Relocating back to Arizona (Phoenix, Chandler: apartment complexes, lease, how much)

[mroth398]

Hi. I lived in the Phoenix area from 2012-2017. I subsequently moved to San Antonio, Texas since I wanted a change of pace. Within a week of moving there, I realized it may have been a mistake. I have been trying to move back ever since. This is probably one of the worse times to be doing so, but my lease is expiring at the end of the month.

My question to all of you is this: How much has changed in the last few years? I know that traffic has probably increased, population increased, homelessness has increased and you're having more extreme heat days. Would you say it's still about the same over all as far as feel/culture/the people or have things gotten better or worse? Would you stay there if you had the chance to go anywhere else?

Finally, are there any companies there that pay a decent wage? The main reason I haven't been able to return is because no one will match or increase the salary I have here. Since it costs more to live in Phoenix, I find it strange that the wages are so low. I don't make that much in my opinion, but it may be my industry. My experience is in customer service, healthcare on the prior authorization/billing side and tech support which I haven't done in awhile. I apologize if some of these questions have been answered elsewhere or I am posting in the wrong place. Thank you for any input.

[Casey73]

There is more traffic because the population is expanding. I don't have numbers, although they may be out there, but there are large numbers of people coming here from California, for obvious reasons, and likely other places, like the mid-western states. They have completed the South Mountain freeway, and I think it has helped with rush hour traffic a bit, but I can't really say for sure. I'm retired so if I don't have to be on the freeway during rush hour I avoid them.

There are more homeless. Not sure if they are local are coming from other parts of the country.

Extreme heat. I may get some flack for this, but the whole "extreme heat" thing is silly. I don't know if it comes from the National Weather Service or if the local stations came up with it. But until a few years ago "extreme heat" was not a thing. I've been here in Arizona almost 40 years and my wife is a native. Maricopa county is in the Sonoran desert. It isn't any hotter in Arizona now than it was 40 years ago. We never had "extreme heat" warnings in the past. The weather people just said it will be 115F degrees today. We didn't need them to tell us it was hot. We figured that out by ourselves. There is one factor regarding the heat that has changed. The Phoenix metro area has become a heat island because of all the concrete and asphalt that goes with expanded roads, buildings and housing due to expanding population. That isn't a "global warming" thing, that is just what happens when you build a city in the middle of the desert. But if you were here in 2017, it isn't going to be any hotter now than it was when you left.

Can't comment on employment. I retired last year.

[mroth398]

Thank you for your feedback! It doesn't sound like it's changed too drastically. I really hope I can make it back there, but I think I should probably wait until things calm down a bit. I've been unable to find out one way or another if there are restrictions on entering Arizona by car (whether there's a quarantine or not).

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by mroth398

Thank you for your feedback! It doesn't sound like it's changed too drastically. I really hope I can make it back there, but I think I should probably wait until things calm down a bit. I've been unable to find out one way or another if there are restrictions on entering Arizona by car (whether there's a quarantine or not).

There may be few more new apartment complexes, but it's pretty much the same place you left in 2017. Just curious, what's drawing you back?

[Alandros]

Originally Posted by Casey73

There is more traffic because the population is expanding. I don't have numbers, although they may be out there, but there are large numbers of people coming here from California, for obvious reasons, and likely other places, like the mid-western states. They have completed the South Mountain freeway, and I think it has helped with rush hour traffic a bit, but I can't really say for sure. I'm retired so if I don't have to be on the freeway during rush hour I avoid them.

There are more homeless. Not sure if they are local are coming from other parts of the country.

Extreme heat. I may get some flack for this, but the whole "extreme heat" thing is silly. I don't know if it comes from the National Weather Service or if the local stations came up with it. But until a few years ago "extreme heat" was not a thing. I've been here in Arizona almost 40 years and my wife is a native. Maricopa county is in the Sonoran desert. It isn't any hotter in Arizona now than it was 40 years ago.

