Considering move to SV or GV, have some questions

[Achi WaWa]

SV is basically a military town... or has been since the 70's when they reopened Ft. Huachuca.
Over the past 10 years or so, several of the activities (and military personnel/contractor jobs) have been moved elsewhere, thus a lot of local population has relocated with them. There were a lot of empty 2000-3000sf, 350k homes for sale before the recent market uptick.

SV is about 4300' and temps are typically 10F cooler than Tucson. You can get snow in the winter, at least for a day. Summer temps are usually 95-105 (but it's a dry heat) and winter temps are in the low 20s, but I have seen -3 on a couple occasions (but it is a dry cold).

Driving down main street, the empty, gone-out-of-business shops were getting harder to ignore. Then newcomers were starting to be noticed frequently around town, maybe it was me or maybe the way they walked, but they seemed different from the locals I was used to seeing, like, maybe transplants from a bigger eastern city. Also a lot more 'homeless' with their signs and camping out in the mesquite too. Walmart did a booming business...

Another issue you won't hear much about is the drying up of the San Pedro watershed and the efforts of BLM and other environmental groups to limit groundwater availability and even shutdown or meter private wells outside the city limits... Don't know how that is working out...

Another 'problem' was that most all discretionary services and shopping were better in Tucson, so you got used to that 200-mile RT drive when you wanted something other than the basics. If you wanted to go to Phoenix, the round trip was a 400mi all day affair. I went to the Mayo clinic on a regular basis.

SV has a much more laid-back pace and traffic is virtually nonexistent except morning/afternoon traffic at the 2 gates to Post. Shopping is limited and restaurants are basic, if that. They do have a flea market.

I lived there 16yrs and got out in '19 when I could get the $$ back out of my house that I had in it. It was a nice place for a while, I don't regret living there at all, but it sure started to change in the last few years and I wouldn't go back now.

[gemstone1]

"Summer temps are usually 95-105 (but it's a dry heat) "...Yeah...right. And there is a ski lift on the mountain. I remember two summers there....during the monsoon, I swore I was back in humid Indiana. Right now (10-21 @ 3:18 PM) the humidity is 12%... that is great, but when the monsoons bring in all that moisture, the humidity spikes....dry it's not. Ya want dry summers, try Yuma.

Regards
Gemstone1

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Adamson520

Santa Cruz Regional in GV isn't doing well. It's tough being an small independent community hospital with no corporate deep pockets to back it up. Therefore, they've been having trouble attracting and retaining talent. They also appealed to the Governor for emergency funds a year ago, and one of the conditions the state set was that the executive suite had to cut their paychecks from 30-50%. They're also taking a hit from new micro hospitals up the road. I would drive into Tucson for medical care if I lived down there.

That is correct.

In general, when a rural area decides to develop a hospital, the physicians and town leader band together to discuss financing and staffing as that will always be an issue in rural areas. I have worked in two rural "start-ups" and it requires a lot of work within the community to be successful.

The Green Valley Hospital in its first incarnation was largely developed by a Phoenix real estate developer and relied heavily on being staffed out of Phoenix and Tucson for its staffing. It was largely financed from foreign sources. The developer was intent on outside medical practices (from Phoenix and Tucson) and made no effort to talk to the various long-time physicians in the area. Therefore, those physicians are still sending their patients to hospitals in Tucson.

I have received care in that facility three times in the past five years have not received what I consider to be adequate care. Therefore, if I need to receive emergency care, I request to be sent to Carondelet St. Mary's in Tucson. And it I need diagnostic procedures, I generally head in that direction also.

I am NOT going to go into specifics as the TOS for City-Data forbid consumer complaints.

[Fruitless]

Medical care was not a concern of mine when I decided to move to SV. I am over 60 but have
not visited a doctor since 2008. Given current political differences, where the country seems to
be heading, I welcome death. So simply having quiet, sunny days is much more important to
me with what time I have left. I escaped a maniacal community in California mostly for those
reasons. Well, those and high living costs.

[Fruitless]

Originally Posted by Fernetty

Hi I live in Hereford but have to admit I don't know too much about Green Valley. I do know it's beautiful and has easier access to Tucson but that is about it. The wind is the worst thing about the weather down here but other than that it is one of the better climates in the country in my opinion. The elevation makes temps typically 5-10° cooler than Tucson and 10-15° than PHX.


Shopping in SV is decent if you're into Chain store type stuff. For groceries it has Safeway, Wal Mart, Target (Small Grocery section), Food City, and the most popular, Kroger.The hospital in town sucks and if you need medical or dental, most of us just go to Tucson. I do know folks with good dentists in Naco or Agua Prieta though.


Good luck on your decision

I can understand possibly needing a doctor with certain experience, but a dentist?

Most folks go to dentists merely to have the hygienist scrape about on their teeth.
Removal of a wisdom tooth, filling the rare cavity, addressing a chipped
tooth---a dentist finishing in the bottom quarter of their graduating class
could likely be fine at any of those.
More important, I would think, are the business costs for the locale, and therefore
what a dentist needs to charge patients.
Would that be cheaper in SV or GV/Tucson?

[steiconi]

Originally Posted by Fruitless

I can understand possibly needing a doctor with certain experience, but a dentist?

Most folks go to dentists merely to have the hygienist scrape about on their teeth.
Removal of a wisdom tooth, filling the rare cavity, addressing a chipped
tooth---a dentist finishing in the bottom quarter of their graduating class
could likely be fine at any of those.
More important, I would think, are the business costs for the locale, and therefore
what a dentist needs to charge patients.
Would that be cheaper in SV or GV/Tucson?

Nogales.

[Saguarogirl507]

We spent Thanksgiving in Sierra Vista last week on the base with our grandson. We had a lovely time seeing him but it is not a place I could ever live. As someone on here said it is a very basic town. The mountains are stunning though. Plus we froze! It was raining and felt like it could snow at any minute. The wind was howling. It was not pleasant. More like January in Tucson. If I had to chose between GV and SV I would pick GV. We live in Tucson and love it.

[DAXhound]

I did swamp in Rio Gonia for 4 years..awesome..not in GV, though...possibly SV. And I hate HOAs, which eliminates most of GV. Bottom line is UMC/Tucson for serious medical stuff, but there are some likeable climates beyond Tucson.