Strawberry Arizona is located on the Rim, about two hours to the North-East of Phoenix, Arizona. The town is completely surrounded by the National Forest Preserve. As such, the Ponderosa Pine Trees have been left to grow and multiply in a natural setting. Listen to the wind blow through the trees as you take a moment to enjoy one of the numerous lakes (7, to be exact) located in the Rim Country of Arizona.
The Town of Strawberry is not incorporated, so technically, it is not really a town. Because it is not incorporated, there are No City Taxes - just one of the many perks to living in a SmallMountain Community.
With the elevation being above 6,000 feet, the temperature is very mild all year long. When the temperature in the Phoenix area is in the 95 to 105 degree range, it is common for the temperature in Strawberry to be 75 to 85 degrees. Yes, Strawberry does have the four seasons, with the tree leaves changing color in the fall and snow is not uncommon for the area. Even if it snows, the temperatures may rise to nearly 60 degrees the same day and the County is quick to get the roads plowed and clear for travel. With the low humidity factor that is common for Arizona, we do not get the bitter cold that is found in Eastern States.
The main source of revenue comes from weekend and summer visitors. Many homes are weekend or summer retreats for people from the Phoenix area and California, although there are a substantial number of full time residents in the area.
Strawberry has a few amenities, including an array of motels and restaurants. Most shopping is done in Pine (about 4 miles to the South) and Payson (about 20 miles to the South). Both Pine and Payson have grocery markets and gas stations available. Payson is a larger City (about 15,000 population) with major supermarkets, medical facilities and numerous other places to shop and dine out.
POPULATION...
1980
1990
2000
PINE~STRAWBERRY
1,250
1,811**
2,959*
GILA COUNTY
37,080
40,216
51,335
ARIZONA
2,716,546
3,665,228
5,130,632
Sources: Arizona Department of Economic Security and U.S. Census Bureau. * Local sources estimate population at 5,000 during summer months. 1997 estimate projected from county growth rates. ** Amounts have been revised based on current calculations by Central Arizona Association of Governments.
PINE~STRAWBERRY LABOR FORCE...
1980
1990
2000
Civilian Labor Force
3,352
2,865
N/A
Employed
3,037
2,564
N/A
Unemployed
315
302
N/A
Unemployment Rate
9.4%
10.5%
N/A
Source: Arizona Department of Economic Security.
GROWTH INDICATORS...
1980
1990
2000
Postal Receipts ($)*
114,185
233,963
219,302
School Enrollment
256
267
288
Net Assessed Valuation ($)**
20,980,677
24,134,827
38,341,294
* Postal receipts are for fiscal year. ** Fire District, Pine #1.
PROPERTY TAX RATE PER $100 ASSESSED VALUATION...
1980
1990
1997
AZ State Tax
$ 0.47
$ 0.00
$ 0.00
Community College
0.38
0.50
0.54
Library
0.21
0.24
0.24
County Fire District
0.06
0.10
0.10
County
3.79
3.98
4.63
County Total
$ 4.91
$ 4.82
$ 5.51
School District
5.73
5.89
5.85
Pine-Strawberry Fire District
1.64
2.10
2.08
Total
$12.28
$12.81
$13.54
Note: Property tax in Arizona is based on assessed valuation which is 10 percent of market value for residential property. Average tax rate on homes in Arizona before exemptions and rebates is 1.3% of market value.
Weather Statistic, averages*...
MONTH
Daily Max F
Daily Min F
Total Precip (inches)
January
53.7
24.4
2.15
February
57.4
26.4
1.98
March
62.1
29.7
2.23
April
70.3
34.9
1.08
May
79.2
41.7
0.55
June
89.4
49.5
0.39
July
92.4
58.2
2.77
August
89.7
57.4
3.05
September
85.1
50.4
1.91
October
74.9
40.2
1.74
November
62.3
30.0
1.61
December
54.4
24.5
1.97
YEAR
72.5
38.9
20.43
*Payson Reporting Station, elevation: 4,913 feet. Average Total Snow, Sleet and Hail Annually: 25.1 inches. Daily temperatures based on typical 5 to 7 difference between Payson and Pine~Strawberry temperatures. (Based on a 30-year average)