FHA Loans in Arizona

About This State and its People, Places, and Industries

Arizona is a state of the United States of America located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the eight Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria, Surprise and then by Yuma in Yuma County.

Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912 - the 50th anniversary of Arizona's recognition as a territory of the United States. Arizona is noted for its desert climate, exceptionally hot summers, and mild winters, however it also features pine forests and mountain ranges in the northern high country, with cooler weather than in the lower deserts.

Arizona is one of the Four Corners states. It borders New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, touches Colorado, and has a 389-mile (626 km) international border with the states of Sonora and Baja California in Mexico. It is the largest landlocked U.S. state by population. In addition to the Grand Canyon, many other national forests, parks, monuments, and Indian reservations are located in the state.

Until the latter half of the 19th century, almost all of central and northern Arizona remained sparsely settled. At the time of Arizona’s acquisition by the United States in 1848, fewer than 1,000 people of Hispanic origin lived in Arizona. The 1860 census reported the population of "Arizona County" to be 6,482, of whom 4,040 were listed as "Indians", 21 as "free colored" and 2,421 as "white".[24] As of 2006, Arizona had an estimated population of 6,166,318. Arizona's continued population growth is putting an enormous stress on the state's water supplies.

The population of the Phoenix metropolitan area increased by 45.3% from 1991 through 2001, helping to make Arizona the second fastest growing state in the nation in the 1990s (the fastest was Nevada). Currently the population of the Phoenix metropolitan area is estimated to be over 4.3 million.
According to the 2005-2007 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, Non-Hispanic White Americans made up 59.6% of Arizona's population. Hispanics and Latinos (of any race) made up 29.0% of Arizona's population. The state has one of the highest concentrations of Native Americans, with over 85,000 individuals speaking Navajo, and 10,403 persons reporting Apache as the language spoken at home in 2005. In 2010 illegal aliens constituted an estimated 7.9% of the population. This was the second highest percentage of any state in the nation.

The 2006 total gross state product was $232 billion. If Arizona (and each of the other US states) were an independent country along with all existing countries (2005), it would have the 61st largest economy in the world (CIA - The World Factbook). This figure gives Arizona a larger economy than such countries as Ireland, Finland, and New Zealand. Arizona currently has the 21st largest economy among states in the United States. As a percentage of its overall budget, Arizona's projected 1.7 billion deficit for '09 is one of the largest in the country, behind such states as California, Michigan, and Florida, to name a few.

The state's per capita income is $32,935, ranking 43rd in the U.S. The state had a median household income of $50,958 making it 22nd in the country and just shy of the U.S. national median. Early in its history, Arizona's economy relied on the "five C's": copper (see Copper mining in Arizona), cotton, cattle, citrus, and climate (tourism). At one point Arizona was the largest producer of cotton in the country. Copper is still extensively mined from many expansive open-pit and underground mines, accounting for two-thirds of the nation's output.

Due to its numerous golf courses, Arizona is home to several stops on the PGA Tour, most notably at the FBR Open, more commonly known as the Phoenix Open. With three state universities and several community colleges, college sports are also prevalent in Arizona. The intense rivalry between Arizona State University and the University of Arizona predates Arizona's statehood, and is the oldest rivalry in the NCAA. The thus aptly named Territorial Cup, first awarded in 1889 and certified as the oldest trophy in college football, is awarded to the winner of the “Duel in the Desert,” the annual football game between the two schools. Arizona also hosts several bowl games in the Bowl Championship Series. The Fiesta Bowl, originally held at Sun Devil Stadium, will now be held at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The University of Phoenix Stadium was also home to the 2007 BCS National Championship Game and hosted Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. The Insight Bowl is also held at Sun Devil Stadium.

Besides being home to spring training, Arizona is also home to two other baseball leagues, Arizona Fall League and Arizona Winter League. The Fall League was founded in 1992 and is a minor league baseball league designed for players to refine their skills and perform in game settings in front of major and minor league baseball scouts and team executives, who are in attendance at almost every game. The league got exposure when Michael Jordan started his time in baseball with the Scottsdale Scorpions. The Arizona Winter League, founded in 2007, is a professional baseball league of four teams for the independent Golden Baseball League. The games are played in Yuma at the Desert Sun Stadium, but added two new teams in the California desert, and one more in Sonora for the 2008 season.

Choose Your City >>>

• Anthem
• Apache Junction
• Avondale
• Benson
• Bouse
• Buckeye
• Bullhead City
• Camp Verde
• Carefree
• Casa Grande
• Cave Creek
• Chandler
• Chandler Heights
• Chino Valley
• Clarkdale
• Concho
• Cortaro
• Cottonwood
• Desert Hills
• Dewey
• El Mirage
• Flagstaff
• Fort Mohave
• Fountain Hills
• Gilbert
• Gilbert Maricopa

• Glendale
• Gold Canyon
• Golden Valley
• Goodyear
• Green Valley
• Happy Jack
• Heber
• Higley
• Huachuca City
• Kingman
• Lake Havasu city
• Lakeside
• Laveen
• Litchfield Park
• Maricopa
• Mesa
• New River
• Nigley
• Oro Valley
• Page
• Parker
• Payson
• Peoria
• Phoenix
• Pine
• Pinetop

• Pomerene
• Prescott
• Prescott Valley
• Rio Rico
• Safford
• San Tan Valley
• Scottsdale
• Sedona
• Show Low
• Sierra Vista
• Snowflake
• St. Chandler
• Sun City
• Sun Lakes
• Surprise
• Tempe
• Thatcher
• Tolleson
• Tubac
• Tucson
• Vail
• Waddell
• Wellton
• Wickenburg
• Willcox
• Winslow

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