Havasu Foothills vs. Havasu Riviera
The two places most upper-end Havasu buyers end up choosing between. Here's how they compare, using the last 12 months of MLS sales.
By Jovian Moran, Associate Broker, Infinitude Realty · Updated October 2026
The Havasu Riviera is on the lake, with smaller lots and higher prices. The Havasu Foothills sit up in the hills on the east side of town, with bigger lots, more garage, lake views from above, temperatures roughly 4 to 7 degrees cooler than at the lake, a quieter pace, and a lower median price. Both are newer, gated, and built for people who bring boats and toys.
One thing up front: we build and sell homes in the Foothills, and some of our listings there are Owner/Agent. So take my read with that in mind, and check the numbers below yourself. They come straight from the MLS.
The Numbers
Single-family homes closed in the 12 months ending October 2026, from the Lake Havasu Association MLS:
| Havasu Foothills | Havasu Riviera | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes sold | 51 | 10 |
| Median sale price | $1,475,000 | $3,225,000 |
| Price range | $670,000 to $4,725,000 | $1,771,000 to $4,500,000 |
| Median lot | 0.43 acre | 0.28 acre |
| Lot range | 0.17 to 1.5 acres | 0.19 to 0.41 acre |
| HOA dues | About $100 a year to $250 a month, by community | $140 to $180 a month |
"Havasu Foothills" here means every subdivision with Foothills in its MLS name: Havasu Foothills Estates, Ladera South, Ladera North, The Enclaves, The Arroyos, Trinity, and The Villas at the Foothills. HOA dues are as reported on the MLS listings. Confirm current dues with the HOA.
The Havasu Riviera
The Riviera is a newer master-planned, gated community on the Lake Havasu shoreline, built alongside the Havasu Riviera Marina, a state park marina and boat launch developed in partnership with Arizona State Parks.
What you're paying for is being on the water side of town, with a marina next door. The homes are new, the finishes run high, and the lots are compact. In the last year the Riviera homes that sold sat on lots from 0.19 to 0.41 acre, and the median sale was $3,225,000.
The Havasu Foothills
The Foothills are a group of gated communities up in the hills east of the main part of town. From the hillside, a lot of homes look out over the city to the lake and the mountains in California beyond it.
The draw here is land. The median Foothills lot that sold in the last year was 0.43 acre, about half again the Riviera median, and some run past an acre. More land means room for deep RV garages, casitas, and pools without crowding the lot. That's why so many of the big-garage homes in Havasu are up here.
It Runs Cooler Up Here
The Foothills sit about 1,200 feet above the lake. Lake Havasu's surface is held near 450 feet above sea level, and homesites in the Foothills sit at roughly 1,650 to 1,700 feet. Air temperature typically drops about 3.5 to 5.5 degrees for every 1,000 feet you climb, so on elevation alone the Foothills run roughly 4 to 7 degrees cooler than down at the water. Add the breeze you get up on the hillside, and on plenty of days it feels like more.
In a Havasu summer, a few degrees is the difference between sitting out on the patio and staying inside with the AC.
Its Own Little City, Away From the City
The Foothills feel like their own little city tucked away from the rest of Havasu. You're behind a gate, up in the desert hills, with open space and trails around you instead of traffic. It's quiet. Things move slower up here. When you want the restaurants, the shops, or the channel, you drive down into town, and when you're done you come back up to the calm.
If you want quieter, slower-paced living with the lake still close by, the Foothills are a great place to look.
The Foothills also cover a wider price range. The Villas at the Foothills had sales under $900,000. The Arroyos mostly traded between $1.1 million and $1.5 million. Ladera North, Ladera South, and The Enclaves had sales from about $2.3 million up past $4.5 million.
How to Choose
Start with how you'll use the house. If walking down to the marina and being on the lake side of town matters most, and you don't need a big lot, look hard at the Riviera. If the garage is the plan, with a motorhome bay, a boat, and room for the toys, or you want more space between you and the neighbors, cooler temperatures, and a quieter, slower pace, the Foothills will give you more of that for the money.
Then compare the same things side by side: lot size, garage size and door height, HOA dues and what they cover, rental rules in the CC&Rs, and the view from the actual lot. Garage square footage on the MLS isn't always measured the same way, so ask for the bay dimensions. More on that in How Big an RV Garage Do You Need?
Common Questions
Is the Havasu Riviera more expensive than the Havasu Foothills?
Yes, by median. In the 12 months ending October 2026, Havasu Riviera homes sold for a median of $3,225,000 and Havasu Foothills homes for a median of $1,475,000, per the Lake Havasu Association MLS. The Foothills cover a wider range, with sales from $670,000 to $4,725,000.
Is it cooler in the Havasu Foothills?
Yes. The Foothills sit about 1,200 feet above Lake Havasu, at roughly 1,650 to 1,700 feet versus about 450 feet at the lake surface. Temperature typically drops about 3.5 to 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit per 1,000 feet of elevation, so the Foothills run roughly 4 to 7 degrees cooler than at the water.
What is it like to live in the Havasu Foothills?
Quiet and slower paced. The Foothills feel like their own little city away from the rest of Lake Havasu City, with gated communities, desert hills, open space and trails. Restaurants, shopping and the lake are a drive down into town.
Which has bigger lots, the Havasu Foothills or the Havasu Riviera?
The Foothills. The median lot sold there in the last year was 0.43 acre, with some over an acre. Riviera lots that sold ran from 0.19 to 0.41 acre, with a median of 0.28 acre.
Are the Havasu Foothills communities gated?
Many are, including Ladera South and The Enclaves. Check the specific community, since the Foothills include several separate subdivisions.
What are HOA dues in the Havasu Riviera?
Recent Riviera MLS listings show dues of $140 to $180 a month. Confirm current dues with the HOA.
What are HOA dues in the Havasu Foothills?
They vary by community. Recent MLS listings show about $100 to $200 a year in Havasu Foothills Estates, $75 a month in Ladera South, $225 a quarter in Trinity, and $250 a month in The Enclaves. Confirm with the HOA.
Want the Current Numbers on a Specific House?
I'll pull the recent sales on the exact street you're looking at, Foothills or Riviera, and tell you what a fair price looks like.
General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm anything that matters with the city, the HOA, or a licensed professional before you rely on it.
Header photo: sunset over The Arroyos at Havasu Foothills Estates, looking toward Lake Havasu. Photo from our listing at 6873 Avienda De Los Foothills.