Phoenix or Tucson? (Flagstaff, Prescott: neighborhoods, pros and cons, to live in)

[julieph85]

My husband and I are moving out your way this fall but haven't decided on Tucson or Phoenix. Can I have some pros and cons for each and what are the biggest differences? Thanks! Also, are jobs easier to come by in Phoenix? My husband as seen more listings in PHX then Tucson, he is a mechanical project manager/estimator.

[Bondurant]

Phoenix, being the larger, will provide more economic and entertainment options. Tucson is, at the very least, a cool place to visit. Some refer to it as a ghetto or barrio but I don't get caught up in the Phoenix v Tucson hyperbole.

[Kimballette]

If you use the advanced search feature at the top of the page, you will find a lot of threads about this very topic.

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by julieph85

My husband and I are moving out your way this fall but haven't decided on Tucson or Phoenix. Can I have some pros and cons for each and what are the biggest differences? Thanks! Also, are jobs easier to come by in Phoenix? My husband as seen more listings in PHX then Tucson, he is a mechanical project manager/estimator.

Interesting request, Julieph

Granted there are probably ten times as many jobs in Phoenix compared to Tucson but there are probably ten times as many applicants.

Personally, I prefer Tucson over Phoenix primarily due to the better weather and air quality. Tucson averages at least ten degrees cooler overall. Also, no freeways with huge traffic snarls emphasizes the small "cowtown" atmosphere compared to Phoenix.

On the flip side . . . ten times as many people usually equates to ten times as much stuff to do such as restaurants, sporting events and other forms of entertainment, etc.

[SluggoF16]

There are other threads covering the same topic. Usually laced with hyperbole and bias. The above posts from Bondurant and Bummer accurately sum it up; one city has more to offer and the other has a smaller feel (but not too small if you're looking for a city-sized locale). Phoenix has much more efficient and arguably less frustrating transportation. However, it's huge, not the PHX that I grew up with, reminds me of the Metroplex (DFW). Tucson has a decidedly older look and feel, some people confuse it with ghetto, and it seems those comments come from people who either don't like Tucson in the first place or they have never visited.

I've lived in both Phoenix and Tucson and would go back to either without hesitation. I will say the Mexican food is better in Tucson (great way to start a "food fight").

[cacto]

Tucson is prettier, Phoenix is more urban (more stuff, jobs, events).

Tucson is slightly cooler and gets slightly more rain. Phoenix has more water (lakes, Salt River, cheaper water bills, more lawns).

I love both cities and have trouble choosing a favorite.

[tumamoc]

Although it gets bigger every year, Tucson has always felt more like a town than a city. Phoenix is massive. Tucson is way more left-leaning than Phoenix. The older hispanic neighborhoods around downtown Tucson are referred to as "barrios" (Barrio Viejo, Barrio Hollywood, etc.)

[azdr0710]

Tucson will feel, relative to Phoenix, a bit older, a bit junkier, less sophisticated, slower....big mountains are much, much closer to Tucson than Phx, so summer escapes from heat are much easier....no river flows thru Tucson (well, compared to Phx), so there is less irrigation, less greenery....much more desert-y in Tucson.....cooler in summer

Phoenix has excellent connections to the world now thru Sky Harbor.....great consumer choices for shoppers....more money flowing around....much faster-paced city and faster traffic....very spread out - urban west end to urban east end may be close to 50 miles now....

traditionally, Tucsonans hate Phoenix and Phoenicians have never heard of Tucson

[ChikidII]

Tucson. I actually like Tucson more than Phoenix. More culture and a better city overall.

[Catastrophy]

I go to Tuscon every year for conventions and lived in Phoenix for 29 years.

There's no difference in air quality.

There is FAR more culture in Phoenix.

If you're not Hispanic in Tuscon you are a minority.

It's mostly a ghetto. I'm in no way confusing it. I know where the ghettos are in Phoenix and where they are in Tuscon. Tuscon has the lion's share of ghetto area ratio to non-ghetto.

If you want to live in a smaller town away from the Metro Phoenix area around the size of Tuscon move to Prescott or Flagstaff. Infinitely better air quality, better weather, plenty of culture (still nothing compared to Phoenix, though).