Why did you retire in Phoenix? (Scottsdale, Chandler: sales, power lines, insurance)

[Ponderosa]

OK. I've reached the threshold and stepped into retirement age. I have lived almost my entire adult life in Arizona having been sent here by the military when I was barely out of my teens. I don't like it here anymore. To me, it is too hot, too crowded, too a lot of things. It certainly does not seem like a place anyone would want to retire.

Now the bad thing is I have family and connections here and I just can't realistically get out. So I am looking for reasons to rationalize staying here - ways to accept my plight more easily. Millions have come here for retirement. There must be some real positives for retirees that I am overlooking. So what brought you here? What keeps you here? What do you do that makes it interesting day to day? How is living in a crowded, polluted, city of 4 million or whatever a dream fulfilled for you?

[thinkalot]

Many retirees live in a 55+ so for them it isn't crowded, there are always things to do, and it is inexpensive.

I don't understand why someone would retire here and live in a regular neighborhood, drive the freeways, and basically live the same way as they did before they moved here.

Every person that came here to retire left family and connections. They were able to get out of their previous states so I don't see why it would be different for you. I lived in the same area for 56 years and had no problem leaving it.

[Jkgourmet]

We didn't stay when we retired. And we really don't miss it. That said, there are certainly some excellent reasons that so many retire to the area.

MONEY - this is a big deal. Property taxes are very low. Income taxes and sales taxes are lower than many other areas. Cost of food, housing, insurance, gasoline, etc are also lower than many areas. Cheap happy hours make dining out on a budget very feasible.

WEATHER - many love it.

MEDICAL - Easily accessible and good (okay, we thought it was very good when we lived there. Then we moved to Raleigh and got services from Duke and UNC. Now, we know medical care wasn't so good in Phoenix.)

Lots of 55+ communities give newcomers instant access to a social life.

Long time media 'hype' has made AZ and FL 'retirement heaven.'

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Ponderosa, I just don't get feeling so strong a sense of dislike and aggravation about an area, then agreeing to stay. Life is too short to be miserable. But, I admit - I don't have children or grandchildren. That MIGHT make a difference. But who's to say that they will not move elsewhere?

[gbpakrfan]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

OK. I've reached the threshold and stepped into retirement age. I have lived almost my entire adult life in Arizona having been sent here by the military when I was barely out of my teens. I don't like it here anymore. To me, it is too hot, too crowded, too a lot of things. It certainly does not seem like a place anyone would want to retire.

Now the bad thing is I have family and connections here and I just can't realistically get out. So I am looking for reasons to rationalize staying here - ways to accept my plight more easily. Millions have come here for retirement. There must be some real positives for retirees that I am overlooking. So what brought you here? What keeps you here? What do you do that makes it interesting day to day? How is living in a crowded, polluted, city of 4 million or whatever a dream fulfilled for you?

While I don't live in Phoenix proper...I'm about 40 miles south...I can provide some perspective on retiring in Arizona.

We relocated from Wisconsin.

Weather: The weather advantages are obvious. While Arizona is hot, Wisconsin is cold. Very cold. And it has snow. Sometimes lots of snow. And when it's not snowing, it can be rainy, cloudy, gloomy for long stretches at a time. Did I mention humidity? If not, I'll mention it here.

Taxes: As a retiree, Wisconsin is considered to be retirement hell. Outrageous property taxes, income taxes, sales taxes...you name it. Arizona is far better from a tax perspective...plus we are finding the cost of living, in general, to be lower, as well.

Scenery: While Wisconsin has what some would consider to be some scenic areas...up north, Lake Michigan, etc., it's generally pretty much rolling farmland once you get out of the cities. We have always enjoyed the desert and mountains and now we get to see them every day. And let's not forget the sunsets. We don't see sunsets like this in Wisconsin...especially on all of the gloomy days.

Political climate: We're pretty conservative, so to escape a Liberal bastion like Wisconsin and come to a more "red" state like Arizona was also an important consideration. I know you're a Liberal (but I won't hold that against you...nobody's perfect )

I'm sure there are other reasons that escape me at the moment. All in all, we're glad we made the move.

[pbenjamin]

We retired here because we were already here. It's not perfect but no place is. We know people here. We live in a "regular neighborhood" as somebody above put it. Wouldn't be caught dead in a 55+, want to be in the real world. We live in convenient proximity to things we like (restaurants, concerts, Diamondbacks, downtown, light rail, airport). There are a lot of negatives (horrible weather in the summer, right wing nutjobs, etc.) but moving somewhere else sounds like a whole lot of hassle and would ultimately unearth a bunch of problems we hadn't anticipated. Like is good the way it is.

[AzScorpion12]

Although I'm not retired yet my decision factored in many things.

