Step inside the richest city in Arizona, where wealthy Californians are flocking for private mountainside estates
- Wealthy Californians are moving to Paradise Valley for large lots and lower taxes.
- I visited Paradise Valley in April and found sprawling mountainside estates.
- With privacy and easy access to Phoenix, it's easy to see why billionaires want to live there.
In Paradise Valley, Arizona, millionaires can feel like they live in the middle of nowhere — and get to the airport in 20 minutes.
They may spend their days in the desert paradise golfing at exclusive, members-only clubs, shopping at high-end stores nearby, or lounging poolside on their sprawling, secluded estates.
Sometimes called the "Beverly Hills of Arizona," the Phoenix suburb is the richest town in the state and has long drawn high-profile residents. And over the past decade, Paradise Valley has become even more popular for wealthy Californians who are swapping out the West Coast life for large lots and lower taxes in the Arizona wealth enclave.
Longtime Paradise Valley real-estate agent Shawn Shackelton told Business Insider that her clients are typically C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, medical professionals, or retirees.
I visited Paradise Valley for the first time in April to get a taste of the luxury desert lifestyle.
Paradise Valley is sandwiched between the tech hub of Phoenix and the wealthy suburb of Scottsdale.
The town lines the bases of Camelback and Mummy mountains, giving residents stellar natural views.
As Phoenix and Scottsdale rapidly developed over the second half of the 20th century, Paradise Valley was established on 15.4 square miles of land between them, according to the town's website. The purpose? So, the primarily residential area could serve as an escape from the cities filled with businesses, shops, and a hustling work culture.
Of the 14,000 residents, 95% are homeowners, and the average local makes $220,000 a year, BI previously reported.
According to Realtor.com, the median home listing price is $5 million, and the most expensive home on the market is $50 million.
AZ Central reported that popular musicians like Alice Cooper and Alicia Keys have also bought homes in Paradise Valley.
The town draws billionaire residents, too, like Bennett Dorrance, the Campbell Soup heir.
Shackleton told BI that many of her clients move to Paradise Valley because it's just 15 to 20 minutes away from Phoenix's business neighborhoods, Downtown Scottsdale's luxury department stores, and the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
When I visited Paradise Valley, I hoped to walk from one neighborhood to the next, but it's not realistic. The homes are far apart — especially the most expensive estates, which I noticed were at higher elevations than lower-price point homes.
Paradise Valley's lot sizes typically range between one and 27 acres, Shackleton said in a YouTube video.
This makes Paradise Valley ideal for those who want a big, one-story home
"Some people are coming from big cities where they're used to having two-story houses and small yards. And here we have the ability to have single-level homes," she said. "If you go single-level, or ranch, as most people call it, then that means a little bit more land and a higher price point."
Although primarily residential, Paradise Valley didn't look like a typical suburban town. Rather than streets lined with cookie-cutter homes, the town had diverse architectural styles, from modern estates to traditional Southwestern adobe structures.
According to Shackleton, real-estate zoning laws are looser in Paradise Valley than in nearby cities like Scottsdale. There are only a few organized neighborhood communities that require homes to be built using specific models.
The most expensive homes in Paradise Valley offer privacy from their neighbors, making it easy to see the appeal for high-profile residents.
"When you get up into the higher price points, many of the houses in Paradise Valley are individually gated," Shackleton said. "Some like the feeling of being their own private estate."