Three hundred sun-filled days a year. Perfect weather. Rewarding work. Ample entertainment. This is Tempe, Arizona. As Arizona's fifth largest city, Tempe is a mixture of high tech business and resort style living, all wrapped up with small town familiarity. Tempe is situated on the Salt River in Maricopa County. It encompasses just over 40 square miles, with approximately 160,000 residents. The presence of a major university drops the median age here to 29, with an average household income of around $43,000 and home value of about $140,000.

That major university is Arizona State University (ASU), and is the fifth largest in the nation. It occupies over 700 acres with nearly 45,000 students. ASU offers an impressive 92 majors at 12 colleges, 71 different master's programs, and five doctoral programs. Its Frank Lloyd Wright designed Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium brings premier performing arts to town. Additionally, Tempe is well served by its thirty-two elementary schools, eight middle schools, and five high schools. This was a contributing factor for BestJobsUsa.com when they named Tempe Number Four on the Best Places to Live and Work in America list.

Tempe has over half of the east valley's prime office space, with twenty percent of its businesses being high-tech. Citibank employs a number of residents in its credit card processing center, and business travelers like to utilize Tempe for meetings, as it is a mere ten minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport.

Visitors and residents alike enjoy the Old Town section of Tempe. In this elegant district, you will find numerous boutiques and restaurants, along with a variety of cultural and entertainment venues. As the name implies, many of these buildings were established around the turn of the century. Redevelopment has breathed new life into the area. These impressive renovations are an ideal setting for a night on the town. Twice a year, the neighborhood hosts a Festival of the Arts, drawing over 200,000 people. Sponsored by the Mill Avenue Merchants Association (MAMA), the streets fill with arts and crafts booths, a gourmet sampling of foods and free live entertainment. These events are recognized as the second largest art festivals in the United States.

During the holiday season, Tempe's Fantasy of Lights showcases the City with downtown draped in tens of thousands of twinkling lights. These gorgeous old buildings really come to life under their sparkling canopy. The season is kicked off with the annual Kiwanis parade, tree lighting, and community concert. Arizona's only outdoor ice skating rink, Fantasy on Ice, opens that night, and is followed by a month of activities that include the annual snow day and nightly holiday entertainment along Mill Avenue. The holiday season comes to a close with the New Year's Eve Fiesta Bowl Block Party, located in the heart of downtown. With over forty bands playing on six stages, two magnificent fireworks displays, carnival rides and pep rallies, there is something for everyone. This event was named by USA Today as one of the top six places in the country to spend New Year's Eve.

To really get the most out of the southwestern lifestyle, you've got to get outdoors. Under a blanket of clear blue skies, Tempe offers an abundance of recreational activities. For some incredible hiking and camping, locals take off to the Coronado National Forest or the Sabino Canyon Recreation Center. Tempe will soon add the Rio Salado Project to its list of recreation sites. This is a 5.5 mile recreational and commercial facility which is currently converting the bed of the Salt River in to a park with 185 acres of lakes, ponds, trails, sports fields, and an equestrian center.

If your recreational tastes lean more toward the spectator, ASU's Sun Devil Stadium is the place to catch the action. You can watch college players at their finest playing for the ASU Sun Devils, or the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. Additionally, you can watch the Anaheim Angels in spring training at Diablo Stadium.

Tempe, Arizona is a lively community composed of people from every imaginable background. The city's residents delight in its many festivals and events, and have a wealth of employment opportunities to elevate their quality of life in this city of affordable living. If you're thinking of moving to Tempe, our relocation packet is yours for the asking!