Marana, a tiny farming community about 30 miles northwest of Tucson, grew by nearly 520% during the decade, and Oro Valley, 20 miles north of Tucson, grew by 345% and now has nearly 30,000 residents. The explosive growth in those areas was fueled by massive master-planned communities, which swallowed up cheap land. These two cities were the fastest growing the state.
In the Valley, Surprise (333%), Gilbert (277%), Goodyear (202%), Avondale (122%) and Peoria (114%) were the fastest growing cities. Once nothing but farmland and a scattered collection of homes, Gilbert is now a thriving suburb with nearly 110,000 residents and Peoria, once on the fringe of city, now has more than 108,000 residents.
The 1990s represent a clear picture of the Valley's growth patterns, which are expected to continue for the next decade. The cities that make up the established core of the Valley--Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Paradise Valley and Scottsdale--have relinquished their growth title to outlying cities. That shift in growth means more state sales-tax money and political clout will be flowing to outlying areas.
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