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Carefree, Arizona

The town of Carefree was founded in the 1950s by K.T. Palmer and Tom Darlington, and incorporated in 1984.  It covers about 8.5 square miles of beautiful Sonoran Desert, and is bordered by the town of Cave Creek to the west, the Tonto National Forest to the north, and the city of Scottsdale to the south and east.  Known for its sundial located in the center of town, and for its whimsical street names, the town of Carefree suggests a leisurely style of life.  Home construction began in the late 1950s and continues through today, but thanks to strict zoning regulations, its architecture blends in with its desert surroundings, and its population density remains low.  While there are custom home sites and horse properties in the outlying areas, the subdivisions closer to the center of town tend to consist of townhouses, patio homes, apartment style flats, and single family detached homes – nineteen different ones are selectable from the Communities drop-down menu.

Carefree, and its neighbor to the west, Cave Creek, always seem to have some entertaining events in the works.  Check out the Upcoming Events in the link below, as well as links that touch on the history and future of both communities through active conservation efforts.  Please take some time to browse, and learn a little about the area.

Local Quick Links

CAREFREE and CAVE CREEK:
Carefree, Arizona
Profile of Carefree via City-Data.com

Town of Carefree
Experience the Difference

Cave Creek, Arizona
Profile of Cave Creek via City-Data.com

Town of Cave Creek
Preserving the Spirit of the Desert

Carefree – Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce
Improving the economic vitality of the business community

Cave Creek Museum
Preserving the historical heritage of the desert foothills

LAND CONSERVATION:
Desert Foothills Land Trust
Protecting the landscape you love

Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area
Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area on Facebook
The newest addition to the Maricopa County Regional Parks System

carefree town
carefree cave creek chamber
town of cave creek

A Statistical Perspective of Carefree Real Estate

Per data from ARMLS®, since August 2007 there have been 447 closed listings among these nineteen subdivisions, of which only 36 were distressed properties (short sales or lender owned). There are presently 12 active listings resulting in an estimated 5.9 months worth of inventory. Reviewing the data from only the 411 normal sales, this period has seen an average increase in value of 255.6%, from about $90/sqft up to $320/sqft. A time series chart is shown below to help illustrate the results.

Carefree Sales History

All Active Listings in Carefree, Arizona

Open Map
72 Matches Found
$1,750,000
5921 E LEISURE Lane, Carefree, AZ
Active
3BD 5BA 4,012SF
Last Modified: 7:44am, November 30, 2025
IDX
Listing Office: Coldwell Banker Realty
$1,779,000
1018 N BOULDER Drive, Carefree, AZ
Active
3BD 4BA 3,026SF
Last Modified: 7:51am, November 24, 2025
IDX
Listing Office: Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty
$1,895,000
2014 SMOKETREE Drive, Carefree, AZ
Active
3BD 4BA 3,033SF
Last Modified: 8:15am, November 7, 2025
IDX
Listing Office: AZArchitecture/Jarson & Jarson
$1,899,000
37229 N WINDING WASH Trail, Carefree, AZ
Active
3BD 3BA 2,952SF
Last Modified: 7:45pm, November 30, 2025
IDX
Listing Office: Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty
$1,949,000
8944 E LAZYWOOD Place, Carefree, AZ
Active
4BD 5BA 4,593SF
Last Modified: 7:24pm, November 30, 2025
IDX
Listing Office: Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty
$2,000,000
6505 E OLD PAINT Trail, Carefree, AZ
Active
4BD 3.5BA 4,205SF
Last Modified: 8:03pm, November 21, 2025
IDX
Listing Office: Citiea
$2,100,000
6831 E STAGECOACH PASS, Carefree, AZ
Active
5BD 4BA 5,750SF
Last Modified: 11:15pm, November 30, 2025
IDX
Listing Office: Realty ONE Group
$2,175,000
37202 N HOLIDAY Lane, Carefree, AZ
Active
4BD 4BA 3,013SF
Last Modified: 4:20am, November 26, 2025
IDX
Listing Office: Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty
$2,265,000
7823 E CELESTIAL Street, Carefree, AZ
Active
5BD 6BA 5,138SF
Last Modified: 1:39pm, November 5, 2025
IDX
Listing Office: Realty ONE Group
$2,352,246
36457 N RISING SUN Road, Carefree, AZ
Active
4BD 3BA 4,134SF
Last Modified: 9:00pm, November 21, 2025
IDX
Listing Office: KIN Homes
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