Towns just outside of Phoenix (Tucson, Chandler: house, good schools, living in)

[NextExit40Miles]

I've read that the Phoenix area itself can get very hot in the summer months. But I'm wondering how are the areas just outside of Phoenix ? Since say an area like Flagstaff for example, although much further north is said to be much cooler and even gets significant amounts of snow. What are the areas like between these two locations ? (closer to Phoenix being more preferable) Is there a 'happy median' of sorts with cooler summers yet moderate winters and no or minimal snowfall ? With close shopping, safe clean area, entertainment, access to healthcare and good schools. Or close enough to the Phoenix area to shop and socialize there.

[grmi66]

Prescott and Payson are with 90 minutes of Phoenix and might fit what you are looking for.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by grmi66

Prescott and Payson are with 90 minutes of Phoenix and might fit what you are looking for.

Prescott much more so than Payson. Schools, entertainment options not so great there, shopping marginal.

To the OP- both are further from the Phoenix area than you might want for particuiarly frequent shopping or entertainment trips-- it depends on your priorities and tolerances. You don't mention jobs, but good jobs may be tough to find in either place.

[infocyde]

Flagstaff is around 7000? feet elevation, so it is the coolest of the towns outside of Phoenix. I can't speak for Payson, but Prescott at about 5300 feet still gets hot in the summer. A good rule of thumb is to subtract 10-15 degrees from the temps in Phoenix...so say 108 in Phoenix would be low 90ies in Prescott, still warm but not as bad. It does get over 100 in Prescott sometimes in the summer but it is rarer than having a high in the 90ies. Prescott also gets more monsoon action than Phoenix, so much of the hottest days in Prescott get cooled down in the late afternoon.

[AZJoeD]

Living in one of the towns outside of the valley is not living in the valley. In other words it is not convenient to travel to Phoenix from Flagstaff, Prescott, Payson, Sedona, Show Low or any other town for shopping or entertainment, unless you only want to come on rare occasions. If I came to a event in Phoenix that ended at 10:00pm, I would not want to drive back to Prescott.

The other thing about Arizona is that there are NO roads here. Every place has one road. If you want to go up north you take I-17. If you want to go south or west you take I-10. If you want to go east you take US-60. If there is an accident or problem on the highway, it is shutdown (happens often), you wait. All the other roads are two lane meandering roadways that take you through small towns or enclaves. If they shut down I-17 at Sunset Point, the only way to Prescott is about 100 miles out of your way through the back roads (just an example).

The point is you don't want to live in one of the smaller towns IF you want to be in Phoenix. If you want to live in Prescott, shop in Prescott, dine in Prescott, work in Prescott that is great, Prescott is a very nice place, but it is not Phoenix.

[agorski]

Prescott is big enough to have one of every big box store, so I've never needed to go to the Valley to shop. And I don't have air conditioning in my home and don't miss it, since when it does get into the 90's it gets down to about 60 overnight and the house stays cool enough.

[goldenglory18]

I'd look into Marana, AZ.

It's cooler than Tucson, which is cooler than Phoenix, and it's 30 minutes out from down town Tucson, and 60 minutes outside of Chandler (Phoenix suburb.) Plus its growing, and housing is still cheap.

[beTucsonan]

Originally Posted by goldenglory18

I'd look into Marana, AZ.

It's cooler than Tucson, which is cooler than Phoenix, and it's 30 minutes out from down town Tucson, and 60 minutes outside of Chandler (Phoenix suburb.) Plus its growing, and housing is still cheap.

If you can tell the difference in temp between Marana and Tucson than you have a genuine gift, if only a gift of dubious value. You would have to stand around in very particular places at very particular times with a very accurate thermometer to know there was a difference at all, and you would never likely be able to "feel" that difference.

More accurately, as has been said and to the OP's point, no, you probably won't find a town near enough to Phoenix to make it convenient to visit often that is noticeably cooler. Even the further suburbs that still comprise the Phoenix MSA are a long way out from Phoenix itself, and you'll be lucky to garner a degree or two in your favor for moving to them.

[infocyde]

AZJoeD has some good points, traveling to and from Phoenix is limiting...but I would disagree that frequent commutes into the Valley aren't practical as many make them all the time. People commute from the Prescott area (more Dewey-Humbolt) to Phoenix...I think they are crazy but they do. The roads into Phoenix do log jam due to accidents frequently, I remember being stuck on the I17 for hours one time. I also am not a huge fan of the I17 though it gets easier each time I drive it. When I moved to Northern AZ I thought I would be going down to Phoenix every other weekend. I think I've made it down maybe only eight or so times in the last couple of years as once you live in Northern AZ for awhile your desire to mess with Phoenix lessens dramatically...

I would also agree that the Prescott area (and to a lesser degree Flagstaff area) are self contained units with everything you need. I do miss having a Fry's Electronics nearby as well as some of the restaurants in the Phoenix area but that is about it. The benefits of living up North far out weight the few cool things about the valley for me in this stage of live, but depending on your needs and where you are at each person's calculus will differ on that.

[Annilyna]

i'm currently in Marana, and I think the reason it was suggested was that we are typically at least 10 to 15 degrees cooler than Phoenix (so is Tucson, for that matter), BUT we are closer to Phoenix than say, someone living in the actual town of Tucson, plus we have easy access to the I-5, which is the only way back and forth to Phoenix. I can easily make it to Phoenix for a day trip.