Well, that's provably wrong. For example this asu study on temperature data from 1896-1995:
https://azclimate.asu.edu/climate/cl...oenix-summary/

The chart at the end with temperature averages for 5 year spans show a clear increase from 70 to about 75 degrees.

Another example of relevant data:
https://www.weather.gov/psr/HottestY...leFor2017Part2

Look to the average annual temperatures chart.


Like it or not there is a clear, confirmed, and undeniable trend even to 1900 and earlier.

Though yes, 3 years is basically insignificant in the scope of these changes.

[Casey73]

Originally Posted by Alandros

Well, that's provably wrong. For example this asu study on temperature data from 1896-1995:
https://azclimate.asu.edu/climate/cl...oenix-summary/

The chart at the end with temperature averages for 5 year spans show a clear increase from 70 to about 75 degrees.

Another example of relevant data:
https://www.weather.gov/psr/HottestY...leFor2017Part2

Look to the average annual temperatures chart.


Like it or not there is a clear, confirmed, and undeniable trend even to 1900 and earlier.

Though yes, 3 years is basically insignificant in the scope of these changes.

So, do you attribute the rise in temperature to natural climate cycles or the artificial heat island that Phoenix metro has become?

On a side note, the official Phoenix temperature is taken at Sky Harbor airport. Sky Harbor is a giant heat island in the middle of another heat island, the Phoenix metro area. I think it is the official temperature because air temperature is important to aircraft because of air density issues so pilots need to have an accurate temperature to work with. But it also means that summer temperatures at my home in Chandler are often as much as 10 degrees cooler than the official Phoenix temperature and I'm only 8 miles from the airport.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Casey73

So, do you attribute the rise in temperature to natural climate cycles or the artificial heat island that Phoenix metro has become?

On a side note, the official Phoenix temperature is taken at Sky Harbor airport. Sky Harbor is a giant heat island in the middle of another heat island, the Phoenix metro area. I think it is the official temperature because air temperature is important to aircraft because of air density issues so pilots need to have an accurate temperature to work with. But it also means that summer temperatures at my home in Chandler are often as much as 10 degrees cooler than the official Phoenix temperature and I'm only 8 miles from the airport.

Yeah, spot on. I've noticed that a lot this week actually, the official low temperatures were high this week and even record breaking in the mid 80's a few days at Sky Harbor. However I'm out on the mountains nearby the city and my tracking device records the temperature as well, it's been in the 70's most mornings while a few miles away they register mid 80s. I believe this is mainly a low temperature issue and I don't think it applies to high temps as much, could be wrong though.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by goolsbyjazz

There may be few more new apartment complexes, but it's pretty much the same place you left in 2017. Just curious, what's drawing you back?

A few? Since 2017? We've added over 200K people since then, so yeah there's 1 or 2 new buildings around town.

[Code Stemi]

Originally Posted by Casey73

summer temperatures at my home in Chandler are often as much as 10 degrees cooler than the official Phoenix temperature and I'm only 8 miles from the airport.

Doubtful that "often" and "as much as 10 degrees cooler" is accurate. Likely a few degrees cooler the majority of the time, but 10 degrees cooler on a regular basis is probably an exaggeration. At the time of this posting...Sky Harbor is at 73 degrees, Chandler at 71.

[Elna Rae]

Originally Posted by mroth398

Hi. I lived in the Phoenix area from 2012-2017. I subsequently moved to San Antonio, Texas since I wanted a change of pace. Within a week of moving there, I realized it may have been a mistake. I have been trying to move back ever since. This is probably one of the worse times to be doing so, but my lease is expiring at the end of the month.

My question to all of you is this: How much has changed in the last few years? I know that traffic has probably increased, population increased, homelessness has increased and you're having more extreme heat days. Would you say it's still about the same over all as far as feel/culture/the people or have things gotten better or worse? Would you stay there if you had the chance to go anywhere else?

More extreme heat days?

Where are you coming up with that?