Drive north on Interstate 10 past the Tucson Premium Outlets and you enter what the town itself calls the fastest-growing community in Southern Arizona. Marana has spent a decade near the top of the region's growth charts, and 2026 hasn't slowed it down: the town issued 970 single-family home permits in fiscal year 2024–25 and is projecting more than 1,000 in the year ahead. Most of that activity is concentrated in North Marana, the stretch along I-10 above the outlets, where several master-planned communities are moving dirt at once. Here is the July 10, 2026 High-Growth Area read on where the growth is, which communities are building, and what the surrounding market looks like. ~67,860 — Marana's estimated 2026 population — up almost 29% since 2020 (World Population Review). 970 — Single-family permits the town issued in fiscal year 2024–25. 1,000+ — New single-family permits Marana projects for the coming year. ~$420K — Marana's median home sale price, down about 1% year over year (Redfin) Why This Corner Keeps Growing Marana's growth is a land-and-access story. The town straddles Interstate 10 northwest of Tucson, which puts large tracts of developable desert within a straight shot of the metro's job centers and the Tucson Premium Outlets. Per World Population Review, Marana's estimated 2026 population is near 67,860 — up almost 29 percent since the 2020 census — and the town bills itself as the fastest-growing community in Southern Arizona. At its April 2, 2026 State of the Town, held at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, and in its 2026 development update, the town pointed to North Marana, the corridor along I-10 above the outlets, as the current center of gravity: it is where the largest blocks of finished lots and new underground utilities are going in. When developable land, freeway access, and existing retail line up in one place, rooftops tend to follow. The Communities Going Vertical The town's 2026 development update names the projects behind those permit numbers. Two of the older North Marana plans — Gladden Farms 2 and the Village of Barnett — are nearing completion, while two newer ones, Monarch and Mandarina, have started earthwork and underground utilities. Farther into the master plan, Dove Mountain is entering its final phase. Together they give a buyer touring new construction in Marana several distinct options at once, from entry-level product priced from the $300,000s to larger gated homesites. Gladden Farms 2 & Village of Barnett (North Marana, Nearing completion, Along I-10): Per the Town of Marana's 2026 development update, these two established North Marana neighborhoods are among the closest to build-out, with builders including D.R. Horton (Barnett Village) active in the area. Mandarina (KB Home) (From ~$300K, 1,000–2,685 sq ft, Pool · pickleball · dog park): KB Home opened two Mandarina communities in late 2025 — Reserve, marketed from about $299,990 across roughly 1,000–2,685 square feet, and the single-story Horizon, from about $349,990. Per KB Home, the master plan includes a pool, basketball and pickleball courts, a dog park, and planned retail. Monarch (~450 acres, Sunbelt Holdings, Lennar · Richmond American): Monarch is a roughly 450-acre master plan by Sunbelt Holdings where Lennar and Richmond American are building; Richmond American's Desert Bloom section is marketed from the upper $400,000s at about 2,070–3,030 square feet. Dove Mountain (final phase) (Richmond American, 121 gated homesites, Opens Sept 2026): The long-running Dove Mountain plan is in its final phase; per Richmond American, its gated Saguaro Reserve III addition, with 121 homesites, is slated to open in September 2026. What to Watch Next The reason to flag Marana now is momentum. The town is projecting more than 1,000 single-family permits in the coming fiscal year — up from 970 the year before — and the pipeline stretches well past 2026, with Monarch and Mandarina still early in their buildouts and Richmond American's Saguaro Reserve III at Dove Mountain due to open in September. For a buyer weighing new construction, the useful signal is not any single floor plan but the breadth of it: when this many national builders are pouring lots and utilities into one town at the same time, they are betting on sustained demand. Expect graded pads and model-home openings to keep rolling through the year, with prices and plans released community by community. Quick reference (July 10, 2026): Marana calls itself the fastest-growing community in Southern Arizona, with an estimated 2026 population near 