Sun Lakes is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 14,868 at the 2020 census. Sun Lakes is an active adult community comprising five country club communities in three homeowner associations. These include the gated communities of Oakwood and IronWood (IronOaks), the gated and non-gated communities of Palo Verde and Cottonwood (Cottonwood Palo Verde), and the non-gated community of Sun Lakes 1.