Retirement out west (new user) (Las Vegas, Reno: homes, school, casinos)

[maherm06]

Forgot to mention my stop in Sedona en route to Prescott. Breathtaking majestic rock formations and fine dining but totally a tourist town which must drive the locals crazy. 2 main avenues with people driving, stopping, pointing, and map reading along with exorbitant prices is not a place anyone should live, plus it is landlocked with Flagstaff nearby but that's a whole other climate world. Enjoy your national parks but just don't live near one, one more day out here then back behind a desk dreaming of the day I retire.

[maherm06]

WorldKlaus, I heard about Mt Charleston how are those hikes miles of steep terrain or an enjoyable moderate length/slope? Adding in some higher elevation green hikes if living in the desert heat makes for a robust lifestyle. Dixie mountains in Utah also offer a cooler change of summer pace, folks there is no reason to avoid western heat if you are averagely mobile. Even Zion has free shuttles to various walkpaths. Prescott was 62 at 8am today and felt nippy compared to my 2 previous stops. People recreate up until 90 degrees in dry heat (us non diehards), America has so much to offer, she truly is beautiful.....

[maherm06]

Final day spent in picturesque lake Havasu via historic route 66. Beautiful green lake surrounding a tropical island looks like a boaters paradise. Strolling along the tiny shops at the island entrance which is the actual original London bridge brought over to America in the 50s is picture perfect. The Flying X saloon has live music most nights and the Red Onion has a breakfast that's tough to beat. The crowd is definitely young, the town is party centric around McCullough Blvd, and most tourists are said to be Californians. Homes are attractive and overlook the palm tree lined lake but are very expensive and the weather can really swelter with some humidity from the water. Overall not a consideration especially during spring break weeks but pretty just the same.
Old route 66 must be experienced once in your lifetime; the Arizona portion is mostly desert with the quaint town of Oatman doing its best to reenact history, just don't pet the wild burros and good luck driving down main street as they lie there oblivious. The treacherous road with 180 degree switchbacks and guard rail-less cliff drop-offs is something to do once.... if this road were back east there'd be a daily casualty. The west is still wild, free, and warm....can't wait to start planning my next venture, possibly carson city, Minden, and Gardnerville via Reno. Hope this helped

[lluvia]

Really enjoyed your reviews.
Thanks for sharing.

[stilllookin]

maherm06...

Any more thoughts now that you've had a week to decompress from your trip? Maybe reading between the lines (or not) but it sounds like mesquite is still the front runner.

Did anything pop up that was completely off of your radar?

again, thanks for the data.

[maherm06]

Mesquite still best fits my criteria for small but modern amenity town close to outdoor activities including red rocks, water, and Vegas nightlife yet still moderately priced. I have yet to read about any city problems like corruption, crime, or utility issues and the heat is bearable as yesterday it was 78 here in CT but I sweated worse than any day I had out west from humidity.
Prescott I really liked but a major water issue and high prices intimidate me and it is a much busier city. If I needed more commercial choices (that create traffic) I'd rather go to St George then leave rather than live there. St George has it all and I love the Utah outdoors but with SS and Pension taxes along with state tax I'd be losing considerable $ from my fixed income. The LDS issue I can't speak to, the folks I met there were noticeably overfriendly but there are certainly worse things that that, would they accept me I don't know as I don't follow religious rules just spirituality and beliefs. Page is a bit remote, great weather, but without Lake Powell it has little to offer. Arizona is tax friendly but less so than Nevada and the air quality is lower and crime a bit higher (Sperlings Best Places...great resource).
I found nothing to deter me from trying out a life out west, I think most gripes I read are interpersonal talking of liberal vs conservative towns being unbearable like Kingman AZ but theres no true way of knowing that unless you live there and get along with your neighbors. What would deter me from Mesquite is employment need, non-active sedentary lifestyle (heat), or stepping down from big city living...that might be tough to adapt to. My dilemma will be do I want a retirement community or not as they have a lot to offer and HOAs are reasonable but the west to me represents freedom and individuality and if folks are going to gossip and fine me for leaving my garage door open during the day while I'm in there or the type of plants I have, I might not last too long. I keep a neat appearance, I'm not a hoarder, but I'm also not much for social circles that judge others. Spend some time in the water, on my motorcycle, and hiking and I'll happily share my time with others until that final sunset.


Mesquite is growing fast so I will follow them for a few years to see if the infrastructure matches the growth, the economy remains a healthy balance of taxable commercial business in a retirement aged community, and tourism $ continues to slowly contribute without becoming another Vegas. I'm 3 years from pension eligible yet I will still need employment income assistance for a few years after that, something simple and local works nicely. I'd consider renting for a year first to fully acclimate and insure I know what I want as I think it may be tough to resell a retirement community home as they are sprouting up very rapidly there (plenty of land being leveled while I was there). Pollution, water and sewage facilities, and politics in a fast growing community need monitoring as money talks to politicians and usually ends up affecting the environment the most.
StillLookin, I pretty much just validated my research while out there; didn't find many surprises though Kingman did peak my interest a bit.
Some numbers (weather facts are daytime hours only 8am-10pm) :
- Temps between 65-85 degrees; Prescott 38% of the time, Mesquite 33%, Gardnerville 27%, Carson City 24%
- Temps 55-85: Prescott and Mesquite at least 50% of the year, St George 47%, Garnderville/Carson City 42%
- Temps above 95 degrees: Mesquite 14%, St George 9%; Prescott/Gardnerville/CarsonCity 0%
- Temps below 35: Carson City 9%, Gardnerville 7%, Prescott 4%; Mesquite/St George 0%
- Average annual temp: Mesquite 68, St George 67, Prescott 55, Carson City 50, Gardnerville 49
- Annual Rainfall inches: Prescott 19, Carson City 11, Gardnerville 10, Mesquite 9, St George 8
- Annual Snowfall inches: Gardnerville 24, Carson City 22, Prescott 12, St George 3, Mesquite 0
- Population: St George 82,000; Prescott 42,000; Carson City 54,000; Mesquite 17,500; Gardnerville 5,700
- Median income: Carson City $50,100; St George $48,100; Prescott $45,200; Mesquite $45,000; Gardnerville $43,000
- Comfort Index (Sperlings BestPlaces 0-100): St George 82, Mesquite 80, Prescott 76, Gardnerville 43, Carson City 42
Hope this helps, any feedback from others with experiences in this area would love to hear firsthand....

