Surprise, Arizona
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| Missing image Surprise_in_Maricopa_County_map.png Location of Surprise, Arizona, within Maricopa County | ||||||
| County | Maricopa County, Arizona | |||||
| Area - Total - Water | 180.0 km² (69.5 mi²) 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) 0.03% | |||||
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| Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7 | |||||
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Latitude
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33°39'6' N | |||||
| City of Surprise Official Website (http://www.surpriseaz.com/) | ||||||
Surprise is a city located in Maricopa County, Arizona. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 30,848. As of 2004, the population is estimated at about 75,000 according to municipal government sources.
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History
The city was founded in 1937 by real estate developer and state legislator Homer C. Ludden, who named it after his hometown of Surprise, Nebraska. Although there were only a few houses and a gas station on the one-mile-square parcel of land when Ludden subdivided it to build inexpensive houses for agricultural workers, Surprise has experienced tremendous growth in the years since.
Tens of thousands of retirees moved to the city in the 1990s and early 2000s to live in Sun City Grand, an age-restricted resort-like community, with homes built by the property development firm Del Webb. (Surprise is about five miles northwest of Del Webb's original Sun City development.)
Since it opened in 1996, Sun City Grand has become a large contributor to the city's population, which more than quadrupled from 10,187 to about 75,000, according to the city government's website (http://www.surpriseaz.com/index.asp?NID=2) in 2004. (The city's population is now considerably larger than Ludden's hometown, which had a population of 44 in the 2000 United States Census.) With a new home completed about every three hours, the Arizona city's population is expected to reach 80,000 by the end of 2005, and to double in the next decade, according to the city. Thirty-two of the state's top 50 homebuilders cater to new homebuyers, who are attracted by the city's modestly-priced homes, its relative proximity to Phoenix, and by the property taxes, which the city claims are among the lowest in the state.
Geography
Surprise is located at 33°39'6" North, 112°23'50" West (33.651785, -112.397197)Template:GR. It is about 20 miles northwest of Phoenix.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 180.0 km² (69.5 mi²). 180.0 km² (69.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.03% water.
Professional Sports
Surprise_Stadium.jpg
The city is also the spring training home of the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers baseball teams.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 30,848 people, 12,484 households, and 9,725 families residing in the city. The population density is 171.4/km² (443.9/mi²). There are 16,260 housing units at an average density of 90.3/km² (234.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 85.97% White, 2.61% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 7.87% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. 23.29% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 12,484 households out of which 21.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.5% are married couples living together, 5.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% are non-families. 17.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 2.75.
In the city the population is spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 46 years. For every 100 females there are 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $44,156, and the median income for a family is $47,899. Males have a median income of $33,079 versus $26,347 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,451. 8.7% of the population and 5.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.7% of those under the age of 18 and 3.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
| Regions of Arizona | 
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|---|---|
| North Central Arizona | Northern Arizona | Phoenix metropolitan area | Southern Arizona | |
| Largest cities | |
| Apache Junction | Avondale | Bullhead City | Casas Adobes | Catalina Foothills | Chandler | Flagstaff | Gilbert | Glendale | Lake Havasu City | Mesa | Nogales | Payson | Peoria | Phoenix | Prescott | Scottsdale | Sierra Vista | Sun City | Surprise | Tempe | Tombstone | Tucson | Yuma | |
| Counties | |
| Apache | Cochise | Coconino | Gila | Graham | Greenlee | La Paz | Maricopa | Mohave | Navajo | Pima | Pinal | Santa Cruz | Yavapai | Yuma |