Every number below comes from recorded sales, not sentiment.
Right now this is a buyer's market, cooling.
The edge tilts to buyers. Days on market and concessions are running above this ZIP's historical norm.
$595K
Median sold (3 mo)
$298
Per sqft
41 days
On market · 5-yr norm 37
98.8%
Sold to list
9%
Closed over list · 5-yr norm 16%
Latest three complete months of ARMLS single-family sales in 85296.‡
One-year $/sqft change: 4.2%. Three-year: 9.3%.
Percentages sit next to this ZIP's own five-year norm, so a number reads as high or low
for 85296 specifically, not the metro.
Out of the 142 homes that closed in July to September 2026, here is the bedroom count buyers
actually bought. Median 3.0 bathrooms.
CLIFFORDSELLSAZ
2 beds or fewer3%
3 bedrooms43%
4 bedrooms32%
5+ bedrooms22%
Where 85296 sits
The shaded area is ZIP 85296. Streets and highways
stay visible so you can orient yourself. Map data from OpenStreetMap.
Is 85296 expensive right now
Against its own 26-year track record, 85296 is running about 9% hotter than it usually does relative to the rest of the Valley. Sellers are getting a premium. Buyers should know they are paying one. That premium and the buyer's-market call above are not a contradiction. One is about where prices sit, the other is about which way they are being pushed. 85296 re-rated over the past decade, and right now the market is catching its breath, so buyers negotiate hard from a higher base.
Mostly built out. 17,106 homes, with builders still working the last open pockets. Most were built around 2000. 18% of the homes are landlord-owned, which is typical for the Valley.
When 85296 was built
The age profile of the 16,345 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 19600%
1960s0%
1970s1%
1980s3%
1990s45%
2000s27%
2010s17%
2020s6%
Twenty-six years of price history
ZIP 85296Maricopa County
Median sold price per square foot by month,
Jan 2000 to Oct 2026, 3-month smoothed. ARMLS single-family sales.
Over the last 10 years this ZIP appreciated 108%.* In the 2008 crash it drew down 55% peak to trough,† which is the honest measure of how it behaves when the market turns.
Where prices actually land
From 336 sales in the last 6 months (April to September 2026).
Half of everything sold between the 25th and 75th percentile lines.
$/sqft
Sold price
Bottom of the market (p10)
$221
25th percentile
$256
$476,605
Median
$288
$586,340
75th percentile
$329
$780,049
Top of the market (p90)
$368
$/sqft and sold price are each their own ranking of
these 336 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
$309/sqft
33
1,400 to 1,900 sqft
$296/sqft
96
1,900 to 2,600 sqft
$282/sqft
100
Over 2,600 sqft
$278/sqft
107
CLIFFORDSELLSAZ
Where does your home land?
Slide to a price and size. I will place it on 85296's ladder, using the
last 6 months of actual sales.
ENTRYVALUEMIDUPPERPREMIUM
YOUR HOME
$221/sqft$288 median$368/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 85296, and how your
home stacks up. Leave a way to reach you and I will send your street-level
breakdown.
Got it. Your
85296 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
Take your time and negotiate. The data supports it. Leverage score 72 out of 100,
measured against this ZIP's own 26-year history. Days on market sit at the
50th percentile of everything this ZIP has ever done.
Selling here
The data says: price sharp: the first 2 weeks decide it. That comes from how 85296 buyers
are actually behaving this quarter, not a rule of thumb.
Neighborhood profile: 85296
Who provides the power, how common HOAs are, the assigned schools, and what the homes come with. From ARMLS listing data.
Assigned schoolsElementary: Finley Farms, Mesquite Elementary · Middle: Greenfield Junior Hi, Cooley Middle School · High: Gilbert High, Williams Field. Look up ratings at Arizona's school report cards.
HOA96% of homes are in an HOA (median $66/mo).
Electric utilitySRP (94%) territory.
Water source100% on a city or private water utility.
Sewer2% on septic, the rest on a sewer connection (self-reported in listings, so treat as approximate).
Homes & amenities41% have a private pool, 1% gated, 7% on a golf course, 2% have a community pool.
Communities within 85296
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 85296 in Gilbert a buyer's or seller's market right now?
As of July to September 2026, 85296 is a buyer's market. Homes take a median 41 days to sell and 9% close above asking, below the ZIP's ~16% 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 85296 (Gilbert)?
Over the latest three complete months, the median sold price in 85296 is $595K, about $298 per square foot. Across a steadier six-month window it is $586,340, about $288 per square foot — the shorter window moves faster, the longer one is more reliable when a ZIP has fewer sales.
Is 85296 affordable for a first-time buyer?
Entry-level homes in 85296, around the 25th percentile by sold price, start near $476,605 (median $586,340). Separately, the 25th percentile by $/sqft is about $256 — its own ranking of the same sales, since home size varies within any price range.
Is 85296 a good area to buy a rental or investment property?
18% of homes in 85296 are held as long-term rentals, and prices are up 108% over the last 10 years. In the 2008 downturn the area drew down 55% peak to trough, which shows how it behaves when the market turns.
What price will a home in 85296 sell for?
Over the last 6 months, most 85296 homes sold between $476,605 and $780,049, with a median of $586,340. By $/sqft — its own ranking, not necessarily the same sales — the high end (90th percentile) reaches about $368 per square foot.
How fast do homes sell in 85296?
Homes in 85296 take a median 41 days on market and close at 98.8% of list price, with 9% going over asking, as of July to September 2026.
Is 85296 newer or older housing?
Homes in 85296 were built around a median year of 2000, with 1% 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 October 2016 against October 2026 — the same series shown in the chart above.
† 2008 drawdown is peak-to-trough on the smoothed monthly series: the April 2006 peak to the July 2011 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 October 2026 · Updated October 19, 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 Oct 2026) and Maricopa County Assessor public
records. Analysis window July to September 2026. This report describes market conditions in ZIP 85296
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