Catalina Foothills, Arizona

Catalina Foothills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in greater Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Situated in the southern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Catalina Foothills had a population of 50,796 at the 2010 census.

History

Modern development of the Catalina Foothills area dates back to the early 1920s. Prior to that time, the Catalina Foothills area was primarily federal trust land and open range for cattle grazing. Beginning in the 1920s, John Murphey began purchasing property north of River Road in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Murphey originally planned to develop ten housing subdivisions with large lots. Murphey's vision for the Catalina Foothills community was low-density residential development, on lots designed for maximum privacy, preserving existing desert vegetation, the natural terrain and mountain views. In 1928 Murphey bought a tract of land north of River Road between North Oracle Road and Sabino Canyon in a federal land auction.

| align = right

| align-fn = center

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Catalina Foothills had a population of 52,401. The median age was 56.5 years. 14.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 35.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.5 males age 18 and over.

There were 24,445 households in Catalina Foothills, of which 18.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.9% were married-couple households, 15.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 41,075 || 78.4%

| Black or African American || 788 || 1.5%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 228 || 0.4%

| Asian || 3,293 || 6.3%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 68 || 0.1%

| Some other race || 1,350 || 2.6%

| Two or more races || 5,599 || 10.7%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 6,486 || 12.4%

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 53,794 people, 23,948 households, and 15,590 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 26,372 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.4% White, 1.2% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. 7.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 23,948 households, out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $65,657, and the median income for a family was $82,675. Males had a median income of $61,697 versus $37,077 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $42,006. About 2.4% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

thumb|Desert oasis in [[Sabino Canyon]]

thumb|[[Santa Catalina Mountains in winter, viewed from the Catalina Foothills]]

thumb|[[Tucson Arizona Temple, built in 2017]]

Notable attractions in the Santa Catalina Mountains include:

Sabino Canyon
Bear Canyon
Pima Canyon

Resorts include Hacienda del Sol Resort, Westin La Paloma Resort, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort, and Canyon Ranch Resort.

The Foothills area is also home to the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun near the intersection of North Swan Road and East Skyline Drive. Built by artist Ted DeGrazia starting in 1951, the property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features an eclectic chapel, an art gallery, and a free museum. The Catalina Foothills is home to La Encantada, the largest upscale shopping center in the Tucson metropolitan area.

Catalina Foothills also has an unusual subdivision in Tucson, called Sin Vacas (Without Cows). The land where Sin Vacas subdivision now sits was owned at one point by steel magnate William J. “Jack” Holliday who was fond of desert wildlife and fenced in his property to keep cows out and called it Rancho Sin Vacas (Ranch Without Cows). Developer Kelley Rollings later purchased the land and, along with his Spanish-speaking office manager, named some streets after the Seven Deadly Sins, such as Plaza Sin Lujuria (Place Without Lust).

The Tucson Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is in Catalina Foothills. It was completed in 2017.

Education

The Catalina Foothills area is served by three public school districts: Catalina Foothills Unified School District, Tucson Unified School District, and Amphitheater Public Schools (a.k.a. Amphitheater Unified School District).

Catalina Foothills USD serves the upper Catalina Foothills.
Tucson USD serves the lower and northeastern neighborhoods of the Catalina Foothills. TUSD schools that serve the Catalina Foothills are Jacob C. Fruchtendler Elementary School, Joseph W. Magee Middle School, Doolen Middle School, W. V. Whitmore Elementary School, Davidson Elementary School, Catalina High School, and Sabino High School.
Amphitheater USD serves neighborhoods in the western Catalina Foothills, namely Pima Canyon Estates, Cobblestone Estates, and the Via Entrada neighborhood.

Small portions of the CDP are not in any school district.