Best Neighborhoods in 85138 Maricopa AZ, Compared Side by Side

Updated June 2026

The 85138 zip code covers the eastern majority of the City of Maricopa and is the larger of the city's two zip codes by both geographic footprint and home count. It holds most of Maricopa's established master-planned communities, including golf-course-adjacent Rancho El Dorado, age-qualified Province, newer Glennwilde, and lower-cost Homestead. This page compares them side by side on HOA, amenities, home age, and lot size.

The 85138 zip code covers the eastern majority of the City of Maricopa and contains most of the established master-planned communities. If you are searching for homes in 85138, you have a real range of choices: golf course adjacent at Rancho El Dorado, age-qualified at Province, newer at Glennwilde, lower-amenity and lower-cost at Homestead, and several others in between.

This page compares the major 85138 neighborhoods side by side on the factors that actually affect daily livability and total cost of ownership. There is no ranking here. The right neighborhood depends on what you specifically need.

If you would rather just talk through the options, call 520-838-8037, and we will walk you through which communities in 85138 fit your criteria.

What does 85138 cover in Maricopa?

85138 is the larger of Maricopa's two zip codes by both geographic footprint and home count. Almost everything you see when you drive into Maricopa from the north on State Route 347 falls within 85138. The major master-planned communities include:

1. Rancho El Dorado: Maricopa's original master-planned community. Built around the 18-hole Duke at Rancho El Dorado golf course.
2. Province: Gated 55+ active adult community.
3. Senita: Established mid-2000s master-planned community.
4. Glennwilde: Lakes and walking paths. Active builder phases.
5. Homestead: Lower-amenity, lower-HOA community.
6. Tortosa: Master-planned community with active builder phases delivering new construction.

Smaller infill subdivisions and county-island parcels also fall within 85138 but represent a small share of the total inventory.

How do the 85138 neighborhoods compare?

Here is how the major 85138 communities compare across the factors that matter most to buyers.

Age and maturity

Most established: Rancho El Dorado, with original phases dating to 2003. Streetscape is fully grown in. Trees and landscaping have had over two decades to develop.

Mature: Senita and Tortosa, with most homes built between 2004 and 2010. Settled streetscape with maturing landscaping.

Mixed age: Glennwilde, with homes spanning original mid-2000s phases through much newer-built phases. Built out and resale-only. Buyers can choose between established and brand-new homes within the same community.

Variable: Homestead and Province each have multiple build phases delivered over different time periods. Specific phase ages vary by section.

HOA dues and amenity load

HOA dues across 85138 vary meaningfully because the amenity packages vary meaningfully. We do not publish specific dollar amounts because they shift with board action, and we would rather you call for current numbers than read stale figures. Here is the relative ranking from highest to lowest amenity load (and roughly correlated dues):

1. Province (highest): 32,000+ square foot clubhouse, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness, tennis, pickleball, full activities programming. Higher dues reflect deeper amenities.
2. Glennwilde: Community pool, lakes, walking paths, multiple parks, splash features. Mid-range dues.
3. Senita and Tortosa: Parks and walking paths; Tortosa also has a pool serving one section. Mid-range dues.
4. Rancho El Dorado: Common-area landscaping, shared spaces. The golf course is separate (not included in the HOA). Mid-range dues.
5. Homestead (lowest amenity load): Parks, paths, common-area landscaping. No community pool or clubhouse. Among the lower dues in 85138.

For specific current dues, transfer fees, capital improvement contributions, and any pending special assessments for any 85138 community, call 520-838-8037.

Lot size and density

Larger lots: Rancho El Dorado and Tortosa tend to offer some of the deeper lots among the 85138 communities. Lot size varies by phase and street within each community.

Standard Maricopa lots (5,500 to 8,500 square feet): Most other 85138 communities, including Senita, Glennwilde, Homestead, Tortosa, and most of Rancho El Dorado.

Premium lot orientations: Available in multiple communities. Rancho El Dorado has lots with golf course frontage. Glennwilde has lakefrontage. Homestead and Senita have greenbelt-backing options. Premium lots typically command meaningful pricing premiums.

Floor plan range

Larger floor plans: Several 85138 communities offer four and five-bedroom layouts; the mix varies by community and phase. Call for homes that match a specific size range.

A wide range from small to large: Rancho El Dorado, Senita, Glennwilde, Homestead, and Tortosa all offer floor plans ranging from roughly 1,400 to 3,500 square feet.

Predominantly single-story: Province (active adult buyers heavily prefer single-story).

Mix of single-story and two-story: All other 85138 communities, with the specific mix varying by phase.

