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Although I'm not a snowbird, I lived in Boca Raton, FL for 12 years and have been living in Scottsdale, AZ since mid-2012, and I'm only a few years younger than you (late 30's), so I'll give it my best shot.
Winters in the Phoenix area are mild, for sure, but not necessarily warm in the same respect as winters in South Florida. December 1st to March 1st is much cooler in Phoenix than South Florida, which, of course, is better for some and worse for others. If I was snowbird living in an area for the winter months only (i.e., December to March), then you wouldn't find me in Phoenix. OTOH, if I was to snowbird in a place from October to May, then that'd be a different story.
I will have you know that October, November, March, April, and May are much nicer weather-wise in Phoenix than South Florida. During these months, Phoenix is drier and sunnier than South Florida with cooler nights and much less volatile weather, up to and including hurricanes; tropical depressions; torrential downpours; electrical storms; tornadoes; and, to a lesser extent, hailstorms. In fact, Phoenix rarely gets any type of "weather" from early March 'til about late June/early July when monsoon season begins.
In South Florida, May, October, and November are "rainy season" months, meaning daily afternoon thunderstorms and torrential downpours, passing tropical depressions (i.e., days of overcast skies and moderate to heavy rain), and increased hurricane risk (excluding May, which is not considered hurricane season). Even December can be quite rainy and cloudy in South Florida. February through April is tornado season in all of Florida, although tornadoes in South Florida are usually less deadly than those in the Midwest and other parts of the South.
In Phoenix, the rainy season is called "monsoon season," and typically lasts for about 8-10 weeks in July, August, and the first half of September, with most of the precipitation for the year falling during this period. That's also when we're most prone to dust storms or "haboobs" and, by Arizona standards, high humidity. However, you wouldn't be in town during this time of the year, so this is irrelevant.
That said, Phoenix does have a winter rainy season, too, although like monsoon season, the occurrence of rain events is highly variable from year to year. For example, this past winter, we had only a handful of rain events, as it was an unusually dry winter. In fact, I don't think it rained at all during February. The previous winter, IIRC, was wetter and much colder. FWIW, last winter, it snowed in Tucson and in the higher elevations of the Phoenix valley, including outlying areas of Scottsdale, so it can snow in the desert areas of Arizona, albeit very rare.
The scenery of Phoenix--and Arizona in general, for that matter--blows that of Florida out of the water, especially if you prefer mountainous topography. If you tire of Sonoran Desert scenery and want cooler temperatures and trees/greenery in the summer, foliage in the fall, and/or snow and skiing/snowboarding in the winter, then you can head up to Sedona, Flagstaff, or any number of the smaller towns in the northern part of the state. Some of the of the most breathtaking natural scenery in the United States can be found in northern Arizona. The Everglades and the Gulf of Mexico coastline are nice--don't get me wrong--but there's nothing like the Grand Canyon in Florida. Also, the scenery in Florida doesn't really change all that much from one end of the state to the other--it's pretty flat and nondescript from Miami to Pensacola. As you travel north in Florida, you just get scrubbier-looking palm trees and more pine trees. To see any real change in topography, you have to travel to North Georgia at the very least--no, thanks.
Also, if you live in Florida, you're regional travel is pretty much relegated to other parts of the state. Unless boating, the beach, and the theme parks are your thing, then this could be a potential drawback. OTOH, Phoenix is in reasonable driving distance to Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas, which all make fantastic weekend trips. Miami is fun, but Tampa and Jacksonville are boring, and Orlando is really only fun if you're a child or a theme park junkie. If boating is your thing, we have plenty lakes plus the Colorado River nearby, although no saltwater boating obviously.
Regarding the age issue, Phoenix and in particular Scottsdale is a much better place for a snowbird in his or her early 40's, as this area is home to lots of professional singles in their 30's, 40's, and beyond. I've met some young retirees out here while out and about, although I don't think any as young as you. However, there are way more older young adults and younger middle-aged people here than in just about any city in Florida that I can think of. In most of the smaller coastal towns in Florida (e.g., Naples, Sarasota, Stuart, et al.), the crowd trends much older (i.e., 60's, 70's, & 80's). On a similar note, Scottsdale is more cosmopolitan and trendier than just about anywhere in Florida, and people out here tend to have more refined tastes, consistent with California.
