9 Greatest Locations to Retire in Arizona

Phoenix

Many retirees transfer to Phoenix to flee harsh winters, and it’s straightforward to see why.

“Better Phoenix is a perfect place for retirees for a number of causes, together with the signature heat local weather that features over 300 days of sunshine per yr. This provides retirees an incredible alternative to get pleasure from out of doors actions similar to {golfing}, climbing, pickleball, and stargazing practically year-round,“ mentioned Doyle.

Phoenix can also be identified for its golf programs — there are over 200 within the space. However that’s not the one factor the “Valley of the Solar” has to supply.

Papago Park is gorgeous, with huge sandstone buttes scattered all through its panorama. It’s a favourite spot for vacationers and residents alike and affords climbing, mountain biking, fishing, archery, and golf. It’s additionally dwelling to a few of Phoenix’s hottest points of interest just like the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Backyard.

Common dwelling costs in Phoenix are round $622,730 (or $576,725 when together with your entire Phoenix metropolitan space), in accordance with Brigitte Berry, realtor and luxurious property specialist with Coldwell Banker Realty, Phoenix/Paradise Valley.

Whereas that is larger than the nationwide common of $420,800 (for the primary quarter of 2024), it’s not stopping retirees from selecting Phoenix, though many are choosing condos within the metropolis in lieu of huge suburban homes. “Downtown Phoenix affords beautiful condominium choices and a vibrant metropolis life with arts, theatre, markets, and eating,“ mentioned Berry.

Paradise Valley

A fascinating suburb of Phoenix, Paradise Valley is one other location in Arizona that retirees love. “[It] is extremely picturesque with beautiful Sonoran Desert surroundings, mountain backdrops, and plush golf programs,” mentioned Doyle. This group affords residents a laid-back, rural environment with easy accessibility to big-city facilities (Phoenix is simply 25 minutes away).

Tons for brand spanking new development begin at $899,000, and houses begin at round $1.5 million, in accordance with Zillow. Whereas property in Paradise Valley doesn’t come low-cost, residents love the quiet, relaxed life-style and pure great thing about the world.

Tempe

Tempe is a vibrant school city that embraces residents of all ages. It’s certainly one of three Arizona cities which have joined AARP’s Community of Age-Pleasant States and Communities. “[The city has] taken the subsequent step of creating and starting to implement an motion plan to handle challenges that affect older adults [to] turn into extra age-friendly,” mentioned Rodney Harrell, vice chairman of household, dwelling, and group at AARP.

Tempe is an lively metropolis with a relaxed environment. Downtown Tempe boasts native eating places, outlets, and theaters, whereas Tempe City Lake gives plentiful water actions, together with kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing.

Sports activities lovers will get pleasure from Tempe’s proximity to quite a lot of groups and stadiums, together with school soccer at Arizona State College’s Mountain America Stadium and the Los Angeles Angels baseball spring coaching at Tempe Diablo Stadium. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns play in Phoenix, and the Arizona Cardinals play in Glendale, all of that are inside a 30-minute drive from Tempe.

Scottsdale

Scottsdale tops many lists of one of the best locations to retire in Arizona. It’s identified for its vibrant artwork scene, upscale buying, and eating.

Scottsdale is a haven for foodies, with over 800 eating places to select from. For nightlife, Outdated City Scottsdale is the place to be, providing quite a lot of bars, lounges, nightclubs, and even a high-tech bowling alley.

Arts and tradition are entrance and middle in Scottsdale. Each Thursday night, there’s the Scottsdale ArtWalk. This free occasion invitations you to walk by way of the historic Artwork District, having fun with the world’s galleries, outlets, eating places, public artwork, and stay performances.

Scottsdale’s out of doors recreation choices are plentiful and various. There’s climbing, biking, river rafting, horseback using, and naturally, golf. There are over 200 golf programs within the Scottsdale and better Phoenix space, together with the Gold Course at The Wigwam, probably the greatest programs within the state, and TPC Scottsdale, dwelling of the WM Phoenix Open.

The town has additionally caught on to the pickleball craze. The biggest pickleball facility within the state (and one of many largest on this planet), Pure Pickleball, will open in Scottsdale within the fall of 2024.

Tucson

Tucson has a sizzling and dry local weather — good for these coming from chilly climate locations.

There’s no higher place to stay for simple entry to Saguaro Nationwide Park and Saguaro Nationwide Park West, dwelling to over two million iconic saguaro cacti. One other out of doors gem, Coronado Nationwide Forest, is well accessible from Tucson. Situated inside the park are the Santa Catalina Mountains, which provide residents and guests an amazing spot for climbing, mountain biking, mountaineering, birding, and tenting.

Tucson can also be a unbelievable vacation spot for having fun with the expansive evening sky. “There’s an out of doors lighting code to protect the evening sky’s visibility and help native astronomy, which is ideal for stargazing,” mentioned Cathy Wolfson, the 2024 president of the Tucson Affiliation of Realtors.

