Air Force Family Moving to Tucson :) Need lots of info (Sierra Vista: rentals, crime rate)

[misani2013]

Hi, we have found out we will be moving to Tucson in August and would really appreciate some info about the city. I have two kids that will be 4 and 2 when we get there. I would love to know more about the best areas for families with small children to live in Tucson. We would like to rent a home and our budget is about 1100-1300. I am really interested in good elementary schools since my son will start school next year but also good daycare or preschool for the little one. We have been told that the area around the base is not so good so we are not really considering living on base housing for now. We are excited about the move and hope that our kids will have great experiences there. We are coming from San Antonio, TX so we are prepared for the heat...I think

[jksn75]

I know MANY Air Force families that live in Sahuarita, specifically the neighborhood Rancho Sahuarita. It's about a 20 min drive to the base. It is great for kids as it has a water park, lake, trails, gym, dog park, etc. I don't have kids, so I don't know much about the quality of education in Sahuarita. Another option might be Vail. I hear the schools are great. Too bad you aren't moving next month as we will be renting out a house in Rancho Good luck!

[Jukesgrrl]

Many people being transferred to Davis-Monthan from elsewhere come to C-D Tucson with basic questions about finding a home. If you just go down the list of topics right here below yours, you'll come on a more than a few with very specific suggestions that address your questions. Here is one:

//www.city-data.com/forum/tucso...questions.html

[DawnW25]

For proximity to the base and excellent schools, you can't beat the Vail School District in SE Tucson/Vail. They have a preschool, too. There are quite a few neighborhoods with rentals in this area, including Mesquite Ranch, Rita Ranch, Civano, and Sierra Morado. The neighborhoods I mentioned are in Tucson, but there are more in Vail--I'm just not familiar with those. Do a rental search at Tucson Association of REALTORS, MLS in zip codes 85747 and 85641 to get an idea. SE Tucson is a safe, nice area next to the Rincons. We have quite a bit of shopping (getting more all the time), but anything missing is 10-20 minutes into town. The base should be 20 minutes away from most SE areas, too, with Vail being a bit farther out.

As far as the weather goes, you'll probably love it here. We used to live in Austin, and it's quite a bit less humid here. The heat level feels about the same to me. The thing I like about Tucson is that the weather has some nice variety. The summers are hot, but the monsoon season from July-September can have cooling thunderstorms that break up the monotony. Austin is supposed to get a lot more rain than Tucson, but I swear it didn't rain much at all when we were there and the summer was torturous.

Hope you enjoy Tucson!

[Columbia Blue]

Sahuarita and the Vail/Rita Ranch area sound like pretty good bets. Sahuarita is family oriented and had plenty of amenities nearby. I believe the crime rate is quite a bit lower than many Tucson areas. I've heard good things about Vail as well. Rita Ranch is out towards Vail but is the closest of the three to the base.

[FCStraight]

Doesn't Base Housing Office provide relocation info to families getting assigned to Davis Monthan? You should have been assigned a sponsor whose purpose is to make your relocation to your new duty assignment as flawless as possible. We were associated with the military all throughout my 30 some years' career both on active duty and civilian assignments and have PCSd throughout the U.S. and twice around the world...and everytime, we get a relocation package from whatever base we were being assigned to (I've worked for all services...Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps). Have had two great civilian assignments with the Air Force...Randolph in TX and Andersen in Guam....each time a sponsor was assigned to me and family, who provided us with ample information about good places to find a home. Just wondered. But you did right by addressing your needs & concerns in this forum. Best of luck to you and your family. You'll love the Tucson area...we used to be assigned at Fort Huachuca and our weekends were spent in Tucson...so much more to see and do there than in Sierra Vista.

[MrsBreeder]

We used to live in Houston and now live in Oro Valley, which is on the Northwest (or North) side of town.

While I think it is far away from the base, there are a surprisingly large amount of military families around here. But..there are plenty of places that are closer to your location.

My suggestion is to research research research where you plan on living. Tucson can be very hit and miss (especially if you choose to live "in town"). Please remember that the only highway going through is I-10 and it really only touches the west side of town-- though it does go close to the base.

We never drive I-10-- we live too far away.

As for the weather-- I've done Houston and NC and the lack of humidity is NICE, but don't let others make you think 110 is a cakewalk! It can definitely be tough at first. The days are rough but the summer evenings are wonderful.

Research everything-- it will make the transition easier.

[mdolphins2700]

Hello, we are also a military family (with college-aged kids) and we moved here last June. We live out in Rita Ranch and so far it has worked out pretty well. The Vail School District is considered by many to be one of the best school districts in the area. I don't have school-aged children, but my neighbors with young children all rave about it. We have two different shopping areas near us and there are a lot of small parks and one big one (Purple Heart Park) about 1 mile away. Also, we are about 4 miles from the I-10 using Rita Rd.

[Rudydog1]

Hello...I couldn't resist chiming in on this thread as we lived in Tucson for almost 4 years. Like others we left the east coast to move to a warmer climate, lower bugs and humidity. We lived in the northern area up past Oro Valley and found the surroundings very pleasant. Coming from a state that is really hot in the summer..I thought the heat would not bother me however it will get you attention. Here are some other observations which I doubt have changed in the last several years.

The heat and sun glare was intense for us... Need good sun glasses, keep hydrated and lather up with sun screen and moisturizer. You might want to invest in some dark window tint on your car if you do not have already.

If you have pets...they will be very effected especially if dogs that go out side. They can be affected with heat stroke within a very short time period, get paws burned on concrete, do not leave them in your car as you shop, do not let them out at dusk especially if small unattended as they can become dinner to native wild life. Up in our area the Coyote's came right up to our fence to challenge my 100 lb German Shepherd, there are very agile and creative. Despite what others may tell you..they will come up residential streets looking for food especially if your property is located close to a canyon or wash.

Watch out for busy intersections...when we were there folks seemed to like to run yellow/red lights. Always lock your home and car doors. Coming from rural Virginia...had a hard time with that. We found trying to get from one end of town to another frustrating sometimes do to traffic...learn to be patient. Retirees do not want to move over...there is no slow lane except the one you will find yourself in

I actually miss Tucson...the beauty in the sun sets, rain storms, fab eating and shopping places and very nice people left an impression. Spring, Fall and Winter are GREAT..There is alot to do if your inclined to be adventurous. Downtown Tucson used to have twice yearly a huge fair that brought in exhibitors from all over, great family things! Hope you like Mexican food...Take a drive to Mount Lemon to escape the heat and see some green..Enjoy

[JohnnyWalker2]

Zips 85749, 85750, 85748, 85730 in that order incorporating the base distance and great schools. 85749 and 85750 schools are absolutely excellent, but more expensive areas. It's worth the extra cost for the education quality and closeness to outdoor activities especially Mount Lemmon escapes in the summertime to cooler temps.