Every number below comes from recorded sales, not sentiment.
Right now this is a balanced market, holding steady.
Neither side holds much leverage. Homes move at a normal pace for this ZIP and pricing discipline decides the outcome.
$728K
Median sold (3 mo)
$321
Per sqft
58 days
On market · 5-yr norm 41
99.2%
Sold to list
17%
Closed over list · 5-yr norm 19%
Latest three complete months of ARMLS single-family sales in 85021.‡
One-year $/sqft change: 2.1%. Three-year: 2.7%.
Percentages sit next to this ZIP's own five-year norm, so a number reads as high or low
for 85021 specifically, not the metro.
Out of the 52 homes that closed in May to July 2026, here is the bedroom count buyers
actually bought. Median 2.0 bathrooms.
CLIFFORDSELLSAZ
2 beds or fewer2%
3 bedrooms40%
4 bedrooms44%
5+ bedrooms13%
Where 85021 sits
The shaded area is ZIP 85021. Streets and highways
stay visible so you can orient yourself. Map data from OpenStreetMap.
Is 85021 expensive right now
Measured against 26 years of history, 85021 is priced right where it usually sits relative to the rest of the Valley. No premium, no discount. If you buy here, you pay what the neighborhood is actually worth.
This is a finished neighborhood. Builders moved on decades ago, so the 9,839 homes here are the whole story. Most were built around 1961. The large majority predate 1980, so walk in expecting older roofs, plumbing and electrical panels, and budget the inspection accordingly. 17% of the homes are landlord-owned, which is typical for the Valley.
When 85021 was built
The age profile of the 8,292 homes here with a recorded build year. The copper
bar is the decade that defines this neighborhood. Age tells you what to inspect: a 1970s ZIP
means original plumbing and panels are still out there, while a 2020s ZIP is mostly
under builder warranty.
CLIFFORDSELLSAZ
Before 196050%
1960s16%
1970s12%
1980s11%
1990s3%
2000s3%
2010s2%
2020s3%
Twenty-six years of price history
ZIP 85021Maricopa County
Median sold price per square foot by month,
Jan 2000 to Aug 2026, 3-month smoothed. ARMLS single-family sales.
Over the last 10 years this ZIP appreciated 111%.* In the 2008 crash it drew down 77% peak to trough,† which is the honest measure of how it behaves when the market turns.
Where prices actually land
From 106 sales in the last 6 months (February to July 2026).
Half of everything sold between the 25th and 75th percentile lines.
$/sqft
Sold price
Bottom of the market (p10)
$236
25th percentile
$261
$368,306
Median
$303
$608,586
75th percentile
$369
$860,521
Top of the market (p90)
$442
$/sqft and sold price are each their own ranking of
these 106 sales — the 25th percentile by $/sqft is not always the same
sale as the 25th percentile by price, since home size varies within any price range.
Bigger homes here run MORE per square foot, not less — the largest sales in this ZIP skew toward custom or luxury builds. Judge a home against its own size band below, not the ZIP overall.
Size band
Median $/sqft
Sales
Under 1,400 sqft
$277/sqft
21
1,400 to 1,900 sqft
$295/sqft
26
1,900 to 2,600 sqft
$330/sqft
36
Over 2,600 sqft
$344/sqft
23
CLIFFORDSELLSAZ
Where does your home land?
Slide to a price and size. I will place it on 85021's ladder, using the
last 6 months of actual sales.
ENTRYVALUEMIDUPPERPREMIUM
YOUR HOME
$236/sqft$303 median$442/sqft
Runs entirely on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere. Not an appraisal,
just where the number sits on this ZIP's ladder.
See what features place a house into each price tier in 85021, and how your
home stacks up. Leave a way to reach you and I will send your street-level
breakdown.
Got it. Your
85021 tier breakdown is on its way. I read every one of these myself. Clifford
That didn't go
through. Try once more, or email me directly at
clifford@cliffordsellsaz.com
and I will take it from there.
