Chandler, Arizona

Chandler has been recognized in the Playful City USA programs for ten years running. Playful City USA was a recognition program that ran for ten years honoring cities and towns that ensured kids in their communities were getting the balanced and active play they needed.

Many things contributed to Chandler’s recognition as a playful town, including the completion of Roadrunner Park, Centennial, and Valencia parks and the city’s commitment to expanding its parks program for years to come. Amenities in these parks include shaded playgrounds, lighted pathways for nighttime play, sporting courts, and more! Families who’ve always lived here or moved in more recent years LOVE what these parks have added to the communal play aspect of the city. Suburban yards are fine and dandy but getting kids and families together in these booming parks is the best part about living in Chandler.

Let’s be real, we’re talking about the southwest here, so there’s no real escape from warmer months. In Chandler, you’re in for very, very hot summers. We’re talking consistent triple digits and seatbelt buckles that could give you second-degree burns. Unfortunately for recent transplants, this can mean that making friends in the summer, especially in the time of COVID, can be tricky. Most locals go from an air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned store, back to an air-conditioned home (or a friend’s) with a pool on repeat until the temps drop again. Your best bet is to rent an apartment with amenities so you can be social there or have your pool and entice new friends into hanging out at your place!

Chandler is a family friendly, safe area with a lot more activities than your typical suburb. Downtown you can find retail, restaurants, and movie theaters to keep you entertained on your off hours. Chandler is essentially a supped up suburb, so while there might not be the same amount of nightlife as neighboring Phoenix, it’s a perfect place to raise kids and you’ll see everyone out and about when the weather isn’t in the triple digits. Even then, locals say that the summers are tolerable, especially if you can find a home with a pool or friends with a pool so you can stay social and get outside even when the weather is blistering.

Chandler has a mix of people who commute outside the city for work and those who find work inside the city. Intel has one of the biggest presences in the city and is the top employer, ahead of Wells Fargo and the Chandler Unified School District. There are multiple headquarters in Chandler including Keap, Microchip, and Rogers. Despite being so close to Phoenix, the job market within city limits is excellent. The city has been growing job-wise steadily since 2003, even despite the 2008 recession.