Kingman info (Phoenix, Flagstaff, Bullhead City: mortgage, relocation, real estate)

[Dave/Linda]

Hi. South Dakotans considering relocation to the Kingman area. Considering employment at the local hospital. Would love some feedback on living in the area. Pros/cons on cost of living, entertainment, churches, opinions on the hospital, etc.

[arizonanevada]

Hi,
I live just outside of Kingman in Golden Valley Arizona. I've been here for almost 5 years now. I come from Boston, MA. Kingman is a small town. I would say about 35,000 people. It has just about everything but some of the bigger stores. It has a super wal-mart, Home Depot, just about all the major restaurant chains and about 4 super markets. It's 50 miles from Laughlin Nevada which sits on the Colorado River where you can boat, swim, fish jet ski, whatever. It's 150 miles from Flagstaff AZ and 95 miles from Las Vegas. Seems to have lots of churches and the hospital is growing but when it comes to employment out here --- you're treated like an object. You can feel the difference. And the pay is not very well. But It's a fun area if you think you would like the River, Lake, Hiking, Jet Skiing, Four wheeling, Casinos of which there are about 10 in Laughlin NV. And the fun of Las Vegas near by. It also can become very hot in the summer. I think Kingman can be 110 F. at times. Laughlin NV which is at a lower altitude has hit 130 F. and easily can be 120 F.
Have Fun

[sunny1]

Hi, new to this board forgive me if these questions have been asked. Considering a move to the Kingman area. I understand the hospital is the main employer but are there other opportunities available? Are there any nice restaurants nearby, say closer than Vegas? I also have heard the property prices have come down recently does anyone know if this is true?
Is Kingman the kind of place you could settle down and raise a family? What is the nearest good University?
Any things that you either love or don't care for please write back with any info. I have very little time to make a decision and one of us has a job lined up the other will have to look for work and needs to make at least $35,000 a year even if it is waiting tables or bartending.
And one more thing, any health food stores or sushi restaurants how about movie theaters or art museums? Hope these aren't silly questions I am just having a hard time finding information that really hits all of the points.
Does anyone work elsewhere and commute?

Thanks in advance

[tonya borck]

I have lived in Kingman almost 5 years and while I have been fortunate enough to meet some very nice people I have had quite a few extremely bad situations happen to me and my family because of the color of my skin. On the positive side I have a great job (better than many folks who are native to this area), I have found a nice church home, I have some great friends, I have learned a lot, the sunsets/rises are magnificent and the nights are absolutely gorgeous. On the negative side there is a lot of racism here our property has been spraypainted with racial slurs, I have been verbally attacked for no reason at all, something as simple as walking down the street can cause me or my children harm. Coming to Kingman from a military community has been absolutely shocking. However what Kingman lacks in cultural competence it makes up for with natural beauty. Life here is pretty good for the most part you will just have to learn to ignore ignorance.

[rambrush]

Originally Posted by Dave/Linda

Hi. South Dakotans considering relocation to the Kingman area. Considering employment at the local hospital. Would love some feedback on living in the area. Pros/cons on cost of living, entertainment, churches, opinions on the hospital, etc.

Well where to start.. Kingman is a small town going through growing pains. Traffic is overwhelming the local streets, the best shopping is in Henderson Nevada.

The CEO of the hospital Is Brian Turney as you might be aware it is Kingman Regional Medical Center and among the larger employers here. There is plenty of positions open for nursing staff and other positions as well.

We are considered high desert (3500ft elevation) and get some snow which melts right away. The summers are not to bad gets warm during the day and cools off at night.

We are only 2 hours away from Las Vegas (shows) and 4 hours from Phoenix.

If you order items ups from vegas or phoenix they show up the next day at no extra charge.

gas is currently at $2.89

We have a local airport and small commuter flights depart daily.

We have a super walmart and home depot, kmart and several grocery stores.

We have several churches in town but could not help you with that.

If you like the outdoors hiking with family pets this is a pretty good place for that. lots of wide open spaces.

[Dblczech]

Are there any HMO's in Kingman? Thank you.

[Sharon Q]

Originally Posted by sunny1

Hi, new to this board forgive me if these questions have been asked. Considering a move to the Kingman area. I understand the hospital is the main employer but are there other opportunities available? Are there any nice restaurants nearby, say closer than Vegas? I also have heard the property prices have come down recently does anyone know if this is true?
Is Kingman the kind of place you could settle down and raise a family? What is the nearest good University?
Any things that you either love or don't care for please write back with any info. I have very little time to make a decision and one of us has a job lined up the other will have to look for work and needs to make at least $35,000 a year even if it is waiting tables or bartending.
And one more thing, any health food stores or sushi restaurants how about movie theaters or art museums? Hope these aren't silly questions I am just having a hard time finding information that really hits all of the points.
Does anyone work elsewhere and commute?

Thanks in advance

Hi! I am from the Kingman area and I would not recommend moving here. First, Kingman is nationally ranked in its meth usage and teenage pregnancies. Second, the high school is on an improvement plan. They continue to lose students daily. The percentage of dropouts is astounding. Third, it will be hard to find a job that makes enough to support a mortgage in Kingman right now. Prices in realty sky-rocketed about a year ago, so it makes it difficult for a middle class family to afford a good house. Kingman does not offer much culture such as art museums, theaters, etc... You would have to go to Las Vegas for that. As far as universities, Northern Arizona University is in Flagstaff about 3 hours away. Arizona State University is located in Phoenix and is about 4 hours away from Kingman. They are both good schools.