Because Florida is as flat as a pancake with much more humid weather, it's a less conducive place to physical activities such as hiking, mountain biking, rock-climbing, et al. IMO, the weather and topography of Arizona encourage outdoor activity and help make it a much more active, outdoors-oriented place overall. Besides the beach, the population of South Florida isn't very outdoorsy, LOL. The population of Arizona is generally more health-conscious, too--more organic and health food stores, more supporters of CSA, fewer smokers, fewer overweight/obese people, etc.
Aside from the differences in weather, scenery, and lifestyle, Arizona and Florida couldn't be more different in terms of people and culture, and I personally find Arizona to be an easier, more pleasant place to live than Florida, especially as a white male--no reverse racism or racial strife to really speak of, fewer angry minorities (and angry people in general), fewer thuggish types, and so forth. Overall, people of different racial backgrounds seem to coexist better in Arizona than Florida, which is home to plenty of transplants, although mostly working-class ethnic whites from highly-segregated cities in the Northeast and Midwest as well as many natives who harbor a lot of bitterness towards other races. There's also way less tolerance for ghetto behavior in Arizona, too. I understand that this is a delicate issue, but it's something that clearly differentiates Florida from most, if not all, of the Western states.
Florida is a Southern state, and although you'd be hard-pressed to find true Southern culture in most of the major population centers in the southern half of the state, there are still plenty of Southern undertones. Social circles in neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, etc. are very segregated--blacks really only associate with other blacks, whites with other whites, etc. You still see lots of Confederate flags and flag decals/bumper stickers/license plates on vehicles, although mostly jacked-up pickup trucks. And every once in a blue moon, someone will call you or refer to you as "Yankee" if you're from "up North," albeit much less common than in other Southern states. Hard liquor isn't sold in grocery stores, and aside from Miami-Dade County (at least the last time I checked), liquor sales don't begin until 12:00pm on Sundays. Oh, yeah--no liberal marijuana laws, either.
If it matters, Arizona has none of those issues. Arizona has a West Coast vibe: very casual; polite (e.g., you will rarely hear a car horn here); open-minded; tolerant, even if not approving; and although people can seem aloof, they are usually pleasant if you talk first. No one cares what religion you are out here, and most people revere nature.
For the most part, people in Florida are angry; rude; arrogant; selfish; and, in many cases, just plain bizarre. Most of the time, people in Florida are just looking to "one-up" you: cut you in line, beat you to the stoplight, cut you off at the last possible second, drive a more expensive car than you, have a hotter wife/girlfriend, etc. Everyone in Florida seems to go out of their way to act shrewd, ghetto, redneck, or some other variant of "tough." Florida is also home to significantly more bizarre crime and goings-on than Arizona. Look up the "FloriDUH Blog" published in the Sun-Sentinel. If that isn't enough to scare you, then I don't know what in the world is! Also, I'll have you know that lots of people who move to Florida, especially in your age group, seem to be running from something (e.g., a criminal record, a history of drug use, a crazy ex, etc.). In broad terms, I would venture to say that Florida is, perhaps, home to the lowest quality of people in the nation.
On a final note, driving in Phoenix is much better than driving in South Florida, which is is a very scary experience in and of itself, as drivers down there are, perhaps, the most aggressive in the US after those in the NYC area, which is where many people in Florida originate--go figure. On a similar note, since many of the people living in Florida in general are from the Northeast, you hear a lot of whining, complaining, and "kvetching" down there. Also, if you don't wanna hear about how NYC is God's gift day-in and day-out, avoid the retirement communities in Florida.
I tried to touch on everything I could think of. If there's anything else you'd like to know, please don't hesitate to message me. Best of luck in your decision.
Umm...there is nothing surprising about that information. I've been in AZ for 22 years and it has always been a transient state. Perhaps you missed the part of the article that mentioned that AZ is still growing:
"But Arizona is still growing. The state's population was estimated at 6.6 million people in July, up 3.7 percent from three years earlier, according to the U.S. Census Bureau."
In any case, you are entitled to your opinion, so try not to get so upset if people don't agree with you.
To compare the two states I'll have to be brutally honest. FL has totally different palm trees than AZ and, the gated communities in FL tend to be pastel pinks and blues as opposed to the beiges and tans in AZ. These two states are just night and day.
