Low Cost of Living, Cheap Rent? Is this too good to be true? (Phoenix: crime rates, vs)

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by LordBalfor

You're kidding!
Really?

That is a surprise - even considering the higher density in Detroit.

Ken

Yeah, it was at least $100 (more like 150 I believe) higher. I think Tucson's was $604. The article was about comparing home values and rent and had 2 lists of places where home values are fairly stable or still declining. Unfortunately, Tucson was #10 on the list of declining...

[Kim Kloes]

I moved here in December and was told that the rents were so cheap due to the flood of homes on the market. People that used to rent apartments were renting homes instead. I have a very cheap apartment on East Grant next to the Costco. It's older but it's clean and so far it is safe. I'm underemployed but at least I'm back to work and have insurance benefits both medical and dental so I'm grateful for that. And it's just me to worry about so it's not like I have to support a family. I find people to be generally happy and helpful. I plan to stay. Downtown is not exciting at this point. I used to live in the capitol city in my home state so this is a bit different. There seem to be tons of things to do though. Check out the Chamber of Commerce for more ideas or check their website. Good luck.

[fmadsen26]

Is crime really bad there? I read some articles on the gang issues, and being close to Mexico that were a little alarming. It sounded pretty spread out, and with the city reflecting a sprawl problem, is crime avoidable there? Maybe that's why its so cheap?

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by Kim Kloes

I moved here in December and was told that the rents were so cheap due to the flood of homes on the market. People that used to rent apartments were renting homes instead.

There is some truth to it, but rent has always been comparatively low here. Even at the peak of the housing bubble it didn't go up too much! Which should've told us something...

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by fmadsen26

Is crime really bad there? I read some articles on the gang issues, and being close to Mexico that were a little alarming. It sounded pretty spread out, and with the city reflecting a sprawl problem, is crime avoidable there? Maybe that's why its so cheap?

General crime stats (and other useful info) can be found here:

http://www.city-data.com/city/Arizona.html

Here's specific info:

Tucson Crime Map - Showing Crime in Tucson, AZ - Crime Statistics - Crime Alerts - Crime Stops Here

Ken

[fmadsen26]

Hmm, thanks Ken. It seems pretty spread out though. We were considering Scottsdale too.. since the crime is so low. I found some apartments for rent around $700-$800, which isn't too bad in my book. Is Scottsdale a better choice for work and fun? Anyone know if the people are cool...so many are just talking about the superficialness there (but resorts are supposed to make people feel like this...how are the locals??)

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by fmadsen26

Hmm, thanks Ken. It seems pretty spread out though. We were considering Scottsdale too.. since the crime is so low. I found some apartments for rent around $700-$800, which isn't too bad in my book. Is Scottsdale a better choice for work and fun? Anyone know if the people are cool...so many are just talking about the superficialness there (but resorts are supposed to make people feel like this...how are the locals??)

Well, I can't tell you a whole lot about Scottsdale except that it's rich suburb - which is probably the reason the crime is so low. Fancy Schmancy places tend to be that way.

Ken

[cacto]

Scottsdale is great if you want a place with absolutely no soul and a sanitized golf course starbucks version of the Southwest. Also Snottsdale is hedged in by Indian reservations which means you've gotta drive further for hiking, outdoors, whatnot. Take it from a lifelong resident of Maricopa county, Tucson is right next to wilderness with urban culture and you definitely feel like you're in the Southwest. I would argue Tucson is the MOST Southwestern city. It's gorgeous, unique, and the perfect size. It also has better weather than PHX. I moving there as soon as I can.

[Grannysroost]

Originally Posted by fmadsen26

Hmm, thanks Ken. It seems pretty spread out though. We were considering Scottsdale too.. since the crime is so low. I found some apartments for rent around $700-$800, which isn't too bad in my book. Is Scottsdale a better choice for work and fun? Anyone know if the people are cool...so many are just talking about the superficialness there (but resorts are supposed to make people feel like this...how are the locals??)

Need to take that question to the Phoenix board....

[Marcy1210]

Originally Posted by fmadsen26

Thanks... any other inputs?

I was hoping to find out more about the what Tucson is like...combined with its low cost of living. Are commutes far? Are jobs hard to come by? Is it really spread out and hard to find things.. are there more strip malls than multi-use areas? This information would be really helpful. We found that Colorado Springs was as I described above, (all sprawl and little downtown).

I lived in Colo Spgs for 10 years, and Divide off and on for 30 years. My husband's office was in Woodland Park. Tucson is to Phoenix what Colorado Springs is to Denver. Tucson has some ritzy areas and some really lousy areas just like any large city. The population is about one million people, so it's a fairly large city. The atmosphere here is more laid back and liberal than in the Springs, which like you said is very conservative. This is also a military and University town, but is not nearly as stodgy and unfriendly as Colorado Springs. But, it is also a lot of sprawl and little downtown.

The economy here isn't that great, like a lot of places around the country, and jobs are a little scarce, with the exception of maybe the medical field. Housing prices reflect the economy, and the vacancy rates of houses and apartments. Obviously, some areas are more expensive than others based on their desirability. Crime here is higher than a lot of other cities this size, and gangs and drugs are to blame most of the time. Being so close to Mexico doesn't help, either. There is an influx of gang members from Mexico, but again, certain parts of the city are safer than others, just like anywhere else.

There are lots of strip malls and a few regular malls. There is no interstate running through town, only on the southern and western edges, so commutes are more likely to be on main thoroughfares with lots of stop and go traffic. Whether or not they're far depends on where you live compared to where you work. Like any city that has a lot of sprawl, choosing housing near your workplace is probably a good idea, if that's feasable.

The summers can be extremely hot to the point that you really can't be outside when it's over 100º, which can last for days in a row, and it doesn't really cool down at night. You will absolutely need AC. During the monsoon season of June through August, it can get really humid, despite being a desert. But, the winters are very mild and pleasant, so it's more "user friendly" in the winter months than a lot of places farther north. February is probably the coolest, wettest month, and I think April and May are the nicest months. I love to garden, so I appreciate the ability to grow things outside year round, which I couldn't do in Colorado.

There isn't a whole lot of green grass other than the golf courses as most of Tucson is xeriscape or desert landscape which can seem rather dull and barren if you're not used to it. The best thing to do is to visit before you make any decisions about moving here. For most people, it seems the lack of greenery is a surprise, and if you're not prepared for the desert landscape, it can be a shock. Living here is very different from most other places in the US, so doing a lot of research on Tucson before moving here is a wise idea. It's hard to describe what Tucson is really like if you don't live here, so getting feedback from other people, and doing some web surfing could help you make your decision about moving.