Thinking of relocating to Page AZ (Flagstaff: crime rate, unemployment, to buy)

[boone]

I have been doing some research on relocating to Page, AZ. I have a few questions concerning what it is like to live there. I visited there in the past and found the town of Page to be an ideal spot. I currently live in a rural area in Pennsylvania and prefer small town living. I've been on the detailed city profile website and a piece of information that caught my attention is the crime statistics. Page has a crime statistic level of 476 while the average crime rate for the United States is 325. What is the cause of the high crime rate in the town of Page or is this a misleading statistic?

I am interested in all information that anyone can give me concerning living in Page. More specifically, health care, crime, friendliness of the community, and overall living conditions. Keep in mind that I'm accustomed to small town life and a rural lifestyle. Thanks in advance for answering.

[Hawkbacker]

I would think that the crime statistics in Page would be somewhat higher due to poverty. There is a rather large native american population in town which could be a factor. I like the area, having been through there last September. It would be great for boating with Lake Powell, lots of sun, and good proximity to national parks, but somewhat remote in terms of distance to larger cities. But that could be a positive

[Ponderosa]

My guess is it is thefts related to boats, campers, and tourists who flock to the area. Also, with small towns it does not take much of a change in raw numbers to effect a large change in the "rate per 100,000". For example a town with 10,000 people and one murder would have a rate of 10 murders per 100,000 which, I believe, greatly distorts the relative risk.

[Cerridwin]

Hi! My family moved to Page from San Jose, CA almost 5 years ago, and I love it here. The crime statistics reflect a sad alcohol and drug problem stemming from poverty, mostly on the Navajo reservation. Alcohol is not allowed on the reservation, so people come into Page to buy and consume alcohol, and wind up passing out in the City Park and other locations around town. There are also pretty high incidences of domestic violence stemming from the same problems. But overall, I think Page is a safe and friendly place to live. One thing to remember, though, is that Page is a tourist-oriented community, with 2-3 million visitors every year. So during the tourist season (between May and the end of October) nearly everyone works. But many jobs are seasonal, and unemployment is high the rest of the year.
To answer your other questions, health care in Page is good. We have a small hospital, a new urgent care clinic, and two medical clinics. Medical specialists from Flagstaff rotate through Page on a regular schedule, limiting the need to travel out of town for specialized medical care.
The thing that I noticed the most when we moved here was how friendly everyone is. Coming from a huge city where people rarely made eye contact with strangers, it was a little shocking to go to the grocery store and have everyone from employees to patrons smiling and saying hello to us. This is a community that takes care of it's own. The town steps up to help whenever there is a need. For instance, recently a woman in town was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. In response, there were a series of fundraising events held to help her family with medical expenses. That is typical of Page. Also, every Spring on Earth Day we hold an event called Page Attacks Trash, where several hundred volunteers pick up trash around town. The reward? A commemerative tee-shirt provided by SRP and a free lunch prepared and served by the Elks Lodge. Community events like these happen year round, and volunteerism is high.
Living in Page can be inconvenient if you're looking for big city ammenities like malls and restaraunt variety. Flagstaff is the nearest sizable city, and it's 140 miles away. But if you like rural, small-town living, I can't think of a friendlier place to live. And the bonus is a breathtaking view wherever you look. I hope this helps.

[expagerite]

There was a murder in Page this past week-end, it will be detailed on [URL="http://www.lakepowellchronicle.com"]www.lakepowellchronicle.com[/URL]
my Dad told me about it. he operates a hospitality enterprise in Page.
i lived there for a year or so, it was pretty cool in the summer, lots of tourists, and europeans and Californicators, etc. Hot as blazes, however. The winters are quiet, mostly locals and the weather can be blustery. I would move back but i'm sort of used to winters and cool summers. i live in upstate New York, wouldn't mind spending a couple of months down there in the winters, maybe someday ! Best of luck,