Set about 22 miles northwest of Tucson, bisected by Interstate 10, Marana is a fast-growing Sonoran Desert town of around 55,000 residents. Throughout the 20th century, Marana grew from a farming village to a Tucson-area bedroom community; since the early 2000s, though, it's become a center of logistics, aviation and manufacturing, attracting more than just commuters. “Marana's coming into their own as a well-rounded environment for families, young professionals and retirees,” says Rodney Lewis, a Realtor with Tierra Antigua Realty and over 21 years of experience. Over the past decade, the town has opened a new shopping center, built thousands of homes and expanded its parks and recreation scene. Today, top employers here include Sargent Aerospace & Defense, Leonardo Electronics and Roche Diagnostics.
Marana residents enjoy the newly built Fry's Marketplace near Gladden Farms.
Sargent Aerospace & Defense in Marana offers aerospace bearings and hydraulic assemblies.
Leonardo Electronics in Marana operates a laser and sensor making facility.
Roche Diagnostics in Marana occupies a 60,000 square foot bio-tech space.
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Housing trends and typical home styles
The median home price in Marana is about $440,000, compared to $390,000 in Tucson. Developers are actively building in the area, and the town approved over 1,300 home-building permits in 2022. Master-planned communities built within the 21st century are typical, most offering new traditional Spanish-style homes with tan stucco facades and terracotta-tiled roofs. Some master-planned communities, like Saguaro Bloom, offer shared pools and fitness centers for residents. There are also a handful of older neighborhoods, with late 20th-century ranch-style or manufactured homes.
Homes in the Countryside neighborhood of Marana feature stucco and gravel yards.
Marana homes typically have Spanish-style architecture with desert inspired paint colors.
Manufactured ranch-style homes sit in the same neighborhoods in Marana.
Even with a smaller inventory, farms and ranches are available in Marana.
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Marana Unified School District receives high marks from Niche
Marana is part of the Marana Unified School District, which serves over 12,000 students and earns an overall B-plus from Niche. At several of the district’s elementary and middle schools, kids can participate in the Learning, Enrichment, and Play (LEAP) and Teen Extended Day (TED) programs. Both are before- and after-school programs where students can receive academic support.
Marana High has many different sports and clubs for students to participate in.
Marana Middle School serves grades 7 and 8 in Tucson, Arizona.
Ironwood Elementary School offers K-6 in the Marana area.
DeGrazia Elementary School serves K-5 in Casas Adobes.
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Parks and rec development in Marana
There are 11 parks in Marana for folks to explore, many with distant mountain views. Ora Mae Harn District Park is the spot to play sports, offering pickleball/tennis courts, softball diamonds and a basketball court. Spanning over 100 acres, Heritage River Park is a town highlight for its community garden plots, where residents grow flowers and veggies, and access to the 10-mile Santa Cruz Shared-Use Path, which follows the Santa Cruz River; in 2024, the park saw the debut of a colorful splash pad. In 2025, Marana’s scheduled to finish building a new community and aquatic center, including a gym, multipurpose rooms and public pools with water slides.
Tennis courts fill up quickly at the popular Ora Mae Harn District Park in Marana.
Community plots at Heritage River Park allow residents to volunteer at the Marana park.
The Catalina Mountains backdrop the scenic Santa Cruz River Shared-Use Path in Marana.
The highly anticipated Marana Aquatic Center is set to be completed in 2025.
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Shopping centers and downtown Marana
Most of Marana’s shopping and dining are located around Interstate 10, including grocery stores, national retailers and local restaurants. The Tucson Premium Outlets is an outdoor, palm-tree-lined mall with over 350,000 square feet of dining and retail, including clothing stores like Nike, Gap and Old Navy. The Arizona Pavilions Shopping Center is another commercial hub, with a mix of big-box stores, fast-food chains and small businesses, like barbershops and medical offices. There’s also a modest-sized downtown with a handful of small businesses, including Tumbleweed Lounge, an all-American dive bar with billiards, a jukebox and occasional karaoke nights.
Discover unbeatable deals at Tucson Premium Outlets, the ultimate shopping mall in Marana.
In Marana many shoppers frequent the food court at Tucson Premium Outlets for variety.
The Arizona Pavilons Shopping Center in Marana hosts dozens of national retailers.
Downtown Marana features fast food chains and some local eateries.
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Marana's annual celebrations
Marana’s annual events are a big draw for folks around the Tucson metro area. The Marana Fall Festival at Heritage River Park in October is a highlight, winning a 2024 Outstanding Event award from the Arizona Parks & Recreation Association; traditional festivities include pumpkin carving, sunflower photo-ops and mutton busting—a competition where kids try to ride sheep as long as possible. In March, hundreds of musicians perform and jam at the three-day Desert Bluegrass Festival.
Marana's working on expanding its public art scene, which currently consists of a handful of southwestern sculptures and murals around town. In 2022, the town unveiled its “Spirit of Marana” sculpture downtown, an ode to the area’s Old West roots.
Getting around from Marana
Marana is about 22 miles northwest of Tucson via Interstate 10, a 25- to 35-minute drive during rush hour. Public transportation is limited, but residents may use the Sun Shuttle Dial-a-Ride service for a Tucson commute. Carondelet Marana Hospital and Marana Regional Airport are in-town, and Tucson International Airport is about 32 miles southeast.
Crime and environmental factors
According to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, the total number of reported violent- and property-related crimes has stayed fairly consistent over the past ten years, decreasing slightly from 1,097 to 1,090 between 2013 and 2023.
Summer temperatures often top 100 degrees and rainfall is infrequent, making wildfires a risk here. There haven’t been any recent local wildfires, but there are six fire stations in the town that respond to local emergencies.
In addition to my full-time real estate career, I bring a diverse background to the table. I previously ran one of Tucson's largest residential and commercial painting companies and worked as a Project Manager for a commercial HVAC company. I currently operate a handyman business that I use to assist my clients with various tasks around their homes. This hands-on experience gives me a unique understanding of property and home maintenance. Which other real estate agents will likely not possess.
As a third-generation Realtor, born and raised in Tucson, and having lived in Sahuarita/Green Valley, I have deep knowledge of the area. Additionally, to provide the highest level of service to my clients, I’ve completed over 500+ hours of specialized education, which is reflected in the broker’s license and the three designations I hold (ABR, MRP, and DMX).
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