[maherm06]

Originally Posted by maherm06

Mesquite still best fits my criteria for small but modern amenity town close to outdoor activities including red rocks, water, and Vegas nightlife yet still moderately priced. I have yet to read about any city problems like corruption, crime, or utility issues and the heat is bearable as yesterday it was 78 here in CT but I sweated worse than any day I had out west from humidity.
Prescott I really liked but a major water issue and high prices intimidate me and it is a much busier city. If I needed more commercial choices (that create traffic) I'd rather go to St George then leave rather than live there. St George has it all and I love the Utah outdoors but with SS and Pension taxes along with state tax I'd be losing considerable $ from my fixed income. The LDS issue I can't speak to, the folks I met there were noticeably overfriendly but there are certainly worse things that that, would they accept me I don't know as I don't follow religious rules just spirituality and beliefs. Page is a bit remote, great weather, but without Lake Powell it has little to offer. Arizona is tax friendly but less so than Nevada and the air quality is lower and crime a bit higher (Sperlings Best Places...great resource).
I found nothing to deter me from trying out a life out west, I think most gripes I read are interpersonal talking of liberal vs conservative towns being unbearable like Kingman AZ but theres no true way of knowing that unless you live there and get along with your neighbors. What would deter me from Mesquite is employment need, non-active sedentary lifestyle (heat), or stepping down from big city living...that might be tough to adapt to. My dilemma will be do I want a retirement community or not as they have a lot to offer and HOAs are reasonable but the west to me represents freedom and individuality and if folks are going to gossip and fine me for leaving my garage door open during the day while I'm in there or the type of plants I have, I might not last too long. I keep a neat appearance, I'm not a hoarder, but I'm also not much for social circles that judge others. Spend some time in the water, on my motorcycle, and hiking and I'll happily share my time with others until that final sunset.


Mesquite is growing fast so I will follow them for a few years to see if the infrastructure matches the growth, the economy remains a healthy balance of taxable commercial business in a retirement aged community, and tourism $ continues to slowly contribute without becoming another Vegas. I'm 3 years from pension eligible yet I will still need employment income assistance for a few years after that, something simple and local works nicely. I'd consider renting for a year first to fully acclimate and insure I know what I want as I think it may be tough to resell a retirement community home as they are sprouting up very rapidly there (plenty of land being leveled while I was there). Pollution, water and sewage facilities, and politics in a fast growing community need monitoring as money talks to politicians and usually ends up affecting the environment the most.
StillLookin, I pretty much just validated my research while out there; didn't find many surprises though Kingman did peak my interest a bit.
Some numbers (weather facts are daytime hours only 8am-10pm) :
- Temps between 65-85 degrees; Prescott 38% of the time, Mesquite 33%, Gardnerville 27%, Carson City 24%
- Temps 55-85: Prescott and Mesquite at least 50% of the year, St George 47%, Garnderville/Carson City 42%
- Temps above 95 degrees: Mesquite 14%, St George 9%; Prescott/Gardnerville/CarsonCity 0%
- Temps below 35: Carson City 9%, Gardnerville 7%, Prescott 4%; Mesquite/St George 0%
- Average annual temp: Mesquite 68, St George 67, Prescott 55, Carson City 50, Gardnerville 49
- Annual Rainfall inches: Prescott 19, Carson City 11, Gardnerville 10, Mesquite 9, St George 8
- Annual Snowfall inches: Gardnerville 24, Carson City 22, Prescott 12, St George 3, Mesquite 0
- Population: St George 82,000; Carson City 54,000; Prescott 42,000; Mesquite 17,500; Gardnerville 5,700
- Median income: Carson City $50,100; St George $48,100; Prescott $45,200; Mesquite $45,000; Gardnerville $43,000
- Comfort Index (Sperlings BestPlaces 0-100): St George 82, Mesquite 80, Prescott 76, Gardnerville 73, Carson City 71
Hope this helps, any feedback from others with experiences in this area would love to hear firsthand....

Comfort Index figures were incorrect

[Mikala43]

Good. I was surprised at the first number for Carson City (our retirement local).

[Hschlick84]

Have you checked out Grand Junction, CO or Montrose along the western slope?

[maherm06]

I had ruled out Colorado as the mountainous weather is similar to what I already have in CT: winters with 2+ ft snowfall and temps in the 20s. Mesquite and the west offer something new weather-wise and I'd still want an extended summer stay in the northeast (or a Colorado) but I'd like to experience waking up any given day and taking my motorcycle out without concern of rain, snow, or frigid temps.
Forests are great but the proximity to the diversity of red rock, warmer temps, Vegas events, and swimmable waters adds a bonus that has peaked my interest; it also allows me a larger freedom of choices on any given day. I believe Grand Junction is a larger city on the west slope at about 60,000 folks(?) so I'd be interested in Montrose (same pop. as Mesquite) but Montrose is the same distance to GJ as Mesquite is to Vegas, which has more event variety.
Thanks for the tip though, i'll look at other numbers for that area.