Future of Phoenix as Senior Retirement Community? (Mesa, Scottsdale: crime rates, living)

[jamies]

I'm new to this site. But have been interested in investing in Phoenix.

What is the consensus as to Phoenix's future as a retirement mecca?

I have been reading a lot about rising crime, and the illegal immigration has been in the news. Is Phoenix's future to be like Detroit?

I've thought that 80 million baby boomers need some place to go. But maybe the trend is going to be to retire in place, or in smaller cities with less issues, or places like Prescott, where they are close to amenities, but out of the city.

Comments please. Thanks.

[Arushan]

Phoenix's future certainly won't be like Detroit. Many retirees seek out warmer climates and Arizona, Nevada, and Florida are quite popular among them and will continue to attract them in future years. I wouldn't say Phoenix has a "great" future ahead of itself, but more of a "fair" one. Better than quite a few other US cities, though. That's just my opinion. The main persisting problem with Phoenix is a huge lack of any real industry outside of service/retail. Being a right-to-work-state doesn't exactly help either. If the city could just get that solved somehow, Phoenix would attract young and old alike and would have a very bright future.

[observer53]

I don't think being a right to work state has very much to do with this. The right to either join, or not join, a union in order to get a job (which is all right to work means) doesn't have the effect it once did.

Phoenix metro is always going to be attractive to retirees.

[Captain Bill]

Phoenix will continue to be a retirement destination, due to weather and overall cost of living.

We moved here from CA 6 years ago because of the weather, cost of living and other factors.

I'm retired from Pan Am (now out of business) but I still choose to work because I love to keep busy and love what I'm doing.

The community where I live is looking to the future as the boomers retire, and gearing the community for activities for this group. It's an all age community from young children to octogenarians. They recognize that there will be more retirees coming and want to be prepared for it.

[grmi66]

You have to think of Phoenix as a huge cluster of suburban hubs. While Phoenix proper may not attract retirees, the hubs of Anthem, Surprise/Sun City, Buckeye, Gilbert/Chandler, etc... while continue to do so. Then you also need to think of the outside ring of small cities that ring Phoenix like Wickenburg, Prescott, Casa Grande. It does not take that much longer to get to Phoenix from Prescott than it does from Surprise. Used to live around Metro Center and could get to Prescott Valley in 75 minutes and to Surprise in about 50-60 minutes because of all the traffic.

So I think retirees will retire to these hubs and use Phoenix as a place to catch an occasional ball game, museum visit or shopping trip.

[Phxguy]

While I think sections of the city will turn into retirement hubs, the vast majority of people coming here are young and looking for a fresh start. Places like Gilbert, Mesa, Apache Junction and Sun City will attract the older generatyions while Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler, and some of the West Valley will continue to attract the younger ones. No matter what Phoenix will always have a new pulse of people searching for a better life.

[eastvalley]

I don't know where you got rising crime. Phoenix and the valley has one of the lowest metro crime rates in the country. We have also had the sharpest drop in crime in the last 10 years of any city. This is all per FBI statistics.

[Kimballette]

Please limit your comments to the topic of this thread --> Future of Phoenix as Senior Retirement Community? Thanks.