Prescott or Payson (Phoenix, Mesa, Prescott Valley: work, hospital, housing)

[jump416]

Thinking of retiring to Prescott or Payson, please post any information that might be of interest. Thanks.

[LBear]

Well, Prescott healthcare services are abysmal:

CLICK HERE

[RetiredAZTeacher]

Payson--a lot wetter and colder than Prescott since they are on the Mogollon rim and catch the weather patterns that hit eastern AZ. Beautiful country. Indian casino is nice and holds weekly blackjack tournaments.

Prescott--Also beautiful, but not the same 'foresty' look you get in Payson. Two Indian casinos. Housing costs in Prescott are a bit high (versus Prescott Valley or Chino Valley which are lower), but lots of stores to shop at and some very good restaurants to visit. The downtown courtyard area is great for walking around and during the spring and summer they have crafts/arts shows there almost every weekend.

I live in Prescott and have found it to be a great place for retirees (of which I am one). I have visited Payson many times but have never lived there although my siblings used to. I have had good experiences at the Prescott hospital, but have not been impressed with local doctors. To me, Payson feels a lot more 'rural' and 'outdoorsy' than Prescott does (which has more shopping/malls available and a lot more social type activities available through Yavapai college [like concerts, orchestra, plays, etc.]), so it depends a lot on what your interests are in retirement.

I think both choices would be good. Good luck!

[hi2pvlv]

I am a teacher in Prescott Valley and love it. Humboldt Unified is looking for substitute teachers and many of the schools welcome volunteers to tutor. You will need a finger print clearance card but the options to help students is great. The PV public library is a great place to volunteer as well.
The climate is great, the housing market is incredible for buyers at the moment and there is a decent variety of stores. People are friendly and you don't have traffic problems.
Check out where you will be purchasing a home however because people get fined for some pretty lame things- "too much" in the drive way, too many cars, covered cars, not taking care of tumble weeds "soon enough." They often act like a home owners association and I'm not sure how they get away with it.
Over all- it's a great community.

[BiggsHomes]

When we moved out here, both the Prescott area and Payson were on our list. We visited the Prescott area first and fell in love with it, so we bought here. We never did make it to Payson. I understand that Payson is not as developed, so there will be fewer shopping and dining options. That is good or bad depending on your desires. Personally, we like a variety, so the Prescott area met our needs.

[esselcue]

YRMC saved my life when I suffered a pulmonary embolism...I "died" three times but they did not give up, and 10 years later, here I am! Doctors can make mistakes, they are human, but for the most part I have always been well and graciously-treated in Yavapai Regional Medical Center in Prescott. And YRMC in Prescott Valley is YRMC East. Different place.

The victim in the news story that Pettrix referred to was a long-time victim of abuse and there is a LOT more to this incident than the Courier story presents. The people who responded to that story also did not have full information about what happened. It bothers me to see the medical profession maligned like this...and I am not a member of the medical profession. I work for the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office.

[LBear]

Originally Posted by esselcue

YRMC saved my life when I suffered a pulmonary embolism...I "died" three times but they did not give up, and 10 years later, here I am!

The Prescott Valley YRMC was NOT around 10 years ago? They are about 3 - 4 years old.

[pipercub]

where are the areas in prescott that you don't want to live in.

[Gretchen B]

Originally Posted by jump416

Thinking of retiring to Prescott or Payson, please post any information that might be of interest. Thanks.

Payson and Prescott are really pretty similar when it comes to elevation and weather and topography. I have noticed that it does seem like when we're getting the moisture over here in Prescott that Payson isn't, and vice versa. Payson may be a couple of degrees warmer in the summer than Prescott (generally upper 80's/low 90's), but pretty close on temps, too, with occasional snows in the winter.

Payson is quite a bit smaller than Prescott (especially if you include Prescott Valley and Chino Valley) and not as much shopping, but it's an easier drive to the East Valley (Fountain Hills, Mesa) on Hwy 87 than it is on I-17 from Prescott to Phoenix. However, up here in Prescott we've got a mall and several of the bigger stores (i.e. Costco, Best Buy, Lowes, Kohls, Home Depot. etc) so it just depends on whether or not you want to drive to Phoenix for additional shopping.

Prescott proper is at the edge of Prescott National Forest and you'll find pines, boulders, junipers. Same with Payson. Outlying areas are Dewey, which heads into high desert, and Prescott Valley and Chino Valley, which have grassland surrounding them.

Prescott was founded in the late 1800's so you'll find some historic districts and a historic downtown/courthouse square where there's a lot of activities from about May - early October. Chino Valley is quite rural feeling, and Prescott Valley is a rapidly growing newer community (wasn't much of a town until the mid 1980's - now it's about 30,000 pop.)

I know some people like Payson better and some like Prescott better - mostly depends on what size community you're looking for.

[esselcue]

I was helped at YRMC Prescott...not PV. I know it was not there 10 years ago...but YRMC in Prescott WAS!!!