There are three main 55+ communities to discover in Queen Creek, Arizona. They range in size from just over 700 homes to 2,400 homes. Also, some are closer to the town of Queen Creek and therefore also to Phoenix, while one has much more of a desert location that will appeal more to those who want to be closer to Arizona’s great outdoors.
Queen Creek is a rapidly growing town of about 60,000 people. Ten years ago, it only had about 26,000 inhabitants. It’s about a 40-minute drive southeast of the center of Phoenix—very much on the edge of the Phoenix urban area. It offers small-scale urban living with a performing arts center, a small local museum, and a few visitor attractions. It also has a variety of restaurants and bars, large grocery stores and pharmacies, and health centers. The closest hospital is the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, which is a 15-minute drive away in the neighboring city of Gilbert.
Let’s explore the 55+ communities in Queen Creek.
Encanterra
Low $600s – Mid $1Ms
Encanterra is the largest 55+ community in Queen Creek. It’s a gated Trilogy community with 2,400 single-family homes, and it’s a 15-minute drive southeast of downtown Queen Creek. It’s almost an hour’s drive from Downtown Phoenix, although other cities in the area (such as Gilbert, Chandler, and Mesa) are much closer. The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, which is a major hub for the budget airline Allegiant Air, is a 20-minute drive from Encanterra.
Amenities at Encanterra include a 60,000-square-foot clubhouse, a private 18-hole golf club, a fitness center, several dining options, arts and crafts studios, an aerobics and dance center, an indoor pool, two outdoor pools, an amphitheater, four tennis courts, and a sand volleyball court. There’s also a separate and newer amenity center called The Algarve, and this provides residents with a tapas bar/restaurant, a ceramics studio, another outdoor pool, an events stage, seven pickleball courts, and bocce courts.
Residents also have plenty of clubs, groups, activities, and classes to add to their leisure options. These include clubs for books, photography, gardening, cooking, theater, golf, hiking, cycling, pickleball, and tennis. Other regular activities include Pilates, yoga, and Zumba.
The smallest models are 1,218 square feet and these have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage. There are several models gradually increasing in size, with the largest being the Cartagena-España Collection. These are 2,554 square feet and provide two-to-four bedrooms, two-and-a-half to three bathrooms, and a two to three-and-a-half-car garage.
Request more information about Encanterra.
Ovation at Meridian
Mid $300s – Mid $400s
Ovation at Meridian is a gated community for the 55+ active adult with 780 single-family homes. It’s only about three miles east of Encanterra, so has similar advantages to its location.
Amenities here include a 13,500-square-foot clubhouse, an exercise room with a yoga studio, a craft room, a banquet hall, an outdoor pool, an outdoor movie ramada, 229 acres of open space, hiking and biking trails, equestrian trails, and courts for bocce, pickleball, and tennis. Lifestyle options include several clubs and activities, such as arts and crafts, swimming, bocce, tennis, pickleball, and yoga.
The smallest models offer 1,461 square feet, and these have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage. The largest homes available offer 2,499 square feet, and these have two bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and a three-car garage.
Request more information about Ovation at Meridian.
Solera at Johnson Ranch
Mid $200s – Mid $400s
With 727 single-family homes, Solera at Johnson Ranch is another gated community for the 55+ active adult. It’s a 15-minute drive southeast of the center of Queen Creek, and it will appeal to those who want to enjoy the active outdoor lifestyle that Arizona offers. The 10,000-acre San Tan Mountain Regional Park is only a 10-minute drive away.
Amenities include a 10,000-square-foot clubhouse, a library, a ballroom, a fitness center, an aerobics and dance studio, an outdoor pool, walking and biking trails, and courts for tennis and bocce. Solera is also part of the larger Johnson Ranch master-planned community, so residents also have the use of the 18-hole Johnson Ranch Golf Course, a restaurant, a spa, a fishing pond, a playground for grandkids, and facilities for soccer, basketball, softball, and baseball.
For a comparatively small community, there are many clubs, groups, activities, and classes for residents to join in with and enjoy. These cover arts and crafts, cooking classes, dance classes, card games, a book club, a hiking group, oil painting, several sports clubs, wine appreciation, and a singles club.
All models offer 1,398 square feet and have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage. Prices start in the mid $200s, but homes that have been modernized can go up to the mid $400s.
