Community Trends and Profile

Incorporated 1881

Form of government Council-Manager

Population (fifth largest city in United States) 1,421,298
(as of Sept. 30, 2004)

Area (in square miles) 514
(larger than Los Angeles)

Average annual temperature (Fahrenheit) 72.6

Average precipitation in inches 7.66

Average number of days of sunshine per year 325

Moody's (bond rating) Aa1

Did you know...

Phoenix covers more than 514 square miles and has a population of 1.4 million, ranking it the fifth largest city in the country.

Phoenix is a premier destination, with more than 300 sun-filled days a year and average temperature of 74 degrees.

More than 50 percent of the population is between 18 and 54 years of age, which is younger than the national average.
In January 2000, after a yearlong, in-depth study of management efficiency by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Phoenix was the only city among the nation’s 35 largest urban centers to earn an overall grade of “A.” Phoenix also was named the “Best Run City in the World” in 1993 by the Carl Bertelsmann Foundation and has earned numerous other awards for efficient government operations.
The greater Phoenix area is a $50 billion marketplace driven by technology. World-leading companies such as Intel, Avnet, Motorola, AlliedSignal, Honeywell and Boeing Company have chosen Phoenix for their corporate and regional headquarters.
Industry giants such as STMicroelectronics, American Express, Phelps Dodge, Sumitomo Sitix, Prudential, Charles Schwab and Mayo Clinic have major operations in Phoenix.

Bonds and Taxes

Standard & Poor's (bond rating) AA+

City sales tax rate 1.8%

City property tax rate
   (Per $100 of assessed valuation) $1.82

Aviation

Number of airports 3

Passengers enplaned and deplaned 35,500,000

Takeoffs and landings 2001 (includes general aviation) 561,000

Did you know...

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the fifth busiest in the U.S. and the world for passenger traffic for takeoffs and landings, handling more than 36 million travelers in 2000.

The airport serves more than 100 cities with non-stop flights, and British Airways, Air Canada and Lufthansa are among carriers providing international flights to destinations such as London, Toronto, Mexico and Frankfurt, Germany.

Fire and Police

Sworn Firefighters 1,375

Fire stations
   (Includes temporary station 49) 47

Sworn Police officers 2,734

Police briefing stations 8

Housing/Human Services

Federally assisted housing units 7,364

Senior centers 17

Reserve-a-Ride transportation
   (elderly and disabled clients served) 162,139

Family service centers 5

Head Start classroom sites 74

Head Start classrooms 163

Senior Companions 94

Phoenix Workforce Connection employment
and training placements (2003-04 figures) 1783

Libraries

Libraries 14

Library books and audio visual materials 2,178,625

Library card holders 977,507

Annual circulation 12,264,467

Annual visitors 4,276,266

Parks and Recreation

Total acreage (includes Mountains Preserve) 37,188

Parks cleaned and maintained 207

Mountain parks 7

Municipal golf courses (five 18-hole/ three 9-hole) 8

Miles of bicycle pathways 412

Municipal swimming pools 29

Municipal tennis courts 136

Public Transit

Bus fleet 464

Average daily ridership 118,225

Miles of ServiceAnnually 15,792,000

Dial-a-Ride vehicles 113

Dial-a-Ride service hours annually 295,000

Solid Waste Management

Residences served 294,291

Residential solid waste collected annually (tons) 567,000

Residential solid waste disposed at city landfills (tons) 519,755

Material collected through recycling program (tons)
   (100,000 participating households) 436,383

Street Transportation

Miles of street 4,675

Signalized intersections 978

Left-turn arrows 1,179

Water Services

Number of water connections 363,000

Water production (billion gallons annually) 103.1

Water treatment plants 5

Wastewater treatment (billion gallons annually)
   (Total treated for Phoenix and surrounding areas) 66.2

Wastewater treatment plants 2

Water reclamation plants 1

Other

Civic Plaza
   Convention Center, 340,000-square-feet
   Theater-style seating in Ballroom for 3,800
    Symphony Hall, 2,500 seating capacity
1

Did you know...

Located in the heart of downtown’s Copper Square, the Phoenix Civic Plaza is a 24-acre facility that has hosted national and regional conventions, trade shows, consumer events and theatrical productions since 1972. It has accommodated more than 35 million people, playing host to an average of 540 events annually.

The plaza is surrounded by more than 95 restaurants, top hotels, retail shops, a 24-screen movie theatre complex, history, science and cultural museums, US Airways Center and Chase Field Ballpark – all within walking distance. Sports teams that play in Copper Square include the Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), Phoenix Suns (NBA), Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) and Arizona Rattlers (AFL).
The $600 million expansion of the Phoenix Civic Plaza will triple the amount of rentable space, positioning Phoenix as a top destination for 85 percent of all conventions. New buildings open in 2006 and 2008, followed by interior renovations of the existing South building. When expansion is completed, the Phoenix Convention Center will provide a spacious, high-tech and client-friendly facility with approximately 900,000 square feet.

Orpheum Theatre, 1,400 seating capacity 1

Cricket Pavilion
   (year-round open-air amphitheater capacity) 1
18,000

Phoenix Zoo
   more than 300 species
   more than 1,300 animals
   more than 150 endangered animals 1

Hotels and resorts
   with 21,272 rooms
   first-class/full service facilities with 40
   or more rooms 83