DC Ranch is an exclusive gated community in Northern Scottsdale that sits on 4400 acres close to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Construction on the first home in DC Ranch began in 1997. It now has over 2800 homes and more than 7000 residents.

It also consists of 25 different neighborhoods located in four villages throughout the community. DC Ranch's western border sits along North Pima Boulevard. Thunderbird Peak Parkway traverses through a portion of DC Ranch.

DC Ranch prides itself on its sense of community. It also stresses the importance of environmental stewardship and healthy lifestyles.

It also prioritizes keeping the community and its residents safe. It contracts with a third-party security company that provides 24-hour a day security patrolling and monitoring seven days a week.

Residents in DC Ranch must use a pass to get into any of the 23 gates that guard the community. There is a command center and security dispatch at the main community gate that monitors over 100 live feeds.

DC Ranch offers numerous planned activities and events throughout the year. It also has facilities that residents can rent out for hosting weddings, parties, and other events.

As one of the more exclusive home communities in Scottsdale, the average home prices are higher than elsewhere in the Phoenix area. The average home price in DC Ranch is around $1.3 million, breaking down to a per-square-foot price of $441. These prices are markedly higher than Phoenix's average home price of $269,000 or $169 per square foot.

Further, with its in-demand real estate market, DC Ranch is expected to experience an increase in home values over the next few years. Real estate insiders note that home prices have already risen by more than six percent in the last year alone.

The bulk of the real estate market in DC Ranch comprises single-family homes. These homes are expansive and opulent. Many of them could rightfully be categorized as mansions.

It is not uncommon to find homes with at least four if not five and six bedrooms for sale here. Likewise, the homes have multiple bathrooms, sometimes as many as six, as well as close to 8000 square feet of space.

They additionally have exterior luxury features like in-ground swimming pools and hot tubs. Most also have covered patios and balconies.

DC Ranch Homes

Located at the base of the picturesque McDowell Mountains, DC Ranch represents the best that a master-planned community can offer to its residents. Four residential villages comprise DC Ranch: Desert Camp, Country Club, Desert Parks and Silverleaf. Each village has its own character and architectural design from ranch houses to eclectic Spanish homes. DC Ranch preserves the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert, and the two professionally designed golf courses offer a backdrop of sweeping mountain vistas, gleaming sand bunkers and views of the city.

DC Ranch offers prospective members a wide variety of residence choices -- including townhomes, condominiums, custom homes, villas, and empty lots waiting for a dream home to be built. This engaging and inclusive community offers grassy parks, streets lined with mature trees, and traditional neighborhood designs.

The 4,400-acre group of villages has convenient access to grocery stores, retail shops, dining options, K-8 schools, medical buildings, and houses of worship. DC Ranch has forged a unique, collaborative relationship with Scottsdale Healthcare and the Scottsdale Unified School District to ensure that residents have easy access to healthcare and educational opportunities.

DC Ranch offers its residents first-rate amenities including a private championship golf course, community pools, tennis courts, hiking trails, and a fitness center. In addition, the community centers provide fitness programs for any age, storytimes for children, and other club activities.

The community of DC Ranch takes safety and peace of mind seriously. The designers dedicated six acres of land to police and fire stations. For added safety, private community guards patrol the neighborhoods as well. The gated neighborhoods provide vehicle tags with microchips for convenient access to residents, and for additional security.

DC Ranch started as a working cattle ranch in 1885. In the early 1900s, E.O. Brown moved from Wisconsin to Scottsdale, and then DC Ranch. By the late 1950s, DC Ranch had sold its last head of cattle and had begun the transformation into this immaculate development. The area encompasses almost 8,300 acres, and approximately 2,600 are developed. To maintain its historical nature, DC Ranch uses split rails and natural rock walls in addition to other natural landscaping features.