Peoria
Cactus League Spring Training, Lake Pleasant & Old Town 83rd-Grand
Why People Move Here
Stretching nearly 40 miles north-south from the historic 83rd Avenue and Grand Avenue townsite to the desert foothills framing Lake Pleasant, Peoria anchors the Northwest Valley with Arizona's original two-team spring training complex and more than 18 miles of paved multi-use trails. The Peoria Sports Complex hosts the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, the P83 Entertainment District concentrates modern dining, and Lake Pleasant Regional Park delivers a 10,000-acre reservoir inside city limits.
Key Statistics
Data sourced from census records, school district reports, and local transit authorities.
Commute Times
School Districts
Peoria Unified School District (PUSD)
B+Niche 2025 B+ district; ~36,000 students across 34 elementary + 7 high schools + 1 non-traditional HS
- Centennial HS — Niche A, #58 AZ public high school
- Liberty HS — Niche A-
- Sunrise Mountain HS — Niche A-
- Ironwood HS — Niche A-
- Serves majority of Peoria plus portions of Glendale
Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD)
ANiche 2025 A district; ~32,000+ students across 42 schools
- Serves northeast Peoria including parts of Vistancia
- Boulder Creek HS, Mountain Ridge HS in service area
- Extends from Bell Rd to New River; 7th St west to lake
BASIS Peoria (Charter)
A+- Charter school with AP-heavy curriculum
- Ranked among top AZ charter schools
FAQ — Peoria
What is the commute from Peoria to downtown Phoenix?
About 14 miles via Loop 101 Agua Fria south to I-17 Black Canyon Freeway; off-peak drive time runs roughly 21 minutes and rush hour is typically 35-40 minutes. Express bus Route 573 from the 83rd Ave/Peoria Ave park-and-ride serves downtown during weekday peaks.
What schools and school districts serve Peoria?
Two districts split the city: Peoria Unified School District (PUSD, ~35,466 students, Niche B+ district with several A/A- high schools including Centennial, Liberty, Sunrise Mountain, and Ironwood) covers the southern and central portions, while Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD, Arizona's fifth largest) covers northeast subdivisions including parts of Vistancia. Verify enrollment eligibility by address — the boundary runs through multiple neighborhoods.
What are the crime statistics in Peoria?
Per FBI data, Peoria's total crime rate is 1,459.8 per 100,000 people — about 31% below the national rate and 34% below the Arizona state rate. The last reporting year logged 512 violent crimes (254.7 per 100,000) and 2,423 property crimes. The 2024 total crime count was down 1% from 2023, continuing a five-year downward trend. Peoria Police Department publishes a Monthly Crime Statistic Snapshot online.
What makes Peoria different from other West Valley cities?
Three things: (1) it is one of only two Cactus League cities hosting two MLB teams at a single complex — the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres share the Peoria Sports Complex, the original two-team spring training facility (opened 1994, leased through 2034); (2) Lake Pleasant Regional Park sits inside city limits, delivering a 10,000-acre reservoir for boating, fishing, and camping; (3) the city stretches over 40 miles north-to-south, from the historic Old Town at 83rd Avenue and Grand Avenue up into the Sonoran foothills.
What is the median home price in Peoria?
The 2026 median home price ranges from Zillow's $479,839 average home value to Redfin's $535K January 2026 median sale price (-0.57% year-over-year at $252/sqft). Closed-sale trackers like Movoto ($599K) and Houzeo ($604K) skew higher because they weight toward 85383 north Peoria (Vistancia, Trilogy, Blackstone $550K-$1.5M+) while older 85345 south Peoria and Westbrook Village homes run $400K-$450K.
What healthcare and accessibility options are in Peoria?
Abrazo Peoria Emergency Center sits at 26900 N Lake Pleasant Parkway for emergency care. Full acute-care hospitals within 10-15 minutes include Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center (Sun City West), Banner Boswell Medical Center (Sun City), HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center (north Phoenix), and Abrazo West Campus (Goodyear). Age-restricted communities like Trilogy at Vistancia and Westbrook Village are HOPA-exempt 55+ developments with on-site wellness amenities.
What is there to do in Peoria beyond spring training?
Lake Pleasant Regional Park offers boating, fishing, camping, and sailing on a 10,000-acre reservoir; the P83 Entertainment District concentrates dining (Postino, Blanco Cocina + Cantina, Tavern Park) near the Sports Complex; Old Town Peoria hosts the 250-seat Peoria Center for the Performing Arts (TheaterWorks) plus Second Saturdays and August Acoustics concert series; the New River Trail provides 19.5 miles of paved multi-use path; and Blackstone Country Club plus Trilogy at Vistancia rank among the region's top-rated golf courses.
How is the job market in Peoria?
Luke Air Force Base on the Glendale border is the largest regional employer with ~7,500 military personnel and thousands of civilians — the world's largest F-16 and F-35A training base. Peoria Unified School District employs several thousand. Abrazo Health, the City of Peoria, Fry's/Kroger, and expanding logistics/tech operations along the Loop 303 corridor round out major employment. Median household income reached ~$97,333 in 2024.
Compare Communities
Other communities in West Valley.