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A Great Quality of Life is in the Neighborhood

If you locate your business at Santa Cruz Commerce Center and unless your business is owned by an enrolled member of the Ak‑Chin Indian Community, you and your workforce will be living off-Reservation. Luckily, there are some excellent options nearby. Data collected in the 2016 Labor Market Study for the Ak‑Chin Indian Community shows that existing employers in the Ak‑Chin Indian Community and the City of Maricopa draw their workforce primarily from Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert and Tempe in Maricopa County, and from Casa Grande and the City of Maricopa in Pinal County. Since each city offers different features that may appeal to workers of diverse ages and interests, we have gathered data separately, so you can compare communities side-by-side.

Home to a Wide Variety of Amenities

Quality of life is a concern to businesses that need skilled labor because it often impacts the ability to recruit workers from outside the local area. Ease of commuting, a range of housing options, reasonable cost of living, personal security, education quality and recreational and cultural amenities can all be critical to attracting and retaining a high quality workforce. Some of the top attributes of each community are:

  1. City of Maricopa: The most affordable housing by a significant margin based on local prices and income levels.
  2. Casa Grande: The retail center for Western Pinal County.
  3. Tempe: The most demographically, culturally and racially diverse community.
  4. Chandler: The highest secondary education graduation rates.
  5. Gilbert: The lowest overall crime rates at less than half the metro area average.
  6. Mesa: A high concentration of public and private postsecondary education institutions.
WANT TO INITIATE A PROJECT?

Interested in developing a project at Ak‑Chin? All Submittal Requirements are included in this downloadable PDF.

Quality of Life Data for SCCC Labor Shed Communities

The following data was collected in August 2016 by Applied Economics for the Ak-Chin Industrial Park Board. If you would like to download a copy of the original report, click here for the full PDF.

Population by Age

The size and age structure of a community is important because it usually influences a variety of other factors such as housing, amenities, etc., that appeal to a certain demographic. Mesa is the largest among the surrounding communities with over 460,000 residents. Although a city of this size usually contains a well-rounded mix of younger and older residents, both Mesa and Casa Grande have higher median ages and a significantly larger share of residents over 64. Gilbert, Chandler and Maricopa are family-oriented communities with the highest share of children under 18 and adults in the 35 to 54 (parent) age cohorts, although Gilbert has a slightly younger median age. Tempe is the youngest community, dominated by the presence of ASU students, with a median age of 28 and over 44 percent of its population in the 18 to 34 year age range.

(PLEASE NOTE: Swipe left or right to view entire table on mobile devices.)

Population by Age

Casa Grande Chandler Gilbert Maricopa Mesa Tempe
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Population by Age 51,744 100.0% 255,073 100.0% 242,875 100.0% 48,374 100.0% 460,950 100.0% 172,021 100.0%
  • Under 18
14,178 27.4% 69,635 27.3% 77,957 32.1% 14,270 29.5% 113,394 24.6% 29,072 16.9%
  • 18 to 34 years
9,831 19.0% 59,687 23.4% 53,186 21.9% 11,368 23.5% 111,550 24.2% 76,549 44.5%
  • 35-54 years
12,315 23.8% 78,307 30.7% 73,829 30.4% 13,254 27.4% 113,855 24.7% 35,092 20.4%
  • 55-64 years
6,106 11.8% 25,252 9.9% 20,400 8.4% 5,611 11.6% 51,626 11.2% 16.170 9.4%
  • Over 64 years
9,314 18.0% 22,191 8.7% 17,486 7.2% 3,870 8.0% 70,525 15.3% 15,138 8.8%
Median Age 38.0 34.6 32.6 33.8 35.8 28.0
Source: Arizona Department of Administration, Employment and Population Statistics, July 1, 2015 Population Estimates; Census Bureau American Community Survey 2014-5 Year Data.

Population by Race

Diversity is an appealing factor, particularly for younger workers seeking a more urban environment. Tempe is the most racially diverse community in general, largely due to the university, although Casa Grande has a significantly larger Hispanic population than the other communities.

(PLEASE NOTE: Swipe left or right to view entire table on mobile devices.)

