Moving Guide to Tempe (2026): The North Tempe Professional Corridor and the Valley’s Most Walkable Urban Submarket

Tempe is two cities inside one set of city limits. The southern half is dominated by Arizona State University — 70,000-plus students, the largest university campus in the United States by enrollment, a residential and commercial market shaped by student housing demand and the rhythms of the academic calendar. The northern half — particularly the corridor running between Tempe Town Lake and the Scottsdale border, anchored by State Farm’s Marina Heights campus and the Hayden Ferry Lakeside development — has emerged over the past decade as the Phoenix metro’s most walkable urban professional submarket below Old Town Scottsdale. KB Home announced in April 2026 that it is relocating its corporate headquarters from Los Angeles to Tempe by spring 2027. GoDaddy moved its headquarters from Scottsdale to Tempe’s ASU Research Park in 2023. The professional corridor along Tempe Town Lake is one of the few places in the Valley where you can live in a walkable urban high-rise, walk to your office, and walk to the dining and arts scene without owning a car. The relocation decision in Tempe is fundamentally a question of which of those two Tempes you’re moving to.

Here’s what you need to know at a glance:

If your move to Tempe is being driven by a job offer at State Farm, GoDaddy, KB Home, or another professional-corridor employer, North Tempe is your answer. If your move is being driven by ASU or a young-family stage decision, the central and southern Tempe neighborhoods are more practical. This guide maps both halves of the city. For broader regional context, our moving guide to Arizona covers the full-state picture, our moving guide to Phoenix maps the Valley’s central neighborhoods, and our moving guide to Scottsdale covers the Scottsdale-adjacent alternative.

The North Tempe Professional Corridor

The transformation of North Tempe over the past 15 years has been one of the most underreported stories in the Phoenix metro real estate market. State Farm’s Marina Heights campus, completed in 2017, brought a 2-million-square-foot office complex to the north shore of Tempe Town Lake — the largest office complex in Arizona, with capacity for 8,000-plus employees and approximately 4,500 working there as of 2026. Hayden Ferry Lakeside has built out a high-rise residential and office corridor along the lake’s south shore, with multiple residential towers, ASU’s downtown research presence, and a dense restaurant and retail amenity base. The Tempe Center for the Arts anchors the cultural side. The Salt River Project headquarters sits adjacent. KB Home’s announced 2027 HQ relocation will add another major employer to Hayden Ferry Lakeside specifically.

What this means for relocation: North Tempe in 2026 is the closest the Phoenix metro comes to a genuine walkable urban professional neighborhood outside of Old Town Scottsdale or downtown Phoenix proper. Residents in the Marina Heights / Hayden Ferry corridor can walk to work, walk to dinner, walk to a concert, and access the Tempe Town Lake recreational infrastructure (running paths, kayaking, paddle boarding) directly from high-rise residential buildings. The professional demographic is meaningfully different from anywhere else in the Valley — younger executives, dual-income professional households without school-age children, and a heavier representation of recent transplants from genuinely urban origin markets.

The Tempe Neighborhood Map

Tempe runs across roughly 40 square miles, and the residential geography splits into four distinct submarkets: the North Tempe professional corridor along Tempe Town Lake, the central historic neighborhoods near downtown Tempe, the family-stage neighborhoods south of US-60, and the southern student-rental corridor immediately around ASU’s main campus.

North Tempe / Marina Heights / Hayden Ferry Lakeside: The Walkable Urban Tier

The North Tempe corridor between Tempe Town Lake and the Scottsdale border (roughly the McClintock-to-Scottsdale Road corridor north of University Drive) is where the professional-relocation decisions concentrate. Hayden Ferry Lakeside includes The Edge at Hayden Ferry, Bridgeview, and several smaller high-rise condo buildings. The Mosaic at Mill is one of the older established lakefront condo properties. The corridor is anchored by State Farm’s Marina Heights office complex on the north shore and Hayden Ferry Lakeside’s restaurant and retail base.

