San Tan Valley Real Estate | San Tan Valley Realtor (click here for listings)
The region of the Phoenix metro area that stands at the border of the Sonoran Desert makes a wonderful home to anyone interested in a gorgeous natural landscape, a sun-drenched climate, and a retreat-like environment that is nevertheless moments from some of the state’s finest arts and culture. The stunning community of San Tan Valley, AZ offers a number of excellent homes for those who desire these things for their family.
The homes for sale in San Tan Valley, AZ come in a wide range of sizes and styles, so homebuyers can rest assured that the community has something to fit their needs. No matter the type of home, those who look into their purchase are sure to be astounded by the community of San Tan Valley.
Queen Creek vs San Tan Valley? What is the difference?
At the beginning of the Arizon’s real estate boom in the early 2000’s, San Tan Valley did not exist. All of the homes that were in that unincorporated area of Pinal County shared a Queen Creek zip code and had their mail delivered by the Queen Creek Post Office. There was only one zip code at the time, 85242 which encompassed the entire area. So, many of the families that lived in that part of Pinal County, believed they lived in Queen Creek because all of their bills, and everything that was addressed to them, showed them as having a Queen Creek address. This is where the confusion and inaccuracies began.
As the boom was escalating in the early 2000’s, real estate values were increasing at a crazy pace. Families were forced to drive further outside of Phoenix until they could qualify for their loan amount, so they drove to the Queen Creek area in record numbers. Out in Queen Creek, away from the larger cities, they could accomplish the dream of home ownership because the home prices were substantially less. The identical home, built by the same builder, would be $50,000 less in this area than in Chandler or even Gilbert. With this population explosion came a zip code change, and they created 2 new zip codes…85243 and 85240. So, now there were 3 “Queen Creek” zip codes including 85242.
No one understands exactly what happened next , but only a year later, the US Post Office changed the zip codes again. This time to 85142, 85143 and 85140. Talk about confusing! Generally, 85142 is considered the Town of Queen Creek. But, 85142 was also assigned to the Morning Sun Farms and San Tan Heights neighborhoods located in San Tan Valley. So, residents are still super confused over where they live. And, believe it or not, Realtors from outside the Queen Creek and San Tan Valley area are confused too. I cannot tell you how many times I have had a debate with a Realtor® that has a listing in San Tan Valley, but advertises it as being in Queen Creek, based on the zip code alone, even though we know that is inaccurate.
The AZ MLS search, on our website, lists Morning Sun Farms and San Tan Heights as being neighborhoods in Queen Creek, because that is how most people mistakenly think of those two neighborhoods. However, in reality, both of those communities are in San Tan Valley, outside of Queen Creek. Thus, the confusion continues among residents and Realtors® alike. I am not exactly sure what to do about this issue as other agents have over half their listings marked incorrectly. So, unfortunately my website is inaccurate, on purpose, in order to capture all of the misunderstood property locations for the areas of Queen Creek and San Tan Valley.
A great article that explains this issue of Queen Creek vs San Tan Valley? What is the difference? to area residents, can be found at The Town of Queen Creek’s website:
Do I Live in Queen Creek?
The map provided in the link below outlines the Zip Code boundaries for the Town of Queen Creek, which do not necessarily follow the Zip Code boundaries set by the US Post Office. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding Queen Creek vs San Tan Valley? What is the difference? and I will be happy to clear up any confusion and help you determine where you truly live or want to move!
Queen Creek AZ Zip Code Town Limits
As a full-time, experienced Realtor® living and working in the Queen Creek and San Tan Valley areas, I am always available to answer your real estate related questions. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Queen Creek or San Tan Valley, or if you would simply like a FREE market analysis of your property, then please do not hesitate to contact April Anderson @ 480.272.1977.