Population by Race

Casa Grande Chandler Gilbert Maricopa Mesa Tempe
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Population by Race 51,744 100.0% 255,073 100.0% 242,875 100.0% 48,374 100.0% 460,950 100.0% 172,021 100.0%
  • White Alone
39,895 77.1% 197,171 77.3% 203,757 83.9% 36,764 76.0% 389,503 84.5% 127,468 74.1%
  • Black or African American
2,639 5.1% 13,009 5.1% 8,014 3.3% 5,176 10.7% 16,133 3.5% 8,945 5.2%
  • American Indian
1,759 3.4% 3,316 1.3% 2,186 0.9% 919 1.9% 10,141 2.2% 4,645 2.7%
  • Asian or Pacific Islander
1,501 2.9% 23,212 9.1% 15,543 6.4% 1,838 3.8% 10,602 2.3% 12,386 7.2%
  • Other Race or Multiple Races
5,951 11.5% 18,365 7.2% 13,357 5.5% 3,676 7.6% 34,571 7.5% 18,578 10.8%
  • Hispanic Origin
19,870 38.4% 60,197 23.6% 37,886 15.6% 10,255 21.2% 123,535 26.8% 38,189 22.2%
Source: Arizona Department of Administration, Employment and Population Statistics, July 1, 2015 Population Estimates; Census Bureau American Community Survey 2014-5 Year Data.

Household Structure

Family and household structure is a strong indicator of the social makeup of a community and the potential fit for different types of workers. Families are defined as related individuals living together, whereas non-family households include singles living alone or multiple un-related individuals living together. Gilbert and Maricopa have the highest share of married couple households and the highest share of married households with children. Over 60 percent of all households in Gilbert and Maricopa are married, whereas about half of households in Casa Grande and Mesa are married households. Casa Grande, Tempe and Mesa have a slightly higher share of single parent households at 18 to 20 percent; whereas Casa Grande and Chandler have a higher share of single person households at about one quarter of total households. Mesa also has an above average share of single-person households, many of them retirees. Tempe has a different household structure all together with over half of households made up of singles or un-related individuals, and only 11 percent of households married with children.

(PLEASE NOTE: Swipe left or right to view entire table on mobile devices.)

Household and Family Structure

Casa Grande Chandler Gilbert Maricopa Mesa Tempe
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Total Households 17,672 100.0% 86,853 100.0% 71,614 100.0% 14,481 100.0% 167,609 100.0% 63,523 100.0%
  • Married‐couple family
9,002 51% 46,074 53% 44,822 63% 8,895 61% 78,316 47% 19,600 31%
    • With children under 18
3,110 18% 22,876 26% 24,643 34% 4,455 31% 29,794 18% 7,286 11%
    • No children under 18
5,892 33% 23,198 27% 20,179 28% 4,440 31% 48,522 29% 12,314 19%
  • Single parent household
3,588 20% 14,623 17% 10,906 15% 2,138 15% 30,833 18% 11,195 18%
    • With children under 18
2,240 13% 8,616 10% 6,618 9% 1,254 9% 17,681 11% 9,095 14%
    • No children under 18
1,348 8% 6,007 7% 4,288 6% 884 6% 13,152 8% 2,100 3%
  • Non-family households
5,082 29% 26,156 30% 15,886 22% 3,448 24% 58,460 35% 32,728 52%
    • Single person households
4,304 24% 20,088 23% 11,549 16% 2,531 17% 46,651 28% 21,110 33%
Average household size 2.83 2.82 3.11 3.13 2.68 2.47
Source: Census Bureau American Community Survey 2014-5 Year Data.

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Latest News

New Hydroponics Operation to Grow its Business at Ak-Chin

On July 19, Ibarra Family Farms broke ground on its first U.S. hydroponic operation at Santa Cruz Commerce Center, the Ak-Chin Indian Community’s industrial park. The wholesale operation will produce leafy greens for farmers markets, supermarkets and local restaurants. Phase1 will consist solely of the installation of a 16,128 SF pre-engineered/pre-fabricated greenhouse manufactured by Cravo […]

What do our enterprise partners say?

Never in our twenty years have we worked with a group so determined for excellence … I am honored to be a part of Ak-Chin’s history and to work with a team of such high character and dedication to growth.

Caesars Entertainment is proud of our 20-year relationship with the Ak-Chin Indian Community. As the only tribal gaming enterprise in Arizona with an international management partner, we value and commend the Community’s continued commitment to bringing quality entertainment to the Valley.

With a shared heritage in farming, Ak-Chin and Hickman’s have cultivated a strong partnership. In an environment committed to product excellence, long-term environmental sustainability, and high standards for food safety, our business has been able to grow and expand.

The Ak-Chin Indian Community has been a tremendous partner for Troon Golf. Their support in making substantial investments in Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club has created a wonderful asset of immense value not only to the Ak-Chin community but for the golf community as a whole. Their vision of elevating the facility to national prominence demonstrates the strong commitment they have for the project.