Unincorporated communities near the Verde River
Unincorporated Maricopa County land northeast of Scottsdale, between McDowell Mountain Regional Park and the Tonto National Forest: the Rio Verde and Tonto Verde golf communities and the rural Rio Verde Foothills east of about 168th Street.
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Market figures: RentCast, from single-family listings (list prices, not closed sales) in each area’s main ZIP code. “To date” means the month so far. Areas that share a ZIP code show the same figures. Any figures shown are past results, not a forecast. Descriptions cover places and housing, not who lives there.
Boundaries are approximate. The list and links on this page carry the same information.
No. Rio Verde, Tonto Verde and Rio Verde Foothills are unincorporated, so Maricopa County, not a town or city, handles their zoning, permits and roads. The Census Bureau’s Rio Verde place covers Rio Verde and Tonto Verde only.
Source: City of Scottsdale, City Manager’s response on Rio Verde Foothills (December 19, 2022); Maricopa County GIS, City layer; U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb, Census Designated Places
ZIP code 85263: Rio Verde, Tonto Verde and the part of Rio Verde Foothills east of about 168th Street. The Foothills west of there, to 136th Street, carry ZIP code 85262, a Scottsdale ZIP code although they’re outside the city, so this site counts them with North Scottsdale; check a specific address with the Maricopa County Assessor.
Source: Maricopa County GIS, ZIP Code layer; Maricopa County, Rio Verde Foothills Area Plan (2005); Maricopa County Assessor
From a well, or by hauling water: since January 1, 2026, enrolled parcels can fill up at EPCOR’s standpipe on 176th Street, and a parcel’s eligibility passes to its buyer but may change with a lot split. Rio Verde’s piped water system, run by EPCOR, draws on groundwater wells. Ask EPCOR whether a parcel is enrolled, and the Arizona Department of Water Resources about a well.
Source: EPCOR, Rio Verde Foothills water fill station; EPCOR, Facility opens January 1, 2026 (December 30, 2025); EPCOR, 2025 Rio Verde water quality report; Laws 2023, Chapter 182 (SB 1432), A.R.S. § 9-500.40; Arizona Corporation Commission, open meeting highlights (November 29, 2023)
In Rio Verde Foothills, the County’s zoning is Rural-43 and Rural-190, with minimum lots of 43,560 and 190,000 square feet, and its Rural zones allow horse corrals with no limit on farm animals. Lots in Rio Verde and Tonto Verde follow their own zoning and CC&Rs, so check the parcel on the County’s zoning map.
Source: Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance (December 10, 2025), §§ 501, 502 and 603.1; Maricopa County, Rio Verde Foothills Area Plan (2005)
Mostly, in the Foothills: the County’s 2005 area plan found no community sewer system there, so homes used septic systems. When a home with a septic system sells, the County requires an inspection within six months before the transfer and a Notice of Transfer from the buyer within 15 days after it; in Rio Verde and Tonto Verde, ask which serves the home.
Source: Maricopa County, Rio Verde Foothills Area Plan (2005); Maricopa County Environmental Services, Onsite Wastewater Ownership Transfer
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Your own contract controls, and your attorney, tax professional or other advisers can confirm what applies to you.
Rules and figures can change.
See Rio Verde beside any of the other ten areas: lots, homes, HOAs, setting and walkability.
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Call 602-785-5095Text 602-785-5095