New US Census data: People really want to move to Arizona (Phoenix: purchasing, income)

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by PhoenixSomeday

"Hey, I can pack an iron easier and even carry it around like a cowboy..."

In Arizona? You got that right, podnuh!

[sargeant79]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

I am NOT saying that Illinois has a lower COL than Arizona, although parts of downstate Illinois would be cheaper to live in the Phoenix area. However, to say that you are going to save 20-30% on expenses is just NOT accurate.

Depending on where in Illinois you're talking about, it is. There is a huge variety in cost of living, even within the Chicago metro area. As far as housing is concerned, parts of the city and certain suburbs can be twice as expensive than other city and suburban areas only miles apart from each other. Gas is significantly more expensive in the city compared with outside Cook county. 20-30% lower COL is not a stretch at all.

[autism360]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

I am NOT saying that Illinois has a lower COL than Arizona, although parts of downstate Illinois would be cheaper to live in the Phoenix area. However, to say that you are going to save 20-30% on expenses is just NOT accurate.

I think is reasonable to say generally You could save that easily in housing costs alone compared to illinois, New york, California and New jersey if you are comparing apples to apples meaning the decent areas close to the major cities.
If you are comparing the boonie areas then it may be different.


You might find the link below of interest

Indices Difference Info
Consumer Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 15.56% lower than in Chicago, IL
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Phoenix, AZ are 25.41% lower than in Chicago, IL
Rent Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 42.09% lower than in Chicago, IL
Restaurant Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 22.09% lower than in Chicago, IL
Groceries Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 16.95% lower than in Chicago, IL
Local Purchasing Power in Phoenix, AZ is 46.33% higher than in Chicago, IL

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living...=Phoenix%2C+AZ

[autism360]

Originally Posted by Colt Cassidy

In Arizona? You got that right, podnuh!

and you do not even need to fill out any paperwork just strap on your sidearm as a new AZ resident and you are good to go

[Dport7674]

The answer to the poll question is yes. But the question seems disingenuous somehow.

If 10,000 people move to Az for the weather..
And if 5,000 people move to Az for lower taxes..
And if 3 people move to Az for it's gun laws..

The answer to the question would still be yes.

100% of the answers could/should be yes, but that wouldn't say anything as to why the vast majority of people chose to move to Az.

[gbpakrfan]

Property tax on a 1850 square foot house on a quarter acre:

Lake County, Ill-annoy: $10,400
Florence, Arizona: $2,200

That's just one of the advantages of moving from Ill-annoy to AZ. I won't even mention the cost of gas, tolls, traffic, income tax, weather, etc. Oh wait, I guess I did mention those things. Oh well...

[K-Train]

I'll say this, if I didn't live here in TX I would most definitely consider living in Az

[autism360]

Originally Posted by Dport7674

The answer to the poll question is yes. But the question seems disingenuous somehow.

If 10,000 people move to Az for the weather..
And if 5,000 people move to Az for lower taxes..
And if 3 people move to Az for it's gun laws..

The answer to the question would still be yes.

100% of the answers could/should be yes, but that wouldn't say anything as to why the vast majority of people chose to move to Az.

With crime and terrorism increasing, personal protection and safety for a person's family start to become more of an issue in deciding where to live.
Sadly thanks to certain politicians in both parties but especially the current president who could care less about doing their number 1 duty of protecting this country we have to start thinking more about how to protect ourselves since we cannot rely on the government to protect us.

[Bert_from_back_East]

Originally Posted by pittsflyer

The goal is to reduce struggle, a lateral income move to a lower cost of living area is ideal. If you have to take a pay cut, even if it matches the new prices there better be profound intangible benefits to the move because your moving expenses alone will put you in the hole for a while.

Being able to leverage a high income in a low cost of living area is the goal. No one wants to scrape just to put together a down payment and be 2 months away from ruin in a job loss.

The problem is, many people who move to Arizona - and other warm-weather states with primarily low-wage, service-oriented economies such as Florida and Nevada, I might add - from high-cost states (such as those mentioned above) often take somewhere in the range of a 40-50% pay cut for a only a 20-30% reduction in COL. Throw in moving expenses, and it turns out these people were better off in the more expensive states they moved from.

Even if your secure a well-paying gig in Arizona that is largely a lateral income move, you better make sure you like that job, manager, office, etc. Because if you don't or - God forbid - lose that job, you're **** outta luck. Of course, it depends on what industry you're in, but for the most part, Arizona does not have a particularly strong, diversified economy or very many Fortune 1000 companies.

[Prickly Pear]

In some ways, yes. In some ways, no.

Most people I know who are transplants here view our gun rights as a "plus" but wasn't their ultimate deciding factor to living here. So if our gun rights were like New York's instead, it probably wouldn't have affected these people.

However there are some, and I do say some because they are probably a minority in this, who view 2nd Amendment rights as an ultimate priority and wouldn't touch a state like California with a ten foot pole. My father is one of these people. He is looking to leave Arizona because he wants a beach, and that is why he is looking at Florida, because Florida almost has the exact same gun rights as we do. Florida and Arizona are probably tied here.

So because your question doesn't mention if gun rights attract a majority of Arizona transplants, just if it attracts "people" as any number, I guess I would have to vote yes on this. I know some people who moved here who had prioritized the 2nd Amendment as one of their deciding factors.