Anthem

Welcome to Anthem

Community Summary

A master-planned community in the I-17 corridor of northern Maricopa County, roughly 30–35 miles north of downtown Phoenix, at the base of Daisy Mountain near Gavilan Peak. It was developed by Del Webb Corporation: land was acquired in 1991, planning began in 1995, construction started in February 1998, and the first homes sold beginning in 1999. Del Webb Corporation was later acquired by Pulte Homes in a 2001 corporate merger — that merger occurred after Anthem's initial development and sales had already begun, so Pulte is best described as a successor builder entity rather than a co-founder of the community.

Anthem is a U.S. Census-designated place (CDP) spanning ZIP codes 85086 and 85087. Note: Anthem is not entirely unincorporated — the western portion of the community lies within Phoenix city limits, while the eastern portion is unincorporated Maricopa County.

The master-planned footprint covers approximately 5,856–5,860 acres (sources vary slightly), with the broader Census CDP boundary covering 7.92 sq mi. Roughly 36% of the community is preserved as open space, with about 52% residential and 11% mixed-use per the original master plan. 2020 Census population for the Anthem CDP: 23,190.

Note: A separate, unrelated community called "Sun City Anthem" (and other "Anthem"-branded neighborhoods such as Anthem Country Club, Coventry, Solera, Anthem Highlands, Terra Bella) exists in Henderson, Nevada, managed by a similarly named but distinct entity. This sheet covers Anthem, Arizona only.

Sources: Wikipedia – Anthem, Arizona · ULI Case Study C033018 · Las Vegas Sun – Pulte to acquire Del Webb

Sub-Communities & Neighborhoods

Anthem is governed by an umbrella entity, the Anthem Community Council (ACC), with two primary member associations plus one condominium association:

• Anthem Country Club (ACCCA – Anthem Country Club Community Association): a guard-gated, golf-oriented side of the community, home to Anthem Golf & Country Club.
• Anthem Parkside (APCA – Anthem Parkside Community Association): the non-gated side of the community, split geographically by I-17 into an east side (home to The Village at Anthem condominiums and The Landings, a gated enclave built 2003–2004) and a west side (home to newer sections including Circle Mountain and Arroyo Grande, separated by the New River wash).
• The Village at Anthem (VACCC): a condominium council of co-owners located within Parkside.

Sources: Anthem Community Council – Country Club (ACCCA) · Anthem Community Council – Parkside (APCA) · Anthem Community Council – The Village (VACCC) · All About Anthem – The Landings

Officially confirmed neighborhood/park pairings (via Anthem Community Council's own facility listings — each name pair corresponds to a residential neighborhood and its associated neighborhood park):

Heritage/Crockett, Opus/Parker, Jubilation/Acadia, Aurora/Hemingway, Laurel/Denali, Allegro/Desert Creek, Legend/Lost Legend, Enchantment/Oakhurst, Desert Terrace/Ravina, Arroyo Grande/Carpenter, Circle Mountain/Deer Hollow, Desert Highlands/Old West, Ashton/Hastings.

Source: Anthem Community Council – Facilities index

Note on age restrictions: No part of Anthem, Arizona carries a verified official age-restricted (55+/HOPA) designation. A third-party listing site categorizes Anthem Country Club under a "55+" filter, but that same listing's own detail explicitly states "Age restrictions: No Age Restrictions." Anthem should not be described as age-restricted or a retirement community.

Excluded/unverified: A set of additional neighborhood/park name pairs (Inspirations/King Park, Inspirations/Thoreau Park, Traditions/Exploration Park, Legacy/Adventure Park, Reunion/Yorktown Park, Tapestry/Steinbeck Park) appears on an unofficial resident trails site but could not be cross-verified against the official Anthem Community Council domain — excluded pending direct confirmation. A commonly referenced "Big Loop / Little Loop" walking trail system could not be verified from any source, official or secondary, and is excluded. No official RV parking amenity operated by the Anthem Community Council or either HOA was found; nearby RV storage is a private commercial service, not a community amenity.

Market Stats (Annual)

Full calendar-year data, refreshed once a year. Source link

Anthem | Altos report: Anthem, AZ 85086

Schools

Anthem is served by Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD).

Note: New River Elementary School is sometimes described as "Anthem-area," but its physical address is in New River, AZ, not Anthem proper. Great Hearts Anthem (Anthem Preparatory Academy, K–12 charter) and North Valley Christian Academy (private, PreK–8/12) are both commonly described as Anthem schools, but carry "Phoenix" mailing addresses in directory listings despite ZIP codes that overlap Anthem — their location relative to the Anthem CDP boundary should be map-verified before being stated as "in Anthem."

Sources: Wikipedia – Deer Valley Unified School District

Dining

Outlets North Phoenix (formerly "Outlets at Anthem," renamed March 30, 2023 by owner Craig Realty Group) — 4250 W. Anthem Way, Phoenix, AZ 85086. Open-air outlet center with 55+ stores including Ann Taylor, Calvin Klein, Coach, Columbia, Gap, Guess, Levi's, Michael Kors, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Skechers, Tommy Hilfiger, Under Armour, and Vans. This center is also home to Arizona's annual tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree display (see Annual Community Events). A current, complete restaurant/dining tenant list for this specific center could not be independently verified and is not included.

