Payson (Show Low, Eagar, Pinetop-Lakeside: homes, middle school, college)

[danni88]

My name is Melissa and I am just out of college looking for a place to move with my new husband. I found payson listed on the internet and wanted to hear what people who live there really think. I live in California. I grew up in a small mountain town and moved to the city for college. I would like to move back into the smaller town to settle down. I am a teacher and would like to know about jobs, schools, and raising kids in payson. Any information would be great as it is a 9 hour drive for me to visit. Thanks.

[Nice Nice Baby!]

Do it! Much cheaper than Cali, but expensive on your salary. A good start for small town living. Outsiders are treated like any other small town would, but you have your husband to start your own circle. Get a job first for you and your husband, because it will take two incomes to survive. I personally will move to the area in a couple of years from the valley. Love visiting and have good friends there.

[AzDreamer]

When I think of a small mountain town Payson for some reason doesn't fit the typecast. I think someplace like Salida, Colorado would be closer to that description.

[Nice Nice Baby!]

I agree. I find the surrounding communities like Pine and Strawberry, which is just a dozen miles north of Payson, to be more like a small mountain town. No large national chain stores in town, just local Ma-N-Pop stores. Payson has them, but Pine/Strawberry has just a few thousand residents living there, and most of them are second homes.

[danni88]

Thanks for your imput I will look into those other towns. The town I grew up in had a pizza factory, vons, riteaide, burger king, and mcdonalds. Those were the only large chains in town. I am we had 3 elementary schools, one middle school, and one highschool that all served several small towns around the lake. I would like to end up in a place that is about the same size as my home town. I hope that discription gives you a better idea of what I am looking for. Which of the town do you think are most appropriate? As I will probably visit a few in the area while I am there due to the long drive.

[Gretchen B]

danni88, what was the population of your hometown? How far did you have to drive if you needed to do some major shopping? What kinds of activities do you enjoy? Payson might be close to what you are looking for. The other towns in AZ that come to mind are Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, and Springerville/Eagar. Also, with regards to Payson, I think there was a thread a couple of months ago where alot of people weighed in with opinions on Payson. You might try searching for that - it should give you quite alot of info about the town.

[danni88]

Originally Posted by Gretchen B

danni88, what was the population of your hometown? How far did you have to drive if you needed to do some major shopping? What kinds of activities do you enjoy? Payson might be close to what you are looking for. The other towns in AZ that come to mind are Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, and Springerville/Eagar. Also, with regards to Payson, I think there was a thread a couple of months ago where alot of people weighed in with opinions on Payson. You might try searching for that - it should give you quite alot of info about the town.

Population is a bit complicated...I lived in a valley with a lake at the center of it. There were five individual towns around the lake about ten minutes apart. each of these towns have a population between 2-5 thousand. The town that I lived in has a population of about 2,000 but anyone who is from the valley considers the towns around the lake as a community...I hope that makes sence. Any major shopping (besides groceries) was about a 45 minute drive down the canyon. As for activities...I grew up in a small mountain town..so the normal things you might expect. I like the outdoors (I worked as a raft-guide), I like animals (I was envolved in FFA which I have read the highschool in payson has), I like a place where everyone knows everyone. Also, I am not sure where some of those other towns are...the reason I chose payson was because of the weather...I want seasons but I do not want A LOT of snow in the winter...would this be a problem in any of these towns?? Thanks

[Gretchen B]

Hi Melissa - Really, I think any of the towns might be what you're looking for. Payson is about an hour NW of Phx. It's growing significantly, though, and may lose that small town feel before long. Right now, I think the population is about 10k-20k. The weather is great there - 4 seasons and pretty mild, although you will get an occasional winter snow that normally melts within the day.

Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside sounds like an area similar to where you grew up. The towns pretty much meet each other. Population is smaller than Payson. The Pinetop-Lakeside area is fairly touristy. Lots of outdoor activities there, but winters won't be as mild as Payson although I don't think they'd be too bad.

Springerville/Eagar is the most rural of the bunch. Sits at 7,000 ft elevation. The little mountain town of Greer is about 10 miles to the east, and Alpine is about 20 miles to the south. This is cattle country, so rodeos are a big thing there. I would assume FFA and 4-H are also big there. The combined population of both towns is probably about 5,000. No big chain stores there. Personally, I love the rural feel there. Lots of hiking, camping, lakes, wildlife, lakes, etc. Winters will be colder than Payson and windier there.

Hope this info helps a little. I'm sure other posters will have suggestions for you, too. Best wishes to you as you plan your move!

[danni88]

Thanks so much for all of your help. I will consider those other towns when I come to visit.

I do have another question though. I am just curious about the towns quirks. Every town has stuff that you don't see untill you live there and I want to know if there is anything that a resident might know that someone trying to sell me property might not tell me. Just curious if there are any hidden problems because so far the town seems great.