One other factor Tucson has going for it’s reasonably priced housing. “The median dwelling gross sales value within the Tucson space was $380,000. That is under the nationwide common in Could [2024] of $419,300,” mentioned Kevin Kaplan, chief working officer of Lengthy Realty in Tucson.

The realm additionally has quite a lot of housing choices. “The Tucson space boasts quite a few 55+ age-restricted retirement communities,” Kaplan instructed Journey + Leisure.

“Tucson’s interesting local weather, reasonably priced value of dwelling, plentiful out of doors actions, accessible healthcare, wealthy cultural scene, and welcoming retirement communities make it a perfect vacation spot for retirees searching for a cushty and fulfilling life-style,” mentioned Kaplan.

Solar Metropolis

Solar Metropolis, Arizona, is a 55+ group for lively adults who’re searching for a leisurely life-style.

Some of these communities thrive within the state, Doyle defined. “At the moment, the Solar Metropolis group and its sister group Solar Metropolis West are host to roughly 60,000 retired residents.”

This group is shut to greater cities like Phoenix and Scottsdale, nevertheless it’s designed to incorporate important options and providers. Physician’s workplaces, buying, eating, church buildings, and even inns for visiting family and friends are positioned inside Solar Metropolis, so residents don’t want to depart except they need to.

Solar Metropolis has so much going for it however nonetheless manages to maintain assessments low ($575 per property per yr as of Jan. 1, 2024). Recreation Facilities of Solar Metropolis, Inc. (RCSC) has “essentially the most facilities for the bottom annual property evaluation of any retirement group within the U.S. right this moment,” per Doyle. Facilities like eight recreation facilities, eight golf programs, two bowling facilities, an out of doors amphitheater, and a 33-acre man-made lake make Solar Metropolis a well-liked place for retirees.

Since Solar Metropolis is definitely an unincorporated part of Maricopa County, there isn’t any gross sales tax. No colleges imply there’s no college tax to pay both. There are property taxes, which assist fund issues like the hearth division. Nonetheless, these taxes are low, averaging between $300 and $1,300 a yr.

Flagstaff

For retirees who would like 4 distinct seasons, there’s Flagstaff, Arizona. This mountain city, which sits 7,000 ft above sea stage, not solely sees a mean of 108 inches of snowfall in a yr but in addition averages 266 days of sunshine per yr.

With summer season temperatures within the low 80s, Flagstaff misses the brutal summer season climate that many different Arizona cities expertise. Due to this, out of doors actions are plentiful. Mountain climbing and biking are particularly well-liked, and there is quite a lot of trails within the space starting from straightforward, accessible paths to difficult routes to trails higher suited to horseback using or electrical bikes.

Since Flagstaff ranks among the many snowiest cities within the nation, it’s no marvel snowboarding is a well-liked wintertime exercise. Arizona Snowbowl, positioned simply 12 miles exterior of Flagstaff, is among the nation’s oldest regularly run ski areas. There are 55 runs and eight lifts, together with the Grand Canyon Specific, the state’s first high-speed carry that takes six passengers 1,500 ft up in lower than six minutes.

For skiers preferring to remain on stage floor, Arizona Nordic Village affords 25 miles of cross-country snowboarding trails and 10 miles of snowshoe trails.

Sedona

Sedona, Arizona, is a must-visit vacation spot for artists and artwork lovers alike. This small city boasts over 80 galleries that includes quite a lot of mediums, together with sculpture, jewellery, pictures, ceramics, portray, and a lot extra. This various inventive group is the spine of Sedona.

Residents and guests will get pleasure from First Friday within the Galleries, a free month-to-month occasion that brings the group collectively to eat, drink, get pleasure from native artwork, and mingle with the artists.

Whereas the artwork scene is distinguished, Sedona has extra to supply. There are over 400 miles of climbing and biking trails, 4 wilderness areas, and two state parks.

The colourful eating scene favors contemporary, native elements and domestically owned eating places. You should definitely cease by a number of the wineries on the Verde Valley Wine Path to pattern a number of the native Arizona wines. There’s even a yearly occasion, the Sedona Winefest, that celebrates the world’s wine, meals, and music.

Yuma

If you need to retire to a sunny vacation spot, look no additional than Yuma, Arizona. Typically cited because the sunniest place on Earth, Yuma sees over 4,000 hours of solar per yr (or about 11 hours per day).

This small metropolis is positioned close to the California and Mexico borders in Arizona’s southwest nook. Its location alongside the Colorado River makes it a novel spot for water actions — there’s every part from boating, fishing, and waterskiing to jet snowboarding, kayaking, paddleboarding, and tubing.

The Yuma space can also be distinctive for one more motive: It has three wildlife refuge areas (Cibola, Imperial, and Kofa) overlaying over 1,000 sq. miles of space. This is among the largest contiguous protected areas for wildlife within the nation.