Sources: ABC15 – renamed to Outlets North Phoenix · Craig Realty Group – Outlets North Phoenix

Anthem Marketplace — 3655 W Anthem Way, Anthem, AZ. Neighborhood shopping center anchored by Safeway, with confirmed tenants including McDonald's, Taco Bell, Subway, Baskin-Robbins, Wells Fargo, MidFirst Bank, Verizon, T-Mobile, Great Clips, State Farm Insurance, PostNet, Leslie's Pools, Edward Jones, Foothills Sports Medicine, and Barro's Pizza.

Sources: Safeway store locator · TenantBase – Anthem Marketplace

Other grocery: Fry's Food and Drug (39508 N Daisy Mountain Dr) and Walmart Supercenter #5329 (4435 W Anthem Way).

Sources: RxSpark · Walmart store page

Standalone restaurants confirmed in Anthem: The Tennessee Grill (BBQ); By the Bucket – Anthem (Italian/pasta), 41111 N Daisy Mountain Dr; Rosati's Pizza – Anthem.

Sources: The Tennessee Grill · By the Bucket – Facebook · Rosati's Pizza – Anthem

Anthem Golf & Country Club (private, member/guest access, located within the gated Anthem Country Club sub-community) — operated by Invited Clubs (ClubCorp). Two 18-hole courses (Persimmon Course and Ironwood Course); two on-site dining venues, Barrel House and Persimmon Bar & Grille.

Source: Invited Clubs – Anthem Golf & Country Club

Annual Community Events

Note: this calendar is partial. Verified, sourced annual events were found for March, May, June, July, October, and November. No verified Anthem-specific community events were found for January, February, April, August, September, or December — these months are left blank rather than filled with unverified events.

Churches and Community Centers

Anthem Community Center — 41130 N Freedom Way, Anthem, AZ 85086. Amenities include fitness classes and personal training, indoor basketball and volleyball courts, outdoor sand volleyball and tennis courts, a 14-court pickleball complex, a rock-climbing wall, and supervised childcare for ages 6 months–12 years. Seasonal outdoor aquatics (hours posted seasonally, not year-round).

Source: Anthem Community Council – Community Center

Churches with a confirmed Anthem, AZ street address:

This is not represented as an exhaustive directory of every denomination in Anthem — only churches with a confirmed street address are listed.

Parks and Recreation

Anthem Community Park — 41703 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway, Anthem, AZ 85086 (approx. 63 acres). Verified amenities: Big Splash Water Park (seasonal) and Adventure Playground splash pad; a lap pool with diving well; four lighted softball fields, three Little League fields, and four multi-use soccer fields; tennis, pickleball, basketball, sand volleyball, and bocce courts; Legacy Amphitheater; catch-and-release fishing (upper and lower lakes); the Daisy Mountain Railroad miniature train; the SK8 & Ride skate park; scenic walking/biking paths and shaded ramadas; and the Anthem Veterans Memorial.

Sources: All About Anthem – Anthem Community Park · Wikipedia – Anthem, Arizona

Anthem Veterans Memorial — dedicated in 2011; five white pillars representing each branch of the U.S. armed forces, surrounded by 2,200 inscribed paving stones. On Veterans Day (Nov. 11), sunlight passing through elliptical openings in the pillars illuminates the Great Seal of the United States at approximately 11:11 a.m. MST.

Source: Wikipedia – Anthem Veterans Memorial

Neighborhood parks — the Anthem Community Council maintains numerous smaller neighborhood parks, generally named for/paired with the residential neighborhood each serves (full verified list under Sub-Communities & Neighborhoods, above).

Source: Anthem Community Council – Facilities index

Daisy Mountain — a natural landmark within/adjacent to Anthem with public trail access (routes of approximately 3.4–6.6 miles depending on trailhead).

Source: citylifestyle.com – hiking around Anthem

Frequently Asked Questions

What school district serves Anthem? Anthem is served by Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD). DVUSD schools with a physical Anthem address include Anthem School, Gavilan Peak School, Diamond Canyon School, Canyon Springs STEM Academy, and Boulder Creek High School.

Is Anthem a gated community? Anthem has two primary sides governed by separate homeowners associations: Anthem Country Club, which is guard-gated and centered on Anthem Golf & Country Club, and Anthem Parkside, which is not gated as a whole (though it includes one gated enclave, The Landings, and a condominium association, The Village at Anthem).

Is Anthem an age-restricted or retirement community? No. No part of Anthem, Arizona carries a verified official age-restricted (55+) designation.

What shopping and dining are available in Anthem? Anthem is home to Outlets North Phoenix (an open-air outlet shopping center, formerly named Outlets at Anthem), the Safeway-anchored Anthem Marketplace, Fry's Food and Drug, and a Walmart Supercenter, along with standalone restaurants including The Tennessee Grill, By the Bucket, and Rosati's Pizza.

What is the Anthem Veterans Memorial? A memorial dedicated in 2011 at Anthem Community Park honoring the five branches of the U.S. armed forces, known for a Veterans Day sunlight alignment effect and an annual Veterans Day concert and ceremony held on-site.