I don't know if this help you out at all, or if you have made your decision already, but please continue to look for a more family orientated, cultured, educated, etc... city for you and your children.

[AV Native]

Just passed through Kingman last week, and stayed the night with friends who relocated there about a year ago.

Gary's perspective is very apropo, I think. Kingman's a place that is growing, and going through growing pains. The roads are being widened, and a lot of infrastructure is being added due to residential growth.

Gasoline at the T/A truck stop (exit 48, on US Highway 93 north of Interstate 40) is the cheapest I saw on my recent trip to Colorado. . . $2.52 9/10! When you get to Las Vegas, the price shoots up again to $2.99 and up. . . go figure. Y'all git yur gas at Kingman, come and get it!

I noticed at the east end of town along Interstate 40 before Andy Devine Avenue (old US Route 66) a sea of newly finished houses, all waiting for owners to occupy them. Seems like Kingman is suffering from a glut of overbuilding in the residential Real Estate market. . . with about 1,000 excess houses in inventory, is my quick thought. That has to depress prices for current homeowners, and make it a huge buyer's market.

I was at the Post Office there, and while in line it became apparent (in talking and joking around with customers in line) Kingman is hugely infused with expatriate Southern Californians.

The largest church in Kingman is Praise Chapel with about 3000 worshipers I hear. There's lots of other smaller churches there as well. Lots of retirees and older folks, combined with lots of expatriate Southlanders of older age means that the churches that are already there have lots of needs not being met. One church couldn't keep on maintaining its food ministry because the young folk went off to college, and the old folk couldn't lift the heavy groceries. . . hence the ending of the food ministry in that particular church.

Once again I hear people like Sharon give the impression that Kingman, like other Mojave Desert cities, is "the" or "a" methamphetamine capital. No doubt Kingman has meth as one of its problems. So do many other desert, western and - news flash - midwestern areas. This is not a specifically Kingman problem, and Kingman isn't the capital of meth production/usage. I read lately from a Colorado newspaper that the eastern plains area of that state was the "meth capital" . . . and after doing some research found that the Federal Government sees the Midwest in the middle of the US as the current hotbed of meth production. I suspect the Feds have it right in this regard.

Contrary to Sharon, the report from my friends, parents of a high schooler at Kingman HS, the school is *adding* students continually (is growing in enrollment). Again, no doubt the school is losing some dropouts. . . such is the nature of public high schools. But who do ya believe? Sharon who seems to be yet another "burnout" on desert living, or my married friends, who are the parent of a successful high schooler? You decide, dear readers of this board. . .

Also, very importantly, I point blank asked the Kingman Chamber of Commerce where the water supply was coming from, and how they could add so much residents the way they have. The water still comes soley from wells, and the water supply - decades ago as now - is reputed to be "a 100 year supply." I personally doubt that, and new residents should check out the water situation carefully before buying, methinks.

s/AV Native

[rambrush]

Well I have switched screen names, Gary here

Sharon is making it sound like Kingman is the the worst place to live in the world.

maybe she actually lives in the area know as Bird land where the streets are named after birds. There is some depressed economy there but also some nice places just the same over in the Butler area.

I have seen gas today at $2.46 so its coming down.

The corporation Commison has put the Rhodes home on notice due to water and as AV noticed there was a run on houses and now they sit empty.
Walmart was to build a distribution Center south of here and it has been put on hold due to high construction costs.

Rumors are flying that Target, Costco and Lowes is coming to town see what transpires when and if it happens.
Big 5 sporting goods just opened so now we have a decent place to get those items.

[xrilander]

******************* I am NOT a realtor************************
Kingman is going through growing pains. You will find a variety of lifestyles depending where you choose to live. On the southeast side of town there are communities called Rancho Santa Fe, Foothill Estates, and Lazy Y U with $400,000 average priced homes. $400,000 buys you a mini mansion with acerage here, a fantastic deal for people coming from high priced areas. Most of the liberal minded people live there. In the North Central area is Walleck Ranch Estates. These homes are on smallish lots, but new, and in the $200,000 range. Retirees, and "average" income people with families reside there. Scattered thoughout the city are other new homes priced below $200,000. The downtown area, and the west side of town has older homes priced anywhere between $130,000 - $250,000. Outside the city limits to the North is the Butler area. I happen to live here. 80% are mobile homes. The closer to Stockton Hill Rd the nicer overall. Prices range from $40,000 - $100,000. Increasingly buyers are removing the mobiles and building standard homes on the lots. Lot sizes are 6000-13000 SF. LOTS of retirees, and renters. 20 miles east of Kingman is Valle Vista, a golfing community. Homes are $200,000 and up. Most of the city has water, sewer, natural gas, and high speed internet (cable and DSL). The people range from Cowboys to Hippies. The town has a western feel, but that is becoming less and less each day. The minority population is low, with most Hispanics being of the LEGAL variety. The population, including the Butler area is around 40,000 people. Just about anything you need is here in town. What isn`t is located in Bullhead City (35 miles), or Henderson, NV (85 miles). If your looking for the conservative Midwest this is NOT it. Large influx of Californians, with a small spattering of East Coasters (me), is slowly turning the town more liberal. As the older population dies off this will become more apparent.