One of the interesting, and we think cool things about Gilbert is its insistence both philosophically and legally that it is a town and NOT a city. In fact, it is the most populous town in the entire U.S.of A. Why is this important or a good thing? Because Gilbert which is technically a suburb of Phoenix doesn’t want to be seen as a boring appendage of a bigger city and it isn’t so hungry to be a CITY that it stakes its claim on that status -- quite the opposite. That civic pride in being distinct and intimate feels important in a world of mindlessly growth-oriented suburbs and cities.

Now just being a town isn’t necessarily something to celebrate. Instead, what seems magical about Gilbert is how it maintains a small community energy but with a growing population. This is done in part through a vibrant series of events, mostly free, that bring everyone together in the town square. This includes a three-day festival called Gilbert Days, that celebrates the paving of Gilbert Road through downtown. Gilbert Days festivities include a carnival, a 5k and 1k run and an appearance of Santa himself. If they do that for the paving of the main street road imagine what they do the rest of the year!

Here's a passionate local with a pov on the town: *Gilbert is a wonderful place to live. It's my favorite place in the valley.
Yeah, it's not the greatest if you are young and want an active bar/club life. There might not be any in Gilbert (dunno; not my scene). But it's low-key, family friendly, has the best overall school district in the state, a responsive city government, relatively well situated, and lots of houses in lots of price ranges.*


We Ain’t No CITY!

Best Part About Gilbert? 

Come on, it’s Arizona. You had to know this was coming. If you aren’t up for extreme heat from May through September, when the redline crosses 100 degrees many days, then steer clear. That said, we should note that the people who live here are not immune to the heat, they’re just smart about it. Get stuff done in the morning, hide in the air conditioning in the afternoon and then get out again at night when it cools off a bit. 

Here's a summary of the cons of Gilbert from a local: *The smells (and blowing dirt right now with frequent construction) are fairly prominent in E Gilbert (Power/Recker). Another thing to watch out for is noise levels where there are lots of bars. I lived downtown for a few years until recently and Whiskey Row made it a nightmare. Certain pockets of East/southeast are poised to become destinations for stuff like that too.*


Sweltering Heat

Worst Part About Gilbert? 

We talked earlier about the town-like vibe of Gilbert that manifests in lots of family-friendly communal activities. They certainly contribute to a warm lifestyle for the mostly families that live here. 

Gilbert also has lots of parks for your kiddo’s recreation, and it’s a biker’s dream-town with a Central Trail System with over 135 miles of hiking and biking trails. It also has a skate park, an observatory, a Trapeze artist training facility, and for god’s sake a Wakeboard park. Who knew that was even a thing? It has such an interesting blend of things to do for just a “town” that your lifestyle here is going to include the options of a full-blown city but in the wrapper of a much smaller place. 


Lifestyle of Gilbert

Gilbert is only 25 or so minutes from Phoenix so plenty of residents commute into the big city -- at least they did pre-pandemic. Those working locally tend to work in either education or healthcare with some tech thrown in for good measure. The school districts are big employers as are local healthcare companies including Banner Health and Dignity Health. 

Historically Gilbert has been more of a commuter city for Phoenix workers but the appeal of low housing prices, a great school system and compelling lifestyle are likely to pull in plenty of remote/wfh, pandemic movers. 


Workstyle of Gilbert

Gilbert feels like a dream target for pandemic movers who want to escape California, Austin, Denver or any other place where prices have stretched beyond their budgets and want to settle down in someplace pleasant without the higher price tags. This might be particularly true if you’re looking for a generally more conservative population than some of the aforementioned states or cities possess. Gilbert was already growing at a fast pace pre-pandemic and we expect that pace to pick up speed as remote work becomes perennially available. 


Economical Living

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Gilbert has historically not been a great place for young professionals but there are some signs of that changing. Downtown has expanded housing options for youngsters looking for a good walkscore to some kind of nightlife but that want to pay less than Phoenix or Scottsdale prices. We would encourage you to live in those bigger cities unless you’re ready for a quieter scene, however perhaps you’re ready to save some dough and just head into the big cities when the mood strikes you? There are converted lofts and apartment buildings downtown we’d recommend checking out first if you check out Gilbert. 
- Downtown/Old Town
- SanTan


Young Professionals

While there are lots of fancy neighborhoods in Gilbert the city’s heart is middle-class and you have several choices like Morrison Ranch and Agritopia that are primarily craftsman homes, a bit closer together and ideal for younger families. There are also some newer cluster home communities, like Cooley Station, with less expensive options, ideal for first time homebuyers 
Morrison Ranch
- Agritopia
- Cooley Station
- Finley Farms
- Power Ranch


Young Families

As mentioned there are lots of neighborhoods with bigger, fancier digs for the growing families who need more room and yard for older kids to spread their recreational wings. Many of these have been built on man-made lakes so you can take the boat out for a cruise. Plenty are also built on golf course for those who want that country club lifestyle. 
- Val Vista Lakes
- Seville
- The Islands


Established Families

Arizona is ground zero for western retirees. Gilbert and the Phoenix Metro serves this community well with friendly neighborhoods and plenty of 55+ retirement neighborhoods and communities. Given the closeness of the suburban cities in Phoenix metro most people will start with the facility before thinking about the city/town but considering Gilbert ranks #46 on Money's 2020-2021 Best Places to Live Rankings perhaps starting here is a good choice.
- Encanterra 
- The Links Estates

Retirees

Gilbert

**Moving to area**

Yes, Gilbert is extremely desirable and a great place to raise a family. The only downside is how many people are figuring this out. It is the cleanest, most well organized, and manicured curry I have ever seen in my life or that I have lived in

Edit: city not Curry 😭😂

**Moving to area**

Pretty much all of Gilbert is safe, dont worry about that.

The smells (and blowing dirt right now with frequent construction) are fairly prominent in E Gilbert (Power/Recker). Another thing to watch out for is noise levels where there are lots of bars. I lived downtown for a few years until recently and Whiskey Row made it a nightmare. Certain pockets of East/southeast are poised to become destinations for stuff like that too.

Morrison ranch is nice though.

What another said about proximity to work is 110% true. A 15-mile commute can turn into an hour easily.

**I want to move to Gilbert**

Yeesh, such anger towards Gilbert. Don't listen to them -- Gilbert is a wonderful place to live. It's my favorite place in the valley.

Yeah, it's not the greatest if you are young and want an active bar/club life. There might not be any in Gilbert (dunno; not my scene). But it's low-key, family friendly, has the best overall school district in the state, a responsive city government, relatively well situated, and lots of houses in lots of price ranges.

As far as Mormons go... it's nothing to worry about. They don't have the clout that they do in Utah, so they can't really impose themselves on people. As a result, you get the best part of Mormons (they are really nice people) without all of the bad (pushy pushy pushy).

**I want to move to Gilbert.**

Why? There's nothing there, it costs more to live there than neighboring citys, and the houses are all built within arms reach of each other. I would recommend living in Tempe or Mesa if you want to live in that part of the valley. Only a 10 minute commute by car, or half hour by bus, gets you into a part of town that isn't a "bedroom community".

Gilbert, Arizona

Kindness?

Looklyloo Score: 82

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What's it like to live in Gilbert?