Living in Gilbert, Arizona

What It's Actually Like Living in Gilbert, AZ

Gilbert started out as a farming town, and even though it's grown into one of the largest towns in Arizona, that agricultural history still shows up in small ways, old grain silos, the annual Gilbert Days rodeo, and street names that reference the citrus and cotton fields that used to cover the area. Today, most of Gilbert is made up of planned residential communities built from the 1990s through today, with newer development continuing to push toward the south end of town near the San Tan Freeway.

The heart of it, both literally and in terms of identity, is the Heritage District downtown, a walkable few blocks of restored early-1900s buildings now filled with restaurants, breweries, and small shops, anchored by the Gilbert Water Tower. Outside of downtown, the town is organized into a grid of master-planned communities, many built around lakes, parks, or golf, with HOAs that maintain common areas and amenities.

Moving to Gilbert Arizona typically means trading a shorter commute for more space, a newer home, and a more suburban pace of life. It's a common landing spot for families relocating to the Phoenix metro who want good schools and a sense of neighborhood, without being as far out as some of the newer development in Queen Creek or San Tan Valley to the south.