Sun Lakes is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 13,975 at the 2010 census. Sun Lakes is an active adult community comprising five active adult country club communities in three homeowner associations. These include the gated communities of Oakwood and IronWood (IronOaks), and the gated and non gated communities of Palo Verde and Cottonwood (Cottonwood Palo Verde), and the non gated community of Sun Lakes 1. Sun Lakes is a master-planned community developed by a single builder, Robson Communities.