Tempe, AZ
What Tempe is actually like
Tempe's origin traces to 1871, when Charles Trumbull Hayden, a Tucson merchant, built a flour mill, store, and ferry crossing on the Salt River at the base of a butte later named for him. Hispanic families had already been farming and running irrigation canals nearby, founding the settlement of San Pablo in 1872. The two communities merged in 1879 under the name Tempe, suggested by English pioneer "Lord" Darrell Duppa, who thought the butte and river valley resembled Greece's Vale of Tempe. The Territorial Normal School opened in 1885 — the seed of Arizona State University — and the Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad arrived in 1887, cementing Tempe as a regional trade center.
Today Tempe is home to Arizona State University's main campus, with roughly 190,000 residents as of 2025 and a population that skews young — students, recent grads, and university employees fill dense apartment and condo development around Mill Avenue, Tempe Town Lake, and the light rail line. South and east of campus, the city shifts to single-family subdivisions built from the 1960s through 1990s. Tempe carries a reputation as the Valley's densest, most walkable inner suburb, with the streetcar and light rail knitting downtown to ASU, Mill Avenue's bars and restaurants, and the Tempe Town Lake waterfront, a reclaimed stretch of the Salt River channel.
Home values in Tempe
Zillow Home Value Index put the typical home value in Tempe at $467,863 as of June 2026, down 1.3% year-over-year.
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Explore Specialty Resources →Getting around
Valley Metro Rail's light rail line runs through central Tempe with multiple stations (including Veterans Way/College Avenue, Smith-Martin, McClintock/Rio Salado, and Priest Drive), connecting to downtown Phoenix and Mesa. Tempe also operates the separate Tempe Streetcar (Valley Metro's S Line), an 8-station, roughly 3-mile streetcar loop opened in 2022 linking ASU, Mill Avenue, and the Marina Heights/Rio Salado area.
Neighborhood FAQ
Does Tempe have light rail?
Yes — Valley Metro Rail runs through central Tempe, and the city also has its own Tempe Streetcar (S Line), an 8-station loop connecting ASU and Mill Avenue.
What school district serves Tempe?
Most of Tempe is split between Tempe Elementary School District (K-8) and Tempe Union High School District (9-12).
How far is Tempe from downtown Phoenix?
About 9 miles, roughly a 15-20 minute drive via I-10.
What's the median home value in Tempe?
Zillow's Home Value Index put Tempe's typical home value at $467,863 as of June 2026, down about 1.3% year-over-year.
Nearby alternatives*
Downtown Phoenix
About 9 miles southeast via I-10, typically 15-20 minutes. Redfin puts Downtown Phoenix's median sale price at $391,228, below Tempe's $467,863. Downtown Phoenix is also on the Valley Metro Rail line.
Mesa
About 7 miles east via Main Street or US-60, typically 12-15 minutes. Zillow puts Mesa's typical home value at $433,754, below Tempe's $467,863. Mesa is also on the Valley Metro Rail line.
Ahwatukee
About 8 miles north via I-10, around South Mountain, typically 15-18 minutes. Redfin puts Ahwatukee's median sale price at $535,000, above Tempe's $467,863. Ahwatukee doesn't have direct light rail access, relying on Valley Metro buses instead.
*We're not ranking these — every neighborhood has real trade-offs, and which ones matter is up to you.