Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've been to Arizona many times. I even thought i would move there.
The last time i went was in April a few years ago. We left in the morning from Texas. It was a nice chilly day.
We get there - it was horribly WARM. No way
I've only been to the panhandle of Florida. It was okay. But too humid. Even more than our south texas beaches.
We are tired of gray and cold winters. I would choose Arizona over Texas due to lower property taxes and insurance, drier climate, better winters, more climate diversity, less natural disasters, mountains, and I think it's far prettier. I lived in Texas for 10 years and liked it but not enough to go back.
I have no desire for Florida but I can see how those in the Northeast retire there.
Good balance of responses here thus far. Personally, I like four seasons, but would gladly trade Chicago's miserable winter for something much milder, maybe less than 15" of snow vs. the 38" we get, and less (way less!) single-digit temperatures. I can also see the appeal of lower summertime humidity - you have to look at the dew point to determine comfort levels. Even though it may be 100°F in the desert, it feels MUCH cooler if you have shade, access to water, and a breeze (or fan). Plus, if you're a night owl (as I am), there is always some part of the day on most every day of the year where it's comfortable to be outdoors. Not so in my area. So yeah, I can see why people prefer Arizona, and especially areas like Prescott or Sedona.
Florida? You're just trading one brand of misery for another.
If a northern Rocky Mountain state didn't work out for me, I would have probably relocated to the mountains of central Arizona. Not Flagstaff, (which I consider a "zoo"). Probably closer to Payson.
Ever been to Eastern Arizona, the White Mountains? I think you would have liked it there.
That's not true for everyone and the coast is not as bad as the interior. The Villages has an odd location, IMO - way down toward the south end but not close to the coast. Sarasota has hit 100 only once since they started keeping records. Anyway, in the shade and/or with a sea breeze I am okay with 90s. It's not like I am going to be roofing houses in the sun. And I have been down there many times in the summer.
Also, as others have mentioned, arthritis a factor for me. A very big factor. Mine has gotten a lot worse the last few years, but it's bearable and I can be pretty active when it's warm. Air conditioning bothers it. I keep a small heater under my desk and even run it in the summer. I think one reason I like humidity is that it makes warming faster when I come out of indoor locations that people want cooler than I do.
The Villages is not in Southern FL. It's north of Orlando. And Orlando is north of the midpoint of FL.
Both Arizona and Florida are uncomfortably hot for a few months in the summer.
I've lived in both, and much prefer Arizona because it's far more geographically diverse, and IMO much prettier than Florida. We used to drive two hours north on the summer weekends (from Phoenix) up to the rim to go camping/fishing where the weather was much cooler in the mountain forests. In the winter we'd camp in the desert right outside Phoenix, in desert environments far more beautiful than any campsite I've seen in Florida.
Arizona is not the Sahara Desert. The northern part of the state:
The southern part is desert but it's the relatively lush Sonoran Desert:
I said the forests don't count. Not a fan of pine trees. I've spent time up there also. I prefer big shade trees - such as our huge pecan trees.
Sure there is "shade" under those forest trees, but that is because they are all close together. I need space in between trees and shade.
Because one of the things that evidently happens to us when we get older, is we want it to be 90 degrees all the time.
That's me, and I'm "only" 62. I have lived in Massachusetts all of my life and only within the past 5 years have I been bothered by the cold. In the winter, even dressed in layers, I still feel uncomfortable most of the time. I tried winterizing the house with a new heating system and insulation. It did help the fuel costs, and allowed me to put the thermostat up as high as I wanted, but did not really change the grind of having to suit up to go outside.
I am about to move to Florida. I am willing to deal with hurricanes and bugs in exchange for warmth. The upside of my cold intolerance is that heat and humidity don't bother me. Really. I purposely visited for 9 days this past July just to make sure. But we have that weather here in the summer so I almost already knew it would be OK.
I would have laughed if someone had told me even 2 years ago that I'd be moving to Florida. Things change.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
