Inside Paradise Valley, the richest place in Arizona

• Wealthy Californians are moving to Paradise Valley for large lots and lower taxes.
• I visited Paradise Valley in April and found the estates spread out on the mountain.
• With Phoenix’s privacy and easy access, it’s easy to see why billionaires want to live there.

In Paradise Valley, Arizona, millionaires can feel like they’re living in the middle of nowhere—and they can get to the airport in 20 minutes.

They can spend their days in the desert paradise playing golf at exclusive, members-only clubs, shopping at nearby luxury stores, or lounging by the pool on their sprawling, secluded properties.

Sometimes called the “Beverly Hills of Arizona,” suburban Phoenix is ​​the wealthiest city in the state and has long attracted high-end residents. And in the past decade, Paradise Valley has become even more popular for wealthy Californians who are swapping West Coast life for large lots and lower taxes in the wealth enclave of Arizona.