Median high-rise condo pricing in the corridor runs from $400,000 for one-bedroom inventory to $1.2 million-plus for premium-tier two-bedroom and penthouse units with lakefront views. Single-family inventory in the surrounding North Tempe blocks (Optimist Park, Maple-Ash neighborhood) runs $550,000 to $1 million for the established mid-century and post-2010 contemporary inventory. The walkable amenity base includes Pedal Haus brewery, Culinary Dropout, Postino, and a steady rotation of restaurants and bars catering to the professional demographic.

Best for: State Farm, GoDaddy, KB Home, and Marina Heights-corridor employees; younger executives wanting walkable urban life; professionals from Manhattan, San Francisco, or Chicago who want a Phoenix-metro neighborhood that approximates an urban origin market lifestyle.

Central Tempe and the Maple-Ash Historic District

Central Tempe — anchored by Mill Avenue’s downtown commercial district and the surrounding established neighborhoods — operates on a different logic than North Tempe. The Maple-Ash Historic District includes early-1900s through mid-century housing stock with mature landscaping, walkable proximity to ASU, and a consistent professor and academic-staff demographic. Optimist Park sits adjacent with similar established character. Median pricing runs $600,000 to $1 million depending on specific block and condition.

The neighborhood appeals to ASU faculty, graduate-level researchers, and professionals who specifically want established walkable old-Tempe character. The proximity to Mill Avenue’s restaurant and arts scene is meaningful — Mill Avenue runs from the Tempe Town Lake bridge south through the ASU campus edge, with a dense restaurant, bar, and cultural infrastructure that no other Phoenix-metro neighborhood quite replicates.

Best for: ASU faculty and graduate-level academic staff, professionals wanting walkable historic-neighborhood character with central-Valley proximity, and buyers who want to be close to Mill Avenue’s amenity base without paying the North Tempe high-rise premium.

The Lakes and Warner Ranch: Family-Stage South Tempe

South of US-60 sits Tempe’s family-stage residential corridor, organized around several master-planned and semi-master-planned communities developed primarily in the 1970s through 1990s. The Lakes is a community organized around man-made lake systems with single-family homes from $500,000 to $900,000. Warner Ranch is a family-oriented neighborhood with similar pricing and a strong school-district draw to Kyrene Elementary and Tempe Union High School District. Cyprus and the surrounding south Tempe neighborhoods follow similar patterns.

The family-stage south Tempe corridor is the part of Tempe that operates most like neighboring Chandler or East Mesa — established master-planned communities, family-oriented schools, and pricing that runs meaningfully below the North Tempe professional corridor. Schools are served by Kyrene Elementary School District (highly rated) for elementary and middle, with high schools served by Tempe Union High School District (Corona del Sol, Marcos de Niza, Tempe High). The Kyrene district consistently ranks among the top elementary districts in the state.

Best for: Family-stage households prioritizing top elementary schools, families wanting Tempe’s central-Valley proximity at family-stage prices, and professionals at the Tempe corporate corridor who specifically want a family-neighborhood lifestyle rather than the North Tempe walkable-urban alternative.

Southern Tempe / ASU Adjacent: Student and Young-Professional Rentals

The Tempe neighborhoods immediately around ASU’s main campus operate primarily as student rental housing market, with single-family homes converted to multi-bedroom rentals and a rotating tenant population that follows the academic calendar. The market here is genuinely different from the rest of Tempe — purchase decisions are typically investment-driven (student rental yield) rather than primary-residence relocations.

For the rare buyer specifically wanting ASU adjacency for a non-student reason — graduate-level academic, on-campus employment, or specific professional requirement — these neighborhoods exist but are not where most professional relocations land.

Best for: Investors targeting student rental income, graduate-level academic staff with specific on-campus requirements, and ASU-employed professionals at later career stages who specifically want campus walkability.

Tempe Schools

Tempe’s school landscape is split among several districts, and the assignment varies meaningfully by neighborhood. Kyrene Elementary School District serves elementary and middle school for most of south Tempe — consistently one of the highest-rated K-8 districts in Arizona. Tempe Elementary School District serves central Tempe. Tempe Union High School District serves high school for the city, with Corona del Sol High School (south Tempe), Marcos de Niza (central Tempe), and Tempe High School (downtown-adjacent) as the main public options. Corona del Sol is consistently the strongest-rated of the three.