Umm...there is nothing surprising about that information. I've been in AZ for 22 years and it has always been a transient state. Perhaps you missed the part of the article that mentioned that AZ is still growing:
"But Arizona is still growing. The state's population was estimated at 6.6 million people in July, up 3.7 percent from three years earlier, according to the U.S. Census Bureau."
In any case, you are entitled to your opinion, so try not to get so upset if people don't agree with you.
Ignore Spring Hillian, Trigger-f, et al., Liam--they're on a crusade to disprove/discredit me on most FL vs. [insert other state] threads, even though I've actually lived in those other states (e.g., AZ, CA, et al.) after having lived in FL for years. I know what I'm talking, but they have no idea what they're talking about. However, that becomes overwhelmingly apparent when they volunteer grossly-exaggerated or completely false "facts" and "information" in attempt to disprove me.
Ignore Spring Hillian, Trigger-f, et al., Liam (Neeson?) , "insert name here_____", the list will continue to grow. If you lived in Phoenix or AZ you would know by now it's got a huge drug problem ( National Geographic says so). Of course living in a bubble prevents you from seeing clearly.
To the OP, first thing you need to do is figure out if you prefer humidity or arid air. Lots of older people seem to prefer the humidity (during the winter) because they think its better on their skin.
Also, I think the winters further down south in Florida are warmer than in most of Arizona. Some parts of Arizona are elevated and thus get colder (Flagstaff).
Scenery is definitely better in Arizona and you don't have to deal with as much rain. Of course Florida has the best beaches in the continental US but if you're there during the winter you probably wont be going to the beach every day anyway unless you're all the way down in the Keys. Tampa Bay is pretty affordable for retirees, btw.
Although I'm not a snowbird, I lived in Boca Raton, FL for 12 years and have been living in Scottsdale, AZ since mid-2012, and I'm only a few years younger than you (late 30's), so I'll give it my best shot.
Winters in the Phoenix area are mild, for sure, but not necessarily warm in the same respect as winters in South Florida. December 1st to March 1st is much cooler in Phoenix than South Florida, which, of course, is better for some and worse for others. If I was snowbird living in an area for the winter months only (i.e., December to March), then you wouldn't find me in Phoenix. OTOH, if I was to snowbird in a place from October to May, then that'd be a different story.
I will have you know that October, November, March, April, and May are much nicer weather-wise in Phoenix than South Florida. During these months, Phoenix is drier and sunnier than South Florida with cooler nights and much less volatile weather, up to and including hurricanes; tropical depressions; torrential downpours; electrical storms; tornadoes; and, to a lesser extent, hailstorms. In fact, Phoenix rarely gets any type of "weather" from early March 'til about late June/early July when monsoon season begins.
In South Florida, May, October, and November are "rainy season" months, meaning daily afternoon thunderstorms and torrential downpours, passing tropical depressions (i.e., days of overcast skies and moderate to heavy rain), and increased hurricane risk (excluding May, which is not considered hurricane season). Even December can be quite rainy and cloudy in South Florida. February through April is tornado season in all of Florida, although tornadoes in South Florida are usually less deadly than those in the Midwest and other parts of the South.
In Phoenix, the rainy season is called "monsoon season," and typically lasts for about 8-10 weeks in July, August, and the first half of September, with most of the precipitation for the year falling during this period. That's also when we're most prone to dust storms or "haboobs" and, by Arizona standards, high humidity. However, you wouldn't be in town during this time of the year, so this is irrelevant.
That said, Phoenix does have a winter rainy season, too, although like monsoon season, the occurrence of rain events is highly variable from year to year. For example, this past winter, we had only a handful of rain events, as it was an unusually dry winter. In fact, I don't think it rained at all during February. The previous winter, IIRC, was wetter and much colder. FWIW, last winter, it snowed in Tucson and in the higher elevations of the Phoenix valley, including outlying areas of Scottsdale, so it can snow in the desert areas of Arizona, albeit very rare.
