Every number below comes from recorded sales, not sentiment.
Right now this is a balanced market, split down the middle: sharply priced homes get bid up while the rest sit.
Neither side holds much leverage. Homes move at a normal pace for this ZIP and pricing discipline decides the outcome.
$439K
Median sold (3 mo)
$248
Per sqft
48 days
On market · 5-yr norm 37
99.9%
Sold to list
25%
Closed over list · 5-yr norm 28%
Latest three complete months of ARMLS single-family sales in 85042.‡
One-year $/sqft change: -2.4%. Three-year: -5.7%.
Percentages sit next to this ZIP's own five-year norm, so a number reads as high or low
for 85042 specifically, not the metro.
Out of the 95 homes that closed in May to July 2026, here is the bedroom count buyers
actually bought. Median 2.0 bathrooms.
CLIFFORDSELLSAZ
2 beds or fewer5%
3 bedrooms54%
4 bedrooms31%
5+ bedrooms11%
Where 85042 sits
The shaded area is ZIP 85042. Streets and highways
stay visible so you can orient yourself. Map data from OpenStreetMap.
Is 85042 expensive right now
Measured against 26 years of history, 85042 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.
Mostly built out. 15,047 homes, with builders still working the last open pockets. Most were built around 1996. 17% of the homes are landlord-owned, which is typical for the Valley.
When 85042 was built
The age profile of the 13,241 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 19609%
1960s6%
1970s18%
1980s14%
1990s10%
2000s24%
2010s11%
2020s8%
Twenty-six years of price history
ZIP 85042Maricopa 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 96%.* In the 2008 crash it drew down 71% peak to trough,† which is the honest measure of how it behaves when the market turns.
Where prices actually land
From 183 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)
$194
25th percentile
$220
$387,046
Median
$245
$438,429
75th percentile
$271
$546,133
Top of the market (p90)
$295
$/sqft and sold price are each their own ranking of
these 183 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.
Price per square foot falls as homes get bigger here, so a large home should be judged against its own size band below, not the ZIP overall.
Size band
Median $/sqft
Sales
Under 1,400 sqft
$283/sqft
28
1,400 to 1,900 sqft
$247/sqft
62
1,900 to 2,600 sqft
$231/sqft
55
Over 2,600 sqft
$234/sqft
38
CLIFFORDSELLSAZ
Where does your home land?
Slide to a price and size. I will place it on 85042's ladder, using the
last 6 months of actual sales.
ENTRYVALUEMIDUPPERPREMIUM
YOUR HOME
$194/sqft$245 median$295/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 85042, and how your
home stacks up. Leave a way to reach you and I will send your street-level
breakdown.
Got it. Your
85042 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 54 out of 100,
measured against this ZIP's own 26-year history. Days on market sit at the
64th percentile of everything this ZIP has ever done.
Selling here
The data says: underprice to spark bidding (over-list market). That comes from how 85042 buyers
are actually behaving this quarter, not a rule of thumb.
Short-term rentals
21 licensed short-term rentals operate in 85042 (City of Phoenix registry).
Profile: 52% have a pool, median last sale $363K,
29% professionally managed. The archetype here is mixed.
If you are weighing a purchase for STR use, this is proven demand territory, and also
proven competition.
Neighborhood profile: 85042
Who provides the power, how common HOAs are, the assigned schools, and what the homes come with. From ARMLS listing data.
Assigned schoolsElementary: Cloves C Campbell Sr, Maxine O. Bush · Middle: Cloves C Campbell Sr, Maxine O Bush · High: South Mountain, Tempe High School. Look up ratings at Arizona's school report cards.
HOA61% of homes are in an HOA (median $126/mo).
Electric utilitySRP (95%) territory.
Water source100% on a city or private water utility.
Sewer4% on septic, the rest on a sewer connection (self-reported in listings, so treat as approximate).
Homes & amenities24% have a private pool, 41% gated, 6% on a golf course, 2% have a community pool.
Flood zone2% of homes noted in a flood zone.
Communities within 85042
One ZIP can hold very different neighborhoods. These are the most active by recent sales, from brand-new gated builds to established non-HOA streets.
Is ZIP 85042 in Phoenix a buyer's or seller's market right now?
As of May to July 2026, 85042 is a balanced market. Homes take a median 48 days to sell and 25% close above asking, about the ZIP's ~28% 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 85042 (Phoenix)?
Over the latest three complete months, the median sold price in 85042 is $439K, about $248 per square foot. Across a steadier six-month window it is $438,429, about $245 per square foot — the shorter window moves faster, the longer one is more reliable when a ZIP has fewer sales.
Is 85042 affordable for a first-time buyer?
Entry-level homes in 85042, around the 25th percentile by sold price, start near $387,046 (median $438,429). Separately, the 25th percentile by $/sqft is about $220 — its own ranking of the same sales, since home size varies within any price range. This is one of the ZIPs where a sub-$450K purchase still exists.
Is 85042 a good area to buy a rental or investment property?
17% of homes in 85042 are held as long-term rentals, and prices are up 96% over the last 10 years. In the 2008 downturn the area drew down 71% peak to trough, which shows how it behaves when the market turns.
What price will a home in 85042 sell for?
Over the last 6 months, most 85042 homes sold between $387,046 and $546,133, with a median of $438,429. By $/sqft — its own ranking, not necessarily the same sales — the high end (90th percentile) reaches about $295 per square foot.
How fast do homes sell in 85042?
Homes in 85042 take a median 48 days on market and close at 99.9% of list price, with 25% going over asking, as of May to July 2026.
Is 85042 newer or older housing?
Homes in 85042 were built around a median year of 1996, with 33% 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 February 2006 peak to the May 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.
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 85042
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