ANY PLACE in AZ like this? (Phoenix, Tucson: low crime, restaurants, cost)

[middleoftheroad]

We are going to be retiring coming up quixkly. We have looked at two areas, North of Phoenix, AX, and a town in Central OR, Redmond, OR. The heat in AZ has pretty much ruled it out. It doesn't seem possible to find that happy medium. Surprise has nice shoulder seasons, (spring and fall) but its freezing in the winter, and you KNOW about the summer...110-120. So, I have been checking the maps, looking 'up the hill, down the hill, to the North, to the East" etc, etc, and have not found the "ideal" town.....

So Far.......

Our search in Redmond is much closer to what we would like, with two MINOR exceptions. There are severe drops in temp often. It can be 90 in the day, and 38 at night. I think this could be acclimated to, but the real worry is the winter. It gets cold at night in the winter, sometimes the US coldest spot for a night. We can love the warmth in the summer, up to about 88-90. After that it will feel warm, but it is son dry (7-10% humidity) that it isn't as bad as 78 in the South, where the humidity gets to 70-90%. THATS tough to take.

Anyway, the reason for posting on this Forum is to ask if there is a town that meets our "wish list" there. Inexpensive housing.....low crime rate......within 1/2 - 3/4 hour to a medical hospital or facility.......low rainfall (5-20", no more than 20")......winters mild, with maybe a little snow, but not major packs......summers between 60-95 day, and 40-60 night.

Just trying to find a "Happy Place" to finish out our years! I hope AZ has such a town!

Thanks for the help.
Fred

[saffordpastor]

Prescott?

[mohawkx]

The only place I can think of that fits all your requirements is San Diego, Ca. But then it's not cheap. Arizona is the "Land of Extremes" Extreme heat in the daytime, extreme cold in the nightime. Every spot in the state has it's season where it's either too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry. Good luck in your search. I moved from Portland Or. about 12 years ago and settled in the Verde Valley. Suits me just fine, except for the days when it's too hot, or the nights when it's too cold, or when it's too wet............you get the picture.

I've been looking for the perfect place where the temp is always perfect, the crime rate is very low, the food and housing is very cheap, and everybody treats seniors with respect and gratitude. Haven't found it yet.

[LordBalfor]

Well, as I've posted on this board many times (and others have as well), I'm of the opinion that SE Arizona - specifically places like Sierra Vista - has (aside from parts of Southern California) the best climate in the Continental US. This is because in Southern Arizona as you move east from the California border towards the New Mexico border there is a general elevation gain (Yuma at 200', Phoenix at 1,000', Tucson at 2,400', Benson at 3,500', Sierra Vista at 4,200 (or so), Bisbee at 6,000'). This means that as you head east in Southern Arizona the climate gets cooler and cooler. Somewhere along that stretch you should be able to find a town you like.

We own retirement property 40 minutes east of Tucson (a city of 1 million with everything you would need - including MAJOR medical centers and shopping) and 10 minutes west of Benson (a small town of 5,000 or so with a Safeway, Walmart, several restaurants and shops and a small hospital). We are 4 minutes from I-10 on a low rise above the San Pedro Valley (which is east of us near Benson) that puts us at 4,200' in an area with virtually the same climate as Sierra Vista (ideal in my opinion). Here are our averages (highs/lows) taken from a wunderground.com personal weather station just a few hundred yards from our property that collected data for 5 years before being shut down a couple of year back:

Jan - 60/38
Feb - 64/40
Mar - 68/44
Apr - 77/50
May - 84/59
June - 93/68
July - 91/71
Aug - 86/68
Sep - 85/63
Oct - 78/57
Nov - 69/51
Dec - 60/37

Our rainfall averages roughly 16 inches a year or so - which puts us out of the desert proper and into sort of a grassland/scrubland with an occasional mesquite tree (sort of an African Savanna look in an area naturalists refer to as the Apache Grasslands and have mountain views in 3 directions - see photo links below (give them a minute or so to load as the photos are LARGE)).

Our view to the west towards the Santa Rita Mts:
Webshots - Full Size Photo

Our view to the south towards the Whetstone Mts:
Webshots - Full Size Photo

View of our land looking back from the west:
Webshots - Full Size Photo

Those shots were taken in late July or early August (our wettest time of the year - ie summer "monsoon" season - when we get much of our rainfall in the form of those spectacula thunderstorms the Southwest is so famous for). Other times of the year it's much more dry and brown.

In any event, for a truly warm - but not too hot climate, consider SE Arizona. Climate will vary a bit from town to town - depending on elevation - so poke around and find an area that suits you. Look at places like Sierra Vista (as mentioned), Benson, Willcox, Tombstone, Safford etc and compare all the climates. You can find all kinds of useful info - including climate info - on this very site (https://www.city-data.com/city/Arizona.html). I have to say, that based on YOUR criteria, OUR specific area (J-6) may well meet ALL of your criteria (climate, proximity to major medical, low cost of housing, etc, etc, etc).

Ken

PS - we are familiar with the Redmond/Bend area and considered that as well but ruled it out because of the cold winters. Our area of SE Arizona is far more pleasant climate-wise.

[Ponderosa]

I second Sierra Vista. It is about perfect weather-wise. Maybe the lows are on the downside of your range, but I doubt many find it uncomfortable. Remember, winters are SUNNY here and even if the air temp is down, the sun is very warming and daytime temps rise very quickly after sunrise in the dry air.

[Ritchie_az]

Surprise has nice shoulder seasons, (spring and fall) but its freezing in the winter, and you KNOW about the summer...110-120.

Surprise, Arizona freezing in the winter? I think not. It's no warmer or colder than Phoenix.

Prescott, Cottonwood/Verde Valley, and Sierra Vista could all be good choices.

[azdr0710]

Sierra Vista is not bad.....not near a major hospital, tho, I guess.....can be a tiny bit hot in the summer and cold in the winter, but not at all horrible...the dry air makes a nice difference....won't have ALL the mod cons of a large city and some may find it a bit unsophisticated....nice wide open views.....about an hour to Tucson or so.....

but you'd need to be near an ocean for those great year-round temperatures you're requesting.....

[jaada]

sedona? maybe

[middleoftheroad]

Originally Posted by jaada

sedona? maybe

costly.

[kdog]

Kingman.

The temps aren't quite as moderate as the chart that Ken posted for Sierra Vista, but it's not anywhere as hot as Phoenix. Plus we have really good medical here. Centrally located, close to Bullhead/Laughlin, Lake Havasu City, and under two hours to Vegas. Plus we have affordable housing, little traffic, and clean air.