Queen Creek is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state of Arizona. Circled beneath the SanTan mountains, what is this little town all about? Is this city liberal or conservative, and what kind of family fits best in this desert location?
Queen Creek, Arizona is a conservative city in Maricopa County, as the residents have a history of voting for Republican candidates. In 2022, Maricopa county was offered to be divided into four sections. Jake Hoffman, a Queen Creek Republican, sponsored the bill to give Republicans a stronger voice.
Continue reading below to understand more of Queen Creek’s political makeup and what kind of families you will meet here!
An Agriculture Community
Queen Creek is known for being a little bit “redneck” so to speak. There are sections of the city that are being built into classic, cookie-cutter suburbs, but originally, this was a farming community. You will find either growing suburbian families that are most likely members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or farmers that have been in this area for years.
The town is young and while a community was formed in 1912, Queen Creek was not officially established until September of 1989. Since its founding, church, community, and patriotism continue to be extremely important to Queen Creek residents, which are trademarks of a conservative community. Back in the day, this area was known as Rittenhouse because of the nearby railroad. Today, this city is called Queen Creek because of a nearby mine named Silver Queen.
Maricopa County
Maricopa County, where Queen Creek resides, leans liberal based on the 2020 presidential election. Arizona has been considered a swing state in many previous presidential elections, so while Maricopa has consistently voted Republican since 1952, this would make 2020 the first year Maricopa county has voted democratic in over 50 years.
Because of the 2020 election, Republican residents in Maricopa county felt that there may have been foul play in the votes. Residents have felt that their voice is getting weaker, and to fix this, Jake Hoffman, who is from Queen Creek, sponsored a bill to divide Maricopa into four different counties named O’odham, Mogollon, Maricopa, and Hohokam respectively. This would give residents in different areas a stronger voice. His thought process was that Democratic Pheonix can voice a liberal opinion and conservative Gilbert and Queen Creek can voice a Republican opinion.
Maricopa County has a big population of 4.4 million citizens and two-thirds of Arizona’s population lives in Maricopa county. Jake Hoffman wants to even the political playing field, but other Republicans disagree with his idea. Paul Boyer, and Republican Arizona state senator, believes that while Maricopa county is big, it’s still run efficiently. Hoffman’s idea increases government control, which is a concept that is a threat to conservative ideals. Additionally, new counties mean new governments, city buildings, and so on. This caused Boyer some concern.
In 2022, this bill, known as House Bill 2787, has stalled but is predicted to pick up pace around the 2024 presidential election.
Republican Ties
In January of 2022, Donald Trump hosted a rally in Florence, Arizona, a city that is close to Queen Creek. Thousands of voters and Trump-loyal residents turned up. Based on recent elections and sanctions for conservative rallies, Queen Creek is republican.
Religion is very important to Arizona residents. In Maricopa county, approximately 500,000 residents are Catholic, with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) coming second with nearly 250,000 residents being members. Latter-day Saints tend to be more actively involved in politics than Catholics, so Arizona has a huge Latter-day Saint influence. It’s safe to say that Queen Creek is a Mormon town, and Mormons are mostly conservative voters. Queen Creek also has an official Republican party Facebook page.
Growing Suburbs
Why is Arizona growing so quickly? It’s because cities such as Gilbert and Queen Creek are considered family-friendly towns. Queen Creek is an extremely clean city with charter schools available, church buildings close by, and a plethora of grocery stores available.
This city has the third highest median income in Maricopa County at approximately $105,00 per year. Queen Creek is also a very well-educated population with about 80% of residents over the age of 25 having college experience or an advanced degree. The average household size is 3.49 children and the median age is 34.1 years old. Queen Creek has the youngest median age in the East Valley.
Change in Mayors
Mayors in Queen Creek have not been politically affiliated, but they focus heavily on the infrastructure issues in Queen Creek.
Gail Barney was Queen Creek’s previous mayor and was elected in June of 2010, but has served in Queen Creek’s government since 1998. However, in June of 2022, and 12 years of service, Gail Barney passed away at age 74. Barney intended Queen Creek to be neighborly and welcoming and focused on the town’s biggest challenge, which he considered was ensuring enough resources for infrastructure.
The only candidate and next viable mayor is Julia Wheatley. Her term is expected to begin in 2023. Wheatley was elected to the town council also in June of 2010 and was reelected in 2014 and 2018. Wheatley has a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies and is pursuing a master’s in politics.
What Political Issues Does Queen Creek Face?
According to Julia Wheatley, one of the biggest issues Queen Creek faces is adapting to a growing population while still creating a close-knit community, building parks, water supply, public safety, roadway improvements, and agriculture.
Wheatley wants to improve the roads in Queen Creek to reduce driving congestion and commute time for work. Wheatley also wants to secure Queen Creek’s water rights for farmers. There is currently a 100-year water supply for current and future residents, but lowering the cost of water is a big issue.
While the priorities have been on public safety, roads, and sustainable water supply, parks have been neglected. This has been an issue for young families, so Wheatley is focused on creating new recreational areas and amenities.
While Queen Creek’s local government is focused on improving daily life, the main issues are aligned with a Republican mindset, as it is focusing on business, family, and community. Wheatley wants to make sure Queen Creek is a safe space for new businesses, which is a concern for Queen Creek’s Republican families.
Demographics of Queen Creek
Now that we understand what kind of issues Queen Creek faces and what the political stances are, looking at its demographics can help us understand what kind of people we will meet in this small city.
In Queen Creek, the most prominent race in the city is White, as they make up 84.95% of the population. 6.66% of the population is of two or more races. Those of Hispanic descent make up the second-highest percentage of the population. This is likely because of how close Arizona is to Mexico, as many people cross the America-Mexico border into Arizona.
Luckily, Arizona’s food and architecture reflect a Latino heritage, so you can get really good Mexican food in Queen Creek.
The poverty rate is 5.20% and more females are in poverty than men by nearly 2%. The most likely race to be in poverty is indigenous Americans, with 20.26% of Native American residents falling below the poverty line. However, the race least likely to be in poverty is Hispanic.
There are more females than males in Queen Creek, with 51.87% being female and 48.13% being male. Most homeowners in Queen Creek are married. 24.28% of residents have a bachelor’s degree, but 25.73% have some college education, which adds up to include most of the population. High school graduates follow just behind at 22.10%.
Personal Experience
From my personal experience, Queen Creek is a lovely place to live. There are plenty of places to eat, shop, and great people to meet. The homes are nice and the scenery is one of a kind. The community is very close-knit, and most of the people I have met in this city are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The food here is so good and you can get an authentic Hispanic food experience at many restaurants. There are more amenities in Gilbert, such as parks, but it is not far away. Queen Creek is nice because it’s a smaller town than Gilbert, so while you’re still close to the action, you can get some peace and quiet in your home at Queen Creek. It is rapidly growing because of all the land that is available compared to Gilbert or Mesa, but you can meet some wonderful people here.
Even if you are Democratic on the political scale, the people in Queen Creek are still kind. Be aware of a definite right bias but Queen Creek is not a politically tumultuous town and is accepting of others who are different.
Queen Creek, Arizona is a conservative city and has been for a long time. It is not expected for the residents to start leaning liberal in the near future.