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Old 08-01-2013, 12:18 PM
 
Location: Iowa
1 posts, read 2,504 times
Reputation: 10

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I am new to forums but am needing advice... my husband and my two children would like to leave Iowa and head to Arizona. I have arthritis and I am tired of cold snowy weather. I am in medical billing and my husband works as a forklift driver right now but has done various jobs in wind energy as well. my kids are still small ( 4 and 7 yrs) so I think this would be an ideal time to move before they get really implanted in a schools system so I am looking for a place to move to that would have good schools as well as reasonable cost of living. I am probably looking to rent at home at first and then option to buy later. I do want to find some place that we can call home for a long time. Does Anyone have any suggestions on good towns to move to from a small town in Iowa?. I have lived in Boston, MA but my husband has always lived in this small town of $10,000 people... so I don't want him to go in to shock, but we need something that has good shopping, activities and a good place to raise a family... any advice would be great. thank you!!!
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Old 08-01-2013, 01:47 PM
 
5,341 posts, read 6,536,061 times
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Welcome to the forum

I'd suggest you'd take a look at the Wickenburg area, based on your post
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Old 08-02-2013, 04:38 PM
 
22 posts, read 72,315 times
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For a cheaper alternative (cost of living wise) with much more shopping you may want to consider someplace other than Wickenburg. If you want the small town atmosphere with some good shopping, medical, restaurants, and other facilities close by you may want to look into Casa Grande. Plus, Chandler is only a half hour away which has everything.

Casa Grande has a normal population of around 48K but this swells when the snowbirds arrive in the winter. It is also on the verge of some growth at this time due to some new projects on the horizon which will boost the population so that may be a factor to you.
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Old 08-08-2013, 07:35 AM
 
Location: Phoenix
7,207 posts, read 9,276,951 times
Reputation: 8347
You might look in the "Arizona City by City" thread. It's a sticky at the top of this forum.

A lot of people like Prescott. But it seems like a small city rather than a town as does Casa Grande. Of course that's just my thinking.

Another place to start would be the city-data Arizona page:

https://www.city-data.com/city/Arizona.html
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Old 08-08-2013, 07:49 AM
 
1,627 posts, read 3,223,739 times
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You might like the town of Chino Valley, Prescott Valley. Schools are good, CV is rural and Prescott Valley is mixed. Summers are not as hot as they are in Phoenix.
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Old 08-08-2013, 07:53 AM
 
1,699 posts, read 2,439,698 times
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The jobs are in Phoenix, simple as that. And it is a very big stretched out city.

Have as of now never seen a windmill in AZ.
Iowa... relaxed, folks wave at each other on highways, crime is something you read about in the papers, nice quaint towns, tradition, good schools. These are things you won't find in AZ
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Old 08-08-2013, 08:36 AM
 
Location: SE Arizona - FINALLY! :D
20,460 posts, read 26,373,688 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by corydon View Post
The jobs are in Phoenix, simple as that. And it is a very big stretched out city.

Have as of now never seen a windmill in AZ.
Iowa... relaxed, folks wave at each other on highways, crime is something you read about in the papers, nice quaint towns, tradition, good schools. These are things you won't find in AZ
Well, some of that is true - notably where the jobs are - but not all of it.
Benson is quiet with low crime and a very small town atmosphere. I wouldn't call the town "quaint" though - in the West most small towns tend to be pretty "utilitarian" rather than "quaint" and thus don't have a lot of charm. Biggest issue with Benson though is that the economy is still pretty rough here and jobs are scarce. Aside from that (obvious problem) we're finding it's a really great place to live - low stress, slow-pace of life, very safe - and (as I reported in another thread) with a terrific set of schools.

All in all, we LOVE it here.

Ken
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Old 08-08-2013, 08:45 AM
 
1,699 posts, read 2,439,698 times
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Did just read yout other post, and Benson, with a dozen other towns, are very atractive. But the TS wants to live where the jobs are, and I don't recall ever seen even a wharehouse in Benson... What is not a bad thing.

I almost moved to Benson about 7 or 8 years ago.
Looked at a nice secluded place, and guess what? When I left we stumbelt upon a dead illigal, about 200 yards from that home....

So, there are signs you don't ignore.
But I always stop in Willcox and Benson when driving through Arizona. Like to drink a coffee in Willcox, right by the RR tracks downtown, and stop by the candy store in Benson, get candy and just walk around for an hour or two.
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Old 08-08-2013, 10:46 AM
 
Location: SE Arizona - FINALLY! :D
20,460 posts, read 26,373,688 times
Reputation: 7627
Quote:
Originally Posted by corydon View Post
Did just read yout other post, and Benson, with a dozen other towns, are very atractive. But the TS wants to live where the jobs are, and I don't recall ever seen even a wharehouse in Benson... What is not a bad thing.

I almost moved to Benson about 7 or 8 years ago.
Looked at a nice secluded place, and guess what? When I left we stumbelt upon a dead illigal, about 200 yards from that home....

So, there are signs you don't ignore.
But I always stop in Willcox and Benson when driving through Arizona. Like to drink a coffee in Willcox, right by the RR tracks downtown, and stop by the candy store in Benson, get candy and just walk around for an hour or two.
Yeah, not a lot of jobs here to be sure.
Regarding illegals - yeah, they show up here sometimes. By and large though it's not that much of an issue.

Ken
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Old 08-08-2013, 02:10 PM
 
173 posts, read 405,037 times
Reputation: 206
Quote:
Originally Posted by LordBalfor View Post
I wouldn't call the town "quaint" though - in the West most small towns tend to be pretty "utilitarian" rather than "quaint" and thus don't have a lot of charm.
Bingo. Apply this rule to just about everywhere in the Southwest.
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