Surprise lies 20 miles northwest of Phoenix and encompasses 85.6 square miles. Incorporated in 1960, the city has grown to a population of nearly 133,000. Surprise is bordered by the 30,000-acre White Tank Mountain Preserve, which provides scenic views and outdoor activities. Also, the city features other parks, a regional lake, and the open spaces of the Sonoran Desert. Residents can also take advantage of spring training baseball, a large aquatic center, and the Maricopa County Northwest Regional Library.

Sun City and Sun City West are age-restricted resort-like communities on unincorporated land adjacent to Surprise. They have a total of about 62,000 residents. Sun City Grand is a sister community within the city of Surprise, which has about 14,000 residents.

The median home value in Surprise is $255,5000, and the list price per square foot is $135. The median age in Surprise is 40.9, and the median household income id $60,521.

Chamber of Commerce: www.surpriseregionalchamber.com

Schools: www.dysart.org