67,860 (up almost 29% since 2020, per World Population Review). It issued 970 single-family permits in FY 2024–25 and projects 1,000-plus for the coming year. North Marana is the hotspot: Gladden Farms 2 and the Village of Barnett are nearing completion, while KB Home's Mandarina (from the $300,000s) and Sunbelt Holdings' roughly 450-acre Monarch (Lennar and Richmond American) are early in construction, and Richmond American's gated Saguaro Reserve III at Dove Mountain (121 homesites) is slated to open September 2026. Builder prices and timelines change — confirm current details with each community before relying on any figure. The Market Around It New homes usually price above an area's resale median, so the surrounding market is the fair backdrop. Per Redfin, Marana's median home sale price was about $420,000 in a recent reading, down roughly 1 percent year over year, at around $224 per square foot, with homes typically going under contract in about two months. Zoom out and the citywide Tucson median sale price was near $320,000 for the three months ending May 2026, down about 1.6 percent from a year earlier — a mild cooling that has shown up across much of Southern Arizona. New construction usually carries a premium over those resale figures, so treat them as area and metro context, not a forecast for any single community. None of this is investment advice; it is the backdrop a buyer comparing established resale homes often weighs against a brand-new house in a still-filling North Marana community. Sources Town of Marana — "Marana Development Update" (maranaaz.gov/Newsroom-Entries/2026/Marana-Development-Update) — accessed July 10, 2026 — for North Marana as the current growth hotspot, Gladden Farms 2 and the Village of Barnett nearing completion, Monarch and Mandarina in earthwork and underground utilities, the Dove Mountain final phase, and the projection of more than 1,000 single-family permits in the coming fiscal year. Town of Marana — "Growth FAQ" and "Permits & Development" (maranaaz.gov) — accessed July 10, 2026 — for the 970 single-family residential permits issued in fiscal year 2024–25 and the town's characterization as the fastest-growing community in Southern Arizona. Marana Chamber of Commerce — "State of the Town" (maranachamber.com/state-of-the-town) — accessed July 10, 2026 — for the April 2, 2026 State of the Town held at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain. World Population Review — "Marana, Arizona Population 2026" (worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/arizona/marana) — accessed July 10, 2026 — for the estimated 2026 population near 67,860 and the roughly 29 percent increase since the 2020 census. Business Wire — "KB Home Announces the Grand Opening of Two New Communities Within the Highly Desirable Mandarina Master Plan in Marana, Arizona" (businesswire.com; October 31, 2025) — accessed July 10, 2026 — for KB Home's Mandarina Reserve (from about $299,990, roughly 1,000–2,685 square feet) and single-story Horizon (from about $349,990) and the master-plan amenities (pool, basketball and pickleball courts, dog park, planned retail). Real Estate Daily News — "Lennar and Richmond American team up for final block of Phase 1 at Monarch MPC in Marana" (realestatedaily-news.com) — accessed July 10, 2026 — for the roughly 450-acre Monarch master plan, developer Sunbelt Holdings (SBH Marana LP), and Lennar and Richmond American as the builders. Richmond American Homes / Rose Law Group Reporter — "Richmond American expands with Marana acquisition" (roselawgroupreporter.com; October 2025) and Richmond American community listings — accessed July 10, 2026 — for Desert Bloom at Monarch pricing and square footage and the gated Saguaro Reserve III addition (121 homesites) at Dove Mountain slated to open September 2026. Redfin — "Marana Housing Market" (redfin.com/city/11280/AZ/Marana/housing-market) — accessed July 10, 2026 — for the Marana median sale price near $420,000, down about 1 percent year over year, around $224 per square foot, with roughly two months on market. Redfin — "Tucson Housing Market" (redfin.com/city/19459/AZ/Tucson/housing-market) — accessed July 10, 2026 — for the citywide Tucson median sale price near $320,000 for the three months ending May 2026, down about 1.6 percent year over year. All data current as of July 10, 2026; prices, plans, and builder timelines change, so confirm details directly with the town or each community before relying on any single figure. This post is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase real estate.