Moving with Teens from Idaho (Phoenix, Tucson: houses, to buy, university)

[familyof_4]

Moving my family this summer from the cold and wind of Idaho. I lived in Tucson for 2 years a long time ago but loved it so it influenced my choices of where we are looking.
We do like smaller cites (10-50,000 pop) and are coming from mountains. We have been looking into the areas of the state that are not the extreme desert of Phoenix/Tucson but not Flagstaff. definitely middle ground for temperatures. Areas considering: Between Flagstaff and Phoenix - Prescott Valley to Sedona or over by Payson.
Job is not necessary for me(widow) but my teens do. Housing between $150-$250,000 to buy a house. Would love some land but not necessary.

Any suggestions for those areas? Thanks for all your help in advance!

[borregokid]

I think Tucson would be a very nice fit with the University of Arizona, Pima Community College and two teens. Jobs for teens in Tucson shouldnt be too difficult to find. There are still quite a few houses outside Tucson in areas like Marana and Sahuarita that would be in your price range. There are also still some close in in Tucson that are in your price range. I dont think if I was a teenager I would want to be living in a rural area. Tucson has public transportation along most of the main streets. If you think Tucson is too warm you also might consider Sierra Vista along with the Prescott area. I would be inclined to pick Tucson and tough out the heat for a few years until the kids move out.