Considering move to Tuscon from NH (Phoenix, Tucson: how much, job market, landscaping)

[ecoscaper]

I've been thinking of Tuscon and moving to AZ in general for years. I just got out of a long relationship, single at 34, have run a landscape design company for the last 10 years. Ready for big change, I'm kind of a country boy but have lived in AZ before, briefly in Flagstaff and Sedona area. Thinking I need a little city and Tuscon is attractive with all the mts., hiking recreational and city balance. Any advice as far as single scene, career moves, I may consider a career change, the labor has worn me down and not sure if I could jump right into desert landscaping. Might just get a regular job for awhile and not have to be responsible for every little thing ( the curse of being self employed ) I've always loved the derert and the southwest, I may miss the forest back east here but can always come back to visit, not a big fan of winter anyway! Any other areas in AZ that anyone would recommend? thanks for any comments n help!

[tom4416]

Can't help you too much but we have decided to eventually make a move to Tucson. Loved everything about it but the one overriding opinion that I got from a lot of people is that the employment market sucks if you are white collar, middle or upper management type. Lots of labor jobs, fast food, retail, etc.. but just not a lot of well paying career type positions. Lots of grads have to leave the area because they cannot find the type of work/salary they want. Other than that, which could be a biggie, it's a beautiful town, friendly people and reasonable cost of living. We'll be retired when we move so employment is not an issue but if I was young and needed a good salary and benefits, not sure Tucson would fit the bill.

I saw a LOT of landscaping companies and we actually talked to a few because yard work is not our thing. The ones we spoke with were very professional (a big change from the east coast) and prices to me were very inexpensive - not sure how much of a living they actually make at the rates they charge. Again, kind of conditioned to Wash, D.C. pricing so perhaps Tucson is just more reasonable.

[Jukesgrrl]

I offer the following info to all C-Ders wanting to make a career move in Tucson. I'm sure you're well aware that the job market in the entire U.S. is abysmal. In Tucson, add to that the facts that:

1.) Tucsonans have a decided bias for hiring native Tucsonans. Being from "somewhere else" is not the asset it is in some other cities. All employers today, nationwide, have a bias toward hiring the young. You're 34, which is certainly better than 44 (54 is virtually unemployable). But in Tucson, due to the presence of the university, there are many young job-seekers here. Supply and demand.

2.) Jobs are available in healthcare or elder care, some engineering and IT-specialist positions. Being bi- or multi-lingual helps, depending on the language. The jobs most readily available in Southern Arizona are telemarketing or customer service centers, paying in the $11-15/hr. range. I came here (because of family necessity) when the job market was still very strong. I had a superb resume and was looking for work in the field in which I had decades of experience. It took me an entire year to get a job that paid me about one-third of what I earned back East. If you have no job lined up in advance, be prepared with more than a year of living expenses.

3.) Low pay is bad enough in itself — but the real burden comes when you calculate that prices here aren't cheaper proportional to the lower incomes. Yes, it is certainly more cost-effective to live here than California or many East-coast states. But it's not cheaper than most of Middle America. Housing costs are especially burdensome, even post-mortgage-debacle. Tucson is more expensive than Phoenix, where there are many more job opportunities.

You also ask about a "singles scene." I will leave it to others to provide details on that, if it exists. This is a city with much-larger-than-average student and retiree populations. Most of the people I've met in Tucson who have partnered-up past their twenties have used introductions via friends; computer dating services; or met people via jobs, recreational activities, or church membership (which is big here).

[eddie gein]

ya gotta learn that the "c" comes before the "s" in "Tucson" before anybody well let you move there.