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Incorporated
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1937
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2007 Population
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104,895
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Size
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93Sq. Mi.
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Media Age
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36
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- Average Home Sold: $152,547
- Number sold: 2,001
- Average days on market; 108
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Homer Ludden subdivided the rural square mile parcel in 1937, founding the town of Surprise. Homer named the town after his Nebraska hometown. The town was originally named "El Mirage 2". Surprise is the Spring Training home of Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers. Surprise population increased 333% between 1990 and 2000. That growth, has resulted in a new home being completed here every three hours, and the projected population by 2030 is estimated to be 360,000, of course pending the results of the 2008/09 recession which has slowed that growth to almost zero.
Surprise during the 2004-2007 time period averaged 50 new residents each day! Some of the new Master Planned Communities that are on the development horizon are:
- Austin Ranch, 2,240 homes on 850 acres.
- Fox Trail, 3,000 homes on 865 acres.
- Rio Rancho, 863 homes on 183 acres.
- Pinnacle Peak Canyon Estates, 561 homes on 370 acres.
- Sycamore Farms, 1,177 homes on 637 acres.
- Astante, 6,703 homes on 1508 acres.
- Sierra Verde, 778 homes
- Sarah Ann Ranch, 960 homes.
Downtown Surprise, now called Surprise Center, features town services, library, recreation, aquatic center, offices, shops, restaurants, entertainment, and the multi-purpose Major League Baseball training facility (Spring training home of the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers). There are eight public golf courses in Surprise. Prasada will be the largest Mall in the west valley, and it will be located in Surprise. The car-dealer portion of the mall is expected to open in 2009 with the main mall building delayed until the economy starts growing again. Burlington Northern Santa Fe purchased 633 acres near the Chrysler Proving Grounds for a future Logistics Center, and Surprise is now home to both the West Valley Art Museum and the Heard Museum West.
2009 Updated Real Estate info for this city:
