Carefree, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Carefree is a town in Maricopa County
, Arizona
, United States
. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 3,799.
, designed by architect
Joe Wong and solar engineer John I. Yellott
, was erected in the Sundial Circle plaza in 1959 and is the "third largest sundial
in the Western Hemisphere
". The sundial, which points to the North Star, is made from a steel frame and covered in anodized copper. It measures 90 feet (27.4 m) in diameter. The metal gnomon
, the shadow-casting portion of the dial, stands 35 feet (10.7 m) above the plaza and extends 72 feet (21.9 m).
The town has 15 restaurant
s, which makes for 1 restaurant for every 247 people, the highest per capita ratio in the Phoenix metropolitan area
.
Carefree was the long-time home of Southwestern Studios, built in 1968. The sprawling 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) desert property adjacent to North Scottsdale featured state-of-the-art soundstages and production facilities. In the early 1970s, the studio was used for The New Dick Van Dyke Show
starring Dick Van Dyke
and Hope Lange
. Later known as Carefree Studios, it was razed in 1999. The Scottsdale Road studio back lot and pristine desert property was developed into retail space and residential development.
Carefree is 17 miles (27.4 km) west of Bartlett Lake
, in the Tonto National Forest
.
to the south and the town of Cave Creek
to the west. Carefree and Cave Creek are often thought of as a single community.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 8.9 square miles (23.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,927 people, 1,389 households, and 995 families residing in the town. The population density
was 330.8 people per square mile (127.7/km²). There were 1,769 housing units at an average density of 200.0 per square mile (77.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.39% White, 0.24% Black or African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.34% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.66% of the population.
There were 1,389 households out of which 14.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.5% were married couples
living together, 3.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.44.
In the town the population was spread out with 12.7% under the age of 18, 2.0% from 18 to 24, 15.4% from 25 to 44, 40.5% from 45 to 64, and 29.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 55 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $88,702, and the median income for a family was $105,699. Males had a median income of $61,050 versus $38,750 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $62,433. About 2.0% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under the age of 18 and 3.2% of those 65 and older.
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 3,799.
History
Characterised as an upscale residential area, Carefree was conceived in the mid-1950s by business partners K.T. Palmer and Tom Darlington as a master-planned community. Land sales commenced in 1955 and homebuilding followed shortly thereafter in 1958. Typical of Carefree's character are its street names—Tranquil Trail, Easy Street, Ho-and-Hum Roads and Long Rifle, Stagecoach and Bloody Basin—which reflect both its quiet, casual air as well as its Western heritage. The motto of Carefree is "Home of Cowboys and Caviar, Where the Old West Meets the New."Features
The Carefree sundialCarefree sundial
The Carefree Sundial, in Carefree, Arizona, the "third largest sundial in the Western Hemisphere" , designed by architect Joe Wong and solar engineer John I. Yellott , was erected in the Sundial Circle plaza in 1959. The sundial is made from a steel frame and covered in anodized copper. It measures...
, designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Joe Wong and solar engineer John I. Yellott
John I. Yellott
John I. Yellott was a scientist internationally recognized as a pioneer in passive solar energy, and an inventor with many patents to his credit. In his honor the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Solar Division confers a biannual "John I...
, was erected in the Sundial Circle plaza in 1959 and is the "third largest sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
in the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
". The sundial, which points to the North Star, is made from a steel frame and covered in anodized copper. It measures 90 feet (27.4 m) in diameter. The metal gnomon
Gnomon
The gnomon is the part of a sundial that casts the shadow. Gnomon is an ancient Greek word meaning "indicator", "one who discerns," or "that which reveals."It has come to be used for a variety of purposes in mathematics and other fields....
, the shadow-casting portion of the dial, stands 35 feet (10.7 m) above the plaza and extends 72 feet (21.9 m).
The town has 15 restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, which makes for 1 restaurant for every 247 people, the highest per capita ratio in the Phoenix metropolitan area
Phoenix Metropolitan Area
The Phoenix metropolitan area, often referred to as The Valley of the Sun, is a metropolitan area, centered on the city of Phoenix, that includes much of the central part of the US state of Arizona...
.
Carefree was the long-time home of Southwestern Studios, built in 1968. The sprawling 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) desert property adjacent to North Scottsdale featured state-of-the-art soundstages and production facilities. In the early 1970s, the studio was used for The New Dick Van Dyke Show
The New Dick Van Dyke Show
The New Dick Van Dyke Show is an American sitcom starring Dick Van Dyke that aired on CBS from 1971 to 1974. This was Van Dyke's first return to series television since The Dick Van Dyke Show.-Production:...
starring Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
and Hope Lange
Hope Lange
Hope Elise Ross Lange was an American stage, film, and television actress.- Early life :Lange was born into a theatrical family in Redding, Connecticut...
. Later known as Carefree Studios, it was razed in 1999. The Scottsdale Road studio back lot and pristine desert property was developed into retail space and residential development.
Carefree is 17 miles (27.4 km) west of Bartlett Lake
Bartlett Lake (Arizona)
Bartlett Lake is a reservoir that was formed by the damming of the Verde River in the U.S. state of Arizona. Constructed in 1936 - 1939 by the Salt River Project, the dam and reservoir were named for Bill Bartlett, a government surveyor...
, in the Tonto National Forest
Tonto National Forest
The Tonto National Forest, encompassing 2,873,200 acres , is the largest of the six national forests in Arizona and is the fifth largest national forest in the United States. The Tonto National Forest has diverse scenery, with elevations ranging from 1,400 feet in the Sonoran Desert to 7,400 feet...
.
Geography
Carefree is located at 33°49′38"N 111°55′25"W (33.827198, -111.923483). It is bordered by the city of ScottsdaleScottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
to the south and the town of Cave Creek
Cave Creek, Arizona
Cave Creek is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona in the United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town was 4,951.-Geography:...
to the west. Carefree and Cave Creek are often thought of as a single community.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 8.9 square miles (23.1 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,927 people, 1,389 households, and 995 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 330.8 people per square mile (127.7/km²). There were 1,769 housing units at an average density of 200.0 per square mile (77.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.39% White, 0.24% Black or African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.34% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.66% of the population.
There were 1,389 households out of which 14.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 3.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.44.
In the town the population was spread out with 12.7% under the age of 18, 2.0% from 18 to 24, 15.4% from 25 to 44, 40.5% from 45 to 64, and 29.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 55 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $88,702, and the median income for a family was $105,699. Males had a median income of $61,050 versus $38,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $62,433. About 2.0% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under the age of 18 and 3.2% of those 65 and older.
Notable residents
- Eric BischoffEric BischoffEric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, American entrepreneur and Professional WrestlingProfessional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
producer - Michael Haugen Jr.Michael Haugen Jr.Michael Haugen Jr. is a right-handed professional ten-pin bowler residing in Carefree, Arizona.http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2007/11/19/sports/top_sports/doc41772abf7d22a26b862573980004b7cd.txt He is a member of the Professional Bowlers Association , having joined in 1994...
, Professional ten-pin bowlerTen-pin bowlingTen-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
and winner of two PBA TourPBA TourThe Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour is the major professional tour for ten-pin bowling, operated by the Professional Bowlers Association. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA Tour consists of "exempt" bowlers who are a part of the almost 4,300 members worldwide...
titles - Dick Van DykeDick Van DykeRichard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
, American actor