Beyond the public option, BASIS Tempe (charter) and the Great Hearts Academies’ Tempe campuses offer non-boundary alternatives. Several smaller private schools serve specific religious or pedagogical preferences.

What Tempe Actually Costs

Tempe’s overall cost of living runs roughly comparable to Phoenix proper — slightly above national average, with housing as the primary driver. The North Tempe professional corridor specifically operates at the high end of the city’s pricing, with high-rise condos commanding meaningful premiums for lakefront views and walkable amenity access. The family-stage south Tempe corridor runs more comparably to neighboring Chandler. Central Tempe falls in between.

Property taxes are reasonable. Maricopa County’s average effective rate runs approximately 0.62 percent of assessed value. For a $750,000 lakefront condo or $650,000 Warner Ranch home, the annual property tax bill runs $4,000 to $4,700.

Income tax is the headline statewide advantage. Arizona’s 2.5 percent flat rate, effective 2023 and unchanged for 2026, means meaningful annual savings for higher-income households relocating from California, New York, Illinois, or New Jersey.

Climate and Water

Tempe’s climate matches the Phoenix metro context — same Sonoran Desert valley floor, same 110°F-plus summer highs, same 110-115 days of 100°F-plus annual temperatures, same monsoon season July through September with flash-flood risk. Tempe Town Lake itself is a man-made flood-control and recreational reservoir; flooding scenarios are managed by the dam infrastructure but the broader monsoon flash-flood risk applies to surrounding wash-adjacent properties.

The water situation matches the broader metro context. Long-term Colorado River reductions through 2026-2040 negotiations are a meaningful consideration for buyers thinking in 20-year horizons.

Choosing a Professional Mover for a Tempe Relocation

The interstate moving market into Tempe attracts both licensed carriers and brokers. A licensed carrier (like Nelson Westerberg) operates its own trucks and its own employees — your belongings are loaded by our crew at origin, transported by our truck, and delivered by our crew at destination. One team, one point of accountability. A broker takes your deposit and sells the move to a subcontractor whose insurance you cannot verify. The largest category of consumer complaints in interstate moving originates with broker-subcontractor arrangements.

Verify your mover is a licensed interstate carrier by checking their USDOT number with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Nelson Westerberg is a licensed interstate carrier and an Atlas Van Lines agent — not a broker. We’ve moved State Farm, GoDaddy, ASU faculty, and family-stage households into and out of Tempe for years, with specific experience in North Tempe high-rise condo logistics, ASU faculty relocations on academic-year timing, and the corporate relocation programs that handle most professional-corridor moves.

Tempe Moving Logistics

North Tempe high-rise condo moves require certificates of insurance, advance elevator reservations, and building management coordination. The Edge at Hayden Ferry, Bridgeview, Mosaic at Mill, and similar buildings each have their own protocols — typically 3 to 6 weeks of lead time before move day. Loading dock access varies by building and may require off-hours scheduling. We handle the building management coordination as part of standard pre-move planning.

Family-stage south Tempe master-planned communities (The Lakes, Warner Ranch, Cyprus) operate HOA-managed access with relatively streamlined move-in protocols. Most streets accommodate full-size moving trucks.

Central Tempe historic neighborhoods can present narrower street access, mature-tree clearance issues, and tighter driveway turnarounds — particularly in the Maple-Ash Historic District and Optimist Park. Pre-survey identifies any specific access constraints.

ASU faculty relocations typically operate on academic-year timing — peak demand windows in late July through early August (before fall semester) and late December through early January (between semesters). We coordinate with university housing offices, faculty support services, and corporate relocation management for academic-staff moves.

Summer scheduling is the consistent Phoenix-metro logistical factor. We do not load or unload in midday summer heat without specific protocols: early morning start times (5 to 8 AM), climate-controlled transport for temperature-sensitive items, pre-arrival air conditioning verification at destination. Monsoon season brings dramatic afternoon thunderstorms with flash-flood risk; we monitor National Weather Service alerts and reschedule moves during active flash-flood warnings at no additional charge.

