PHOENIX — It has been a busy year of growth in the Valley, with the Phoenix metro hitting number four in the country for new apartment construction in 2025, according to RentCafe estimates.

“There’s definitely good growth and bad growth,” said Jacob Larradee, an Apache Junction resident.

“I think the west side has grown a lot too. I still prefer the east side because it just feels more open,” said Janice Young, also an Apache Junction resident.

No matter which side of the Valley you are in, growth is coming to a city near you, according to our realty expert.

Places like Queen Creek, Buckeye and Goodyear are expected to see development in 2026. But even areas like San Tan Valley and far north Peoria and Phoenix are anticipated to see more growth.

“Those areas are going to be seeing quite a bit of growth, too with industrial manufacturing-type plants going there as well,” said Erin Payne, a realtor at Howe Realty.

Payne says while more houses are being built in the newer areas, homes in more established communities are getting pricier.

“In Mesa, it’s pretty high. So we’ve been.. we kind of want to buy more like in Goodyear and more south a little bit,” said Alyssa Larradee.

“I know Buckeye has plans for about a hundred thousand homes going up in that area over the next few years,” said Payne.

For home-owning hopefuls out there, it is all about affordability.

“We’re fortunate enough to have pretty decent jobs, but even then, it seems like it’s not enough to even think about buying a house,” said Jacob Larradee.