Distance to SR-347 commute on-ramp

Commute time to the State Route 347 corridor and John Wayne Parkway varies by community and by the specific street within each community. For drive-time specifics from any 85138 community or address to your workplace, call 520-838-8037.

The Union Pacific railroad grade separation completed in recent years has made the SR-347 commute meaningfully more predictable across all Maricopa subdivisions.

School assignment

All of 85138 falls inside the Maricopa Unified School District. MUSD now operates two high schools (Maricopa High School and Desert Sunrise High School), two middle schools (Maricopa Wells and Desert Wind), a K-8 (Alma Farrell Innovation Academy), and a network of elementary schools (Butterfield, Pima Butte, Saddleback, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and Maricopa Elementary).

The Governing Board approved new attendance boundaries on December 10, 2025, effective for the 2026-2027 school year. Specific school assignments depend on your specific street, not on the subdivision name. Call MUSD at 520-568-5100 or contact us to verify the assignment for any address you are considering.

Age qualification

Age-qualified (55+): Province only.

Non-restricted (all ages): All other communities in 85138.

Province's age qualification is enforced under the Housing for Older Persons Act, which requires that at least one resident in each home be 55 or older. Permanent residents under age 19 are not allowed. Visitors are welcome under the community's guest rules.

Gated versus open

Gated: Province.

Open or limited-access: All other 85138 communities. Some have monument entries or controlled access during certain hours, but full 24/7 gating is rare outside of Province.

New construction availability

New construction (still building): Tortosa. Glennwilde and Senita are built out and resale-only.

Predominantly resale: Rancho El Dorado, Province, Homestead, Glennwilde, Senita, Palo Brea.

Builder inventory and active phases shift over time. For current new-construction availability in any 85138 community, call us for up-to-date information.

Which 85138 neighborhoods fit different buyers?

In 85138, common matches include: active-adult buyers to Province; amenity-focused buyers to Glennwilde or Senita; and new-construction buyers to Tortosa. A starting point, not a rule. Call 520-838-8037.

Active adult and retiree buyers typically focus on Province for its age-qualified community and more extensive amenity programming.

Buyers prioritizing amenities often look at Glennwilde for community pool and park access, Senita for its neighborhood parks and walking paths, or at Rancho El Dorado for its proximity to the golf course and mature setting.

Buyers prioritizing lower monthly carrying costs often consider Homestead for its lighter HOA structure.

Buyers seeking a larger home or a deeper lot should compare floor plans and lot sizes across communities in 85138, since the mix varies by phase. Call for matches to a specific size.

Buyers seeking new construction should consider Tortosa, the 85138 community, which is still under construction. Glennwilde and Senita are built out, so they trade as resale.

None of these are rules. Many buyers find that the right home in a community they did not initially consider beats the wrong home in their first-choice community. Drive each one. Walk the streets at the time of day you would actually be there.

What is pricing like across 85138?

Maricopa-wide median days on market was 117 as of late April 2026. Phoenix metro DOM in the same window was 52 days. Across 85138, well-priced and well-presented homes sell at a reasonable rate. Mispriced or poorly presented homes sit and take eventual price reductions.

Pricing varies meaningfully by community within 85138. Province prices differently because the buyer pool is national rather than local. Senita and Homestead are typically more accessible priced. For the current median sale price in 85138 and a comp set tailored to a specific subdivision, call 520-838-8037.

Related pages

For the western Maricopa zip code, see the neighborhoods in 85139. For a broader overview of 85138, see 85138 real estate. For first-time buyers thinking about which Maricopa neighborhood to start in, see our first-time home buyer guide.

Why work with a Maricopa specialist?

Maricopa neighborhoods are not interchangeable. The right combination of HOA, school assignment, lot orientation, and floor plan for one buyer is different from that for another. An agent who works the whole metro does not see enough Maricopa transactions to know the trade-offs across 85138 communities the way a team that works this city exclusively does.

The James Sanson Team has been Maricopa-focused since 2004. 23+ years in real estate, 1,000+ closed sales across every 85138 master-planned community, 267 five-star Zillow reviews, and Zillow Showcase Exclusive Partner status. James handles all listings personally. David Hoos and David Ruiz handle buyer-side work.

For more about our team, our credentials, and our approach to Maricopa real estate, visit our homepage. We are James Sanson | Real Broker LLC | Licensed in Arizona.

Ready to talk?

If you are deciding between 85138 neighborhoods, call 520-838-8037. We will walk you through which communities align with your priorities and pull current inventory for those that match.

You can also use the form on this page. We respond within the hour during business hours.