What It Costs to Move to Tempe

From California (LA, San Francisco, San Diego): $7,000 to $24,000 for a 3-to-5-bedroom full-service move.

From Texas (Dallas, Houston, Austin): $7,500 to $24,000.

From Illinois (Chicago metro): $9,000 to $26,000.

From the Northeast (NY, NJ, MA): $13,000 to $36,000.

Local and intra-Valley moves typically run $1,500 to $6,000 for a 2-to-4-bedroom home. All Nelson Westerberg estimates are binding not-to-exceed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should I live in Tempe if I’m joining State Farm at Marina Heights?
The walkable Marina Heights / Hayden Ferry Lakeside corridor is the natural choice — high-rise condos and the surrounding North Tempe blocks put you within walking distance of work, dining, and the Tempe Town Lake recreational base. For State Farm employees with families and school-age children who want a single-family home, the central Tempe historic neighborhoods (Maple-Ash, Optimist Park) and the south Tempe family corridor (Warner Ranch, The Lakes) are the practical alternatives, with 10- to 15-minute commutes back to Marina Heights.

Tempe or Chandler for a younger tech professional?
For semiconductor engineers and technical staff at Intel, Microchip, or NXP, Chandler’s south master-planned communities offer better commute proximity to those campuses. For younger professionals at GoDaddy, State Farm, or the broader Tempe corporate corridor — and for professionals who specifically prioritize walkable urban life over master-planned suburban living — North Tempe is the right answer. The Tempe-vs-Chandler decision usually comes down to which type of lifestyle you want and which campus you commute to.

Tempe or Scottsdale for an ASU faculty member?
For most ASU faculty, central Tempe (Maple-Ash, Optimist Park) is the natural choice — established academic-neighborhood character, walkable proximity to campus, and mature-tree neighborhoods that match the kind of academic lifestyle most faculty households prefer. Scottsdale is a longer commute and offers a meaningfully different community feel; senior faculty at later career stages sometimes choose Scottsdale for the schools or community amenities, but central Tempe is the consistent first choice.

What’s the deal with North Tempe’s growth?
North Tempe’s transformation has been driven by a combination of State Farm’s Marina Heights development, ASU’s expanding research presence (the SkySong innovation campus), the Hayden Ferry Lakeside high-rise and mixed-use development, and the broader corporate migration into the Tempe Town Lake corridor (GoDaddy in 2023, KB Home announced for 2027). The result is the Phoenix metro’s most walkable urban professional submarket outside Old Town Scottsdale, with a younger demographic, dense amenity infrastructure, and continued institutional and corporate investment.

Are you a licensed interstate carrier or a broker?
Nelson Westerberg is a licensed interstate carrier and an Atlas Van Lines agent — not a broker. Your belongings are handled by our employees from pickup to delivery — one truck, one crew, one point of accountability. Verify our USDOT registration with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Making Your Tempe Decision

Tempe rewards relocations that match the right neighborhood to the right work and life situation. The aggregate statistics about the city — population, growth rate, citywide median — undersell what Tempe actually offers, because Tempe’s two halves are genuinely different cities. North Tempe’s professional corridor offers walkable urban life that most of the Phoenix metro simply cannot replicate. Central Tempe offers established academic-neighborhood character. South Tempe offers family-stage master-planned community life with strong schools.

The right Tempe neighborhood for your relocation depends on your work or campus location, your family stage, your housing preference (high-rise condo, established single-family, or master-planned community), and your tolerance for student-population rhythms versus professional-corridor walkability. Our relocation specialists have managed thousands of moves into every Tempe neighborhood and can help you scope the fit before you commit.

For broader context, our moving guide to Arizona covers the full-state picture, our moving guide to Phoenix maps the central Valley, our moving guide to Scottsdale covers the premium-tier Valley alternative, and our moving guide to Chandler covers the East Valley tech corridor. Ready to plan your Tempe move? Request a free binding not-to-exceed estimate.