The scenery of Phoenix--and Arizona in general, for that matter--blows that of Florida out of the water, especially if you prefer mountainous topography. If you tire of Sonoran Desert scenery and want cooler temperatures and trees/greenery in the summer, foliage in the fall, and/or snow and skiing/snowboarding in the winter, then you can head up to Sedona, Flagstaff, or any number of the smaller towns in the northern part of the state. Some of the of the most breathtaking natural scenery in the United States can be found in northern Arizona. The Everglades and the Gulf of Mexico coastline are nice--don't get me wrong--but there's nothing like the Grand Canyon in Florida. Also, the scenery in Florida doesn't really change all that much from one end of the state to the other--it's pretty flat and nondescript from Miami to Pensacola. As you travel north in Florida, you just get scrubbier-looking palm trees and more pine trees. To see any real change in topography, you have to travel to North Georgia at the very least--no, thanks.
Also, if you live in Florida, you're regional travel is pretty much relegated to other parts of the state. Unless boating, the beach, and the theme parks are your thing, then this could be a potential drawback. OTOH, Phoenix is in reasonable driving distance to Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas, which all make fantastic weekend trips. Miami is fun, but Tampa and Jacksonville are boring, and Orlando is really only fun if you're a child or a theme park junkie. If boating is your thing, we have plenty lakes plus the Colorado River nearby, although no saltwater boating obviously.
Regarding the age issue, Phoenix and in particular Scottsdale is a much better place for a snowbird in his or her early 40's, as this area is home to lots of professional singles in their 30's, 40's, and beyond. I've met some young retirees out here while out and about, although I don't think any as young as you. However, there are way more older young adults and younger middle-aged people here than in just about any city in Florida that I can think of. In most of the smaller coastal towns in Florida (e.g., Naples, Sarasota, Stuart, et al.), the crowd trends much older (i.e., 60's, 70's, & 80's). On a similar note, Scottsdale is more cosmopolitan and trendier than just about anywhere in Florida, and people out here tend to have more refined tastes, consistent with California.
Because Florida is as flat as a pancake with much more humid weather, it's a less conducive place to physical activities such as hiking, mountain biking, rock-climbing, et al. IMO, the weather and topography of Arizona encourage outdoor activity and help make it a much more active, outdoors-oriented place overall. Besides the beach, the population of South Florida isn't very outdoorsy, LOL. The population of Arizona is generally more health-conscious, too--more organic and health food stores, more supporters of CSA, fewer smokers, fewer overweight/obese people, etc.
Aside from the differences in weather, scenery, and lifestyle, Arizona and Florida couldn't be more different in terms of people and culture, and I personally find Arizona to be an easier, more pleasant place to live than Florida, especially as a white male--no reverse racism or racial strife to really speak of, fewer angry minorities (and angry people in general), fewer thuggish types, and so forth. Overall, people of different racial backgrounds seem to coexist better in Arizona than Florida, which is home to plenty of transplants, although mostly working-class ethnic whites from highly-segregated cities in the Northeast and Midwest as well as many natives who harbor a lot of bitterness towards other races. There's also way less tolerance for ghetto behavior in Arizona, too. I understand that this is a delicate issue, but it's something that clearly differentiates Florida from most, if not all, of the Western states.
Florida is a Southern state, and although you'd be hard-pressed to find true Southern culture in most of the major population centers in the southern half of the state, there are still plenty of Southern undertones. Social circles in neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, etc. are very segregated--blacks really only associate with other blacks, whites with other whites, etc. You still see lots of Confederate flags and flag decals/bumper stickers/license plates on vehicles, although mostly jacked-up pickup trucks. And every once in a blue moon, someone will call you or refer to you as "Yankee" if you're from "up North," albeit much less common than in other Southern states. Hard liquor isn't sold in grocery stores, and aside from Miami-Dade County (at least the last time I checked), liquor sales don't begin until 12:00pm on Sundays. Oh, yeah--no liberal marijuana laws, either.
If it matters, Arizona has none of those issues. Arizona has a West Coast vibe: very casual; polite (e.g., you will rarely hear a car horn here); open-minded; tolerant, even if not approving; and although people can seem aloof, they are usually pleasant if you talk first. No one cares what religion you are out here, and most people revere nature.
