA-driven amenity stack: a 43,000-sqft community center with a three-story rock climbing wall, pools, and fitness floor; sports fields; and a dedicated skate park. Dependency on a single freeway (I-17) is the trade-off: no Valley Metro bus service, and peak-hour southbound I-17 commutes to downtown can stretch past an hour.
Key Statistics
Data sourced from census records, school district reports, and local transit authorities.
Commute Times
School Districts
Deer Valley Unified School District
A-Top-tier among large Arizona public districts (Niche 2026)
- Primary district serving Anthem
- K-8 model in Anthem with Diamond Canyon, Gavilan Peak, and Anthem K-8 elementary campuses
- Boulder Creek High School (grades 7-12) is the comprehensive home high school (Niche B; ranked #172 of Arizona public high schools; 2,456 students; 93% graduation rate; 19 AP courses)
- Verify enrollment eligibility by address -- attendance boundaries can split within Anthem
Great Hearts Academies - Anthem Prep
A+Top 5% of Arizona public schools; #7 Arizona elementary, #40 middle (Niche 2026)
- K-12 tuition-free charter located at 3950 W Arroyo Norte Ave
- Classical liberal arts model
- 96% 11th-grade ELA proficiency vs. 40% state average; 84% math vs. 30% state
- Open enrollment regardless of zip code; lottery-based when oversubscribed
FAQ — Anthem
What is the median home price in Anthem, AZ?
Zillow's typical home value for Anthem AZ is $544,136 as of late 2025, down ~4.3% YoY. Redfin's December 2025 median sale price is $597K at $257/sqft, down 8.2% YoY. Rocket Homes reported a February 2025 median sale price of $575,000, up 4.6% YoY. Parkside entry-level homes run around $480K, while Anthem Country Club golf-frontage homes range $800K to $1.5M+. 74% of Feb 2025 sales closed under asking, indicating a buyer-leaning market.
What is the commute from Anthem to downtown Phoenix?
Downtown Phoenix is ~31 miles south via I-17 (the Black Canyon Freeway) -- about 36-43 minutes off-peak and 55-75 minutes during rush hour (7-9am southbound; 3-6:30pm northbound). I-17 is the only artery and tends to stack up at the Anthem Way on-ramp and again at the Loop 101 interchange. Sky Harbor (PHX) is ~35 miles and 35-55 minutes depending on traffic. There is no Valley Metro fixed-route transit in Anthem.
What schools and parks are in Anthem?
Anthem is served by Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD, Niche A-), which uses a K-8 model with three Anthem campuses (Diamond Canyon, Gavilan Peak, Anthem K-8); Boulder Creek High School (grades 7-12) is the comprehensive home high (Niche B, 2,456 students, 93% graduation rate, 19 AP courses). Great Hearts Academies Anthem Prep is a tuition-free K-12 classical charter (Niche A+, top 5% of Arizona public schools). Verify enrollment eligibility by address. For parks, Anthem Community Park is the 63-acre centerpiece with two lakes, a 3-story playground, splash pad, skate park, Legacy Amphitheater, and the Anthem Veterans Memorial. The Anthem Community Center is a separate 43,000-sqft ACC rec facility with a 3-story rock climbing wall, Olympic-size pool, and fitness floor.
Is Anthem Country Club a 55+ community?
No. Anthem Country Club is a gated private country club community, but it is NOT a HOPA-designated 55+ age-restricted community. It has no published 80/20 HOPA policy. The broader Anthem master plan (Parkside + Country Club) has no age restriction. The Del Webb 55+ community often confused with it is Sun City Anthem at Merrill Ranch, which is a different community in Florence, Pinal County.
How do HOA fees work in Anthem?
Every home in Anthem sits under the Anthem Community Council (ACC) master HOA plus a sub-association -- APCA for Parkside or ACCCA for Country Club -- with dues billed quarterly (Jan 1, Apr 1, Jul 1, Oct 1). Country Club residents can also hold a separate Invited Club membership (sports or golf tier) for additional monthly dues that commonly run $500-$1,000+/month. Current fee schedules are published by ACC at onlineatanthem.com in the annual Fees and Charges PDF.
What is the Anthem Veterans Memorial?
The Anthem Veterans Memorial is five marble pillars (6-17 ft tall, one for each US military branch) arranged in a row inside Anthem Community Park. Each pillar has a precisely calculated elliptical opening so that at 11:11 am on November 11 (Veterans Day), a beam of sunlight passes through all five pillars and illuminates a three-foot mosaic of the Great Seal of the United States in the plaza floor. It was designed by Anthem artist Renee Palmer-Jones and engineered by resident Jim Martin, cost $190,000, and was unveiled November 11, 2011. Over 750 red pavers in the surrounding Circle of Honor are inscribed with the names of service members.
What are the crime statistics in Anthem?
Anthem is an unincorporated CDP patrolled by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (District 7, Anthem substation) -- there is no municipal police department. Violent crime is approximately 2.4 per 1,000 residents and property crime is approximately 30.9 per 1,000 (below the US average of 35.4), per CrimeGrade and NeighborhoodScout 2025 data. CrimeGrade places Anthem around the 65th percentile nationally for safety. MCSO response times in unincorporated areas typically run longer than in incorporated cities.
What healthcare and accessibility options are in Anthem?
HonorHealth Urgent Care - Gavilan Peak sits inside Anthem at 3648 W Anthem Way for walk-in needs. The nearest full-service hospital is HonorHealth Sonoran Crossing Medical Center (33400 N 32nd Ave, Phoenix) about 10 minutes south on I-17, with a 24/7 ER. HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center (204-bed, 24/7 ER, cardiac and general surgery programs) is another 10 minutes south. Phoenix Children's Hospital and Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix are 35-45 minutes. Anthem Community Park, the Community Center, and the Veterans Memorial Circle of Honor are all ADA-accessible.
What is the climate like in Anthem?
Anthem has a hot desert climate (Koppen BWh). Elevation at ~1,886 ft is about 600 ft higher than downtown Phoenix, so summer highs run 3-6°F cooler than the central Valley -- but still typically 100-106°F from June through September, with occasional 110°F+ days. Winter overnight lows occasionally dip to ~42°F. Annual rainfall is ~12-13 inches, concentrated in the June 15 - September 30 monsoon. Anthem averages ~296 sunny days per year and essentially no snow.
What are the property and sales tax rates?
Median effective property tax rate is 0.73% (Ownwell / Maricopa County records), producing a median annual bill of ~$2,880 in the 85086 zip. There is no town property tax -- Anthem is unincorporated, so the bill combines Maricopa County, DVUSD, EPCOR CAP fees, and community facilities districts. Combined sales tax is 8.8% (5.6% Arizona state + 0.7% Maricopa County + 2.5% other special; no town sales tax). Arizona levies a flat 2.5% state income tax.
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