Located in the central portion of the state, Phoenix, Arizona is the sixth largest city in the nation and the largest of any of the state capitols. There are approximately 1.5 million people in Phoenix, Arizona proper and more than three and a half million in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. Between 1990 and 2000 the metropolitan area around Phoenix enjoyed a growth rate of thirty-four percent.

Located in the Sonoran desert, the temperature in Phoenix, Arizona in the summer routinely climbs above one hundred degrees in June, July, and August. Evenings are pleasant, however, with temperatures falling into the seventies and the winters are equally mild.

There is absolutely no better way to escape the summer heat in Phoenix, Arizona than to visit one of the more than thirty-six spas located in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. The Golden Door Spa at The Boulders is world-renowned. A sister facility to the Golden Door Spa in San Diego, this spa offers 33,000 square feet of pure luxury. It includes twenty-four treatment rooms, a fitness center, classrooms for seminars, tea rooms, and a full-service salon among its myriad amenities. Comfort and pampering are the order of the day.

There is a thriving arts community in Phoenix, Arizona with the Phoenix Museum of Art housing a collection of some seventeen thousand works with points of emphasis being the modern and contemporary arts; works from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and America; fashion design; and Western American art. It is considered to be one of the premier art museums in the nation.

The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona covers fifty acres showcasing one hundred and thirty nine rare and endangered species among its premier collection of desert plants. The garden attracts more than two hundred and fifty thousand visitors a year and has a national reputation for excellence.

Desert vacation homes comprise much of the local real estate. Phoenix, AZ draws retirees seeking a place in the sun as well as those who need to live in a desert environment for health reasons, most probably of a respiratory nature. It is best to seek the services of a professional when investigating local real estate. Phoenix, AZ has many fine real estate companies with realtors who will make sure you find the vacation or full-time home of your dreams.

Phoenix is a prosperous city with an average annual income of some $41,000 with men earning thirty-three thousand on average and women twenty-eight thousand. The average annual household income is $46,500. There are 102.7 males per every one hundred females and the average age is thirty-one years.

The city is approximately seventy percent Caucasian, thirty-four percent Hispanic, and five percent African American. The area is mainly Catholic (forty-five percent) with a strong Mormon presence, some thirteen percent.

Taking full advantage of its status as the largest state capital in the United States, growth and prosperity in Phoenix shows little sign of slowing down. This desert city is not only a pleasant community to call home, but one with ample points of interest and a wide range of amenities for tourists and visitors.