For the most part, people in Florida are angry; rude; arrogant; selfish; and, in many cases, just plain bizarre. Most of the time, people in Florida are just looking to "one-up" you: cut you in line, beat you to the stoplight, cut you off at the last possible second, drive a more expensive car than you, have a hotter wife/girlfriend, etc. Everyone in Florida seems to go out of their way to act shrewd, ghetto, redneck, or some other variant of "tough." Florida is also home to significantly more bizarre crime and goings-on than Arizona. Look up the "FloriDUH Blog" published in the Sun-Sentinel. If that isn't enough to scare you, then I don't know what in the world is! Also, I'll have you know that lots of people who move to Florida, especially in your age group, seem to be running from something (e.g., a criminal record, a history of drug use, a crazy ex, etc.). In broad terms, I would venture to say that Florida is, perhaps, home to the lowest quality of people in the nation.
On a final note, driving in Phoenix is much better than driving in South Florida, which is is a very scary experience in and of itself, as drivers down there are, perhaps, the most aggressive in the US after those in the NYC area, which is where many people in Florida originate--go figure. On a similar note, since many of the people living in Florida in general are from the Northeast, you hear a lot of whining, complaining, and "kvetching" down there. Also, if you don't wanna hear about how NYC is God's gift day-in and day-out, avoid the retirement communities in Florida.
I tried to touch on everything I could think of. If there's anything else you'd like to know, please don't hesitate to message me. Best of luck in your decision.
I too have lived in both states and would take AZ over FL any day, unless you like tons of humidity, tree roaches and t shirt shops.
Has anyone tried living in both areas Oct to May? I'm in my early 40's but looking to be a snowbird and live in Arizona or Florida (or maybe somewhere else warm) from Oct-May. Probably primary looking at the Phoenix area in AZ. Not sure where in Florida. I know of course they are obviously very different in terms of geography, landscape, etc... But looking for someone opinion who's lived in both as a snowbird and their personal preference and why. Thanks.
You will have to be more specific on what you want to do, and where you want to live. I live in Miami Beach, and lived in California [so I've been to Arizona many times, I used to date a girl from Phoenix, and went several times there to spend with her family].
As far as cities go, Miami is far better than anything in Arizona. But it's also more expensive and with more problems.
Miami obviously has the beach, great nightlife, and warmer winter weather but maybe that's not your cup of tea. If you like hiking, skiing, and camping and dislike swimming, sun bathing, and water sports in general then I'd recommend Phoenix over Miami.
In my opinion Florida and Arizona don't even compare with each other since Florida is Tropic and coastal and Arizona is desert and non coastal with the exception niether have extreme cold winters . I am a native Californian from the LA county/South Bay region (Hermosa/Redondo Beach area) and I moved to AZ in 1986. Once I got past my first hot summer, I began to notice how Clean this state is, how nice the roads are and how it seems to lack major natural disasters like earth quakes, tornados, Hurricanes and flooding etc. Winters are basically mild and although a few months during the summer can get hot (although everywhere you go is AC), it is dry not that unbearable humidity with huge flying insects (except briefly when we have a summer rain). But the beauty of it is Arizona has varying elevations where you only have to drive an hour or so and your in high elevation with milder weather with pine trees like Prescott, Flagstaff, Sedona Red Rocks, Oak Creek Canyon with their natural water slide, Payson and then you find an interesting copper mining town built on the hillside called Jerome. Just last week I went to Lake Pleasant Marina with it's natural desert scenery with wild flowers and the hills that were covered in green growth from all the rain we just had. it couldn't of been a more perfect day beautiful day with clear sunny blue skies and mild temps for watching the sail boats, pontoons, fishing boats, jet skis and some long distance swimmers while relaxing lakeside having a picnic. Not a picture most people would envision of Arizona and it's long standing reputation of just being a dust bowl. We do have indoor plumbing now LOL! Winter is very mild here. The coolest time is Dec through Feb with days generally around the 60's with a few days in the 50's and evenings about the 40's and a few days below that 30's. We have experienced a Frost from time to time where night time temps get in the low 30's but not major weather fronts. I totally see why we draw a lot of winter visitors. We have a big inventory of vacation rentals by owners to accommodate our guests from all around the US. Here's one for senior visitors to check out Http://www.azvrforseniors.com being offered without charging booking fees the large online travel agencies are charging these days.
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, "insert name here_____", the list will continue to grow. If you lived in Phoenix or AZ you would know by now it's got a huge drug problem ( National Geographic says so). Of course living in a bubble prevents you from seeing clearly. 