Weather: Coming from Ma. I couldn't take the cold any more. Sure every winter is different but we always get the arctic dips in the jet stream bringing us sub zero weather sometimes for weeks at a time. Then there's the dark,dreary gloomy days which often turn into weeks where you don't see the sun plus it starts getting dark a little past 4pm... Depressing! Most springs are cool and raining. I just talked to a friend the other day and they were all happy it was finally in the 70's,I laughed as those are our nighttime lows. Everyone talks about the "greenery" but there's a price to pay for that. There's so much pollen in the air everything has a film of green on it so you can't open your windows along with severe allergies. Summers are hot and very humid with very stagnant air,I'd leave for work at 6am and already be wet. Also tons of mosquitos,nats,ticks and horse flies. Fall is the best time of year with perfect day temps and cool nights but that only meant winter was just around the corner and it was depression time once again! Here in AZ if you're hot within 2 hours you can escape the heat,you can't do that back east. In fact if you drive 2 hours north you'll be colder.


Taxes: They don't call it Taxachusetts for nothing. While our sales tax is somewhat reasonable at 6.25% property taxes are insane. Same comparable house as I have here taxes back east are $6,000+,here they're $1400. Oh,my house back east was 10 years older and I lived in a small town of only 8,000. Take that same house and move it closer to Boston and you can now double your tax bill. They're also famous for "feeing" you to death. Sure they won't raise taxes but they get you with all there fees such as toll roads,excise tax on your vehicles,high license renewals every 5 years,registrations and so on.

Political Climate: I feel as you do here but with the opposite party. If you're a conservative there's no use voting as the state will almost always vote for anyone with a D next to their name. Surprisingly though we have a republican governor now and go figure,he has the highest rating ever! 3 of the last 5 speakers of the house are in jail for some kind of fraud so yes,we are subjected to the same BS lawsuits that cost us tax dollars as you have here with sheriff Joe.


I can tolerate the heat better as I get older but who knows how I'll fell after several years. The nice thing is I can just take my vacations during the summer months somewhere cooler. I guess then I'd be a sunbird?

[AZgarden]

When I first moved here in 2001, all I said was "wow". And I wondered if this beauty wore off, once you got used to it after a while and started taking it for granted. Now I know it does.

Then I started to explore other areas to move to. There isn't much to choose from that beats AZ. Yes, I miss the trees and the rain. But I don't want floods, tornadoes, or snow. Or earthquakes and fires. Yes it is hot in summer, but I do not want the freezing cold of winter and the short growing seasons for gardening. And, my gosh. The taxes here are so reasonable. Yes I miss the museums, and the culture of east coast places. But I will just have to travel to see them.

All in all, there is much to be grateful for right here. Tune in to other weather forecasts and you will see what I mean.

My suggestion to you is look into Prescott. Better weather. Better scenery and alot of retirees.

[gardener34]

Not retired yet, but thinking of going to Phoenix Area.
IL taxes are way too high and the state is near insolvency.
Still up in the air... actually getting away from winter is the last of our considerations in retiring away from IL. We may just not be able to afford to retire here. I like the midwest and spouse likes Tennessee which is another retirment haven I am told. I just like lower humidity myself.

[LBTRS]

I think you need to move to a retirement community and get out of your standard neighborhood where you and everyone else are raising their families and going to work every day. I could not imagine retiring in my neighborhood with all the kids, renters, young adults, barking dogs, etc. Living in an active retirement community looks awesome though.

You need to get in the retirement mode and out of the rut you're in now that you've been in for years.

[Paige65]

I agree that maybe you should consider staying in AZ but moving north. Maybe the best of both worlds for you in terms of being close to family, but out of the metro area?

I am not retiring for another 3.5 -4 years, but we will be moving to AZ. Reasons for us are similar to others:

1. Weather. I understand that the heat wears on people who have lived in AZ for many years as the cold wears on those who live in cold climates. However, I think AZ weather is good (for me) about 9 months of the year. The weather where I am (Chicago area) is good about 5-6 months a year. Also, my inlaws and extended family have lived in AZ most of their adult lives and while they complain about the summer heat, they are not ready to give it up to go elsewhere. I like hot weather, and while I won't like it during the really hots months, I will like it much more than the snow and cold and dreary weather that we have November through April (today, though unusually low, the temp is 48.)

2. Taxes. I pay about $14,000 in property taxes in IL. A similarly priced home in AZ has a property tax bill between $3000-$5000, depending upon which city (I looked up Chandler and Scottsdale for comparisons).

3. Views. Looking for something different. Love being able to see the mountains from my living room window. Right now, I look at power lines and my neighbors.

4. Ability to drive to many climates within a reasonable distance. I like the idea of being able to drive to San Diego or LA or Prescott or Flagstaff and be in a different climate if I want to be. In IL you have to drive a long way to get to the beach or somewhere warmer when it's cold. I live within walking distance to a beach on Lake Michigan, but the weather is still the same when I get there!

5. Outdoor activities. Accessing nature and its associated activities is easy in AZ.

6. Personal: Relatives. While I am leaving my parents behind, my husband, born and raised in Phoenix until his early twenties, is coming back to his, who are still in good health. We are lucky!