A major reason for this reputation is emphasis placed on the development requirements which set high standards to ensure quality development and planned growth. The result is a distinctively pleasing community in which to live, work and play. You may also want to view our Tempe Statistics Page and a 1998 Citizen Evaluation of the City of Tempe. According to a recent survey that measures the cost of government services associated with property tax, sales tax, water and sewer charges, and refuse collection fees, Tempe ranks as the least expensive community in which to live of the eight largest cities in the metropolitan Phoenix area.
Quality of services provided are also excellent and consistently measured through citizen surveys .
Tempe has an outstanding educational system and a well-educated population. The Tempe Statistics Page has information on Tempeans' educational attainment and characteristics of our labor force . The housing market in Tempe offers a wide variety of choices to suit individual needs. The City's Neighborhood Program works with more than 45 neighborhood associations and 60 homeowners associations to preserve the character of our older neighborhoods and help our newer ones age gracefully. The City of Tempe has become the cultural heart of the Valley.