What this means for you
Buying here
No rush, no panic. Pricing discipline matters more than timing. Leverage score 48 out of 100,
measured against this ZIP's own 26-year history. Days on market sit at the
69th percentile of everything this ZIP has ever done.
Selling here
The data says: price at market; expect near-list offers. That comes from how 85021 buyers
are actually behaving this quarter, not a rule of thumb.
Short-term rentals
17 licensed short-term rentals operate in 85021 (City of Phoenix registry).
Profile: 65% have a pool, median last sale $534K,
47% professionally managed. The archetype here is resort/pool.
If you are weighing a purchase for STR use, this is proven demand territory, and also
proven competition.
Neighborhood profile: 85021
Who provides the power, how common HOAs are, the assigned schools, and what the homes come with. From ARMLS listing data.
Is ZIP 85021 in Phoenix a buyer's or seller's market right now?
As of May to July 2026, 85021 is a balanced market. Homes take a median 58 days to sell and 17% close above asking, about the ZIP's ~19% five-year norm for this time of year — measured against the ZIP's own history, not the metro average.
What is the median home price in 85021 (Phoenix)?
Over the latest three complete months, the median sold price in 85021 is $728K, about $321 per square foot. Across a steadier six-month window it is $608,586, about $303 per square foot — the shorter window moves faster, the longer one is more reliable when a ZIP has fewer sales.
Is 85021 affordable for a first-time buyer?
Entry-level homes in 85021, around the 25th percentile by sold price, start near $368,306 (median $608,586). Separately, the 25th percentile by $/sqft is about $261 — its own ranking of the same sales, since home size varies within any price range.
Is 85021 a good area to buy a rental or investment property?
17% of homes in 85021 are held as long-term rentals, and prices are up 111% over the last 10 years. In the 2008 downturn the area drew down 77% peak to trough, which shows how it behaves when the market turns.
What price will a home in 85021 sell for?
Over the last 6 months, most 85021 homes sold between $368,306 and $860,521, with a median of $608,586. By $/sqft — its own ranking, not necessarily the same sales — the high end (90th percentile) reaches about $442 per square foot.
How fast do homes sell in 85021?
Homes in 85021 take a median 58 days on market and close at 99.2% of list price, with 17% going over asking, as of May to July 2026.
Is 85021 newer or older housing?
Homes in 85021 were built around a median year of 1961, with 77% built before 1980. Older stock means budgeting for roof, HVAC and systems; newer stock means less deferred maintenance.
This is the ZIP. Your street tells its own story.
I run this same analysis at the subdivision and
size-band level before any client of mine lists or offers.
* 10-year appreciation compares the 3-month-smoothed median price per square foot in August 2016 against August 2026 — the same series shown in the chart above.
† 2008 drawdown is peak-to-trough on the smoothed monthly series: the July 2006 peak to the June 2009 low. On annual medians the figure looks smaller, but it would not match the chart.
‡ The hero tiles above use the latest three complete months (more current, smaller sample); the price-tier table below uses six months (more stable, larger sample). The two medians will not always match, and in a ZIP with fewer sales the gap can be substantial, not a rounding difference — currently about 20% apart in 85021.
West USA Realty
Market Data by Clifford Wong, West USA Realty · v1.1 · Data through August 2026 · Updated August 25, 2026
Clifford Wong is licensed to sell real estate in Arizona by the Arizona Department of Real Estate · West USA Realty · AZ License SA699206000 · Equal Housing Opportunity
Sources: ARMLS sold records (Jan 2000 to Aug 2026) and Maricopa County Assessor public
records. Analysis window May to July 2026. This report describes market conditions in ZIP 85021
as a whole. It is not an appraisal or a valuation of any specific property, and it is not
investment advice. Statistics reflect recorded single-family sales and may lag the market
by up to one month. Clifford Wong, West USA Realty.
West USA Realty