6 Top-Ranked Towns in Arizona for Retirees
Arizona is one of the most desired destinations to visit in the American Southwest. Quite the classic definition of a desert state, it is home to stunning natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon and the Monument Valley. Not surprisingly, it is also a favorite destination among retirees, for its warm climate, low cost of living, and even lower taxation on property. These are some factors to convince yourself to retire in the state. However, with so many communities to choose from, which is the right one for you? Look no further than these six top-ranked towns in Arizona for the perfect retirement choice.
Sedona
Few places in Arizona can match the harmonious blend of natural scenery and cultural vibrancy that Sedona can offer. The backdrop of red-rock buttes and pine forests catches the attention of every visitor coming into town, serving as a reminder that epic hikes and biking adventures are just right at the doorstep for active souls. Given this blessed location, Sedona is an oasis in the desert plateau for all sorts of pursuits, whether browsing for local crafts in one of the 80-plus art galleries and shops or indulging in the many fine restaurants.
Tourists have expressed their love for Sedona for the longest time, and so have retirees, as the town has the perfect amount of amenities to keep anyone wishing for more. It was selected as the top place to retire by the magazine Where To Retire in 2020, as retirees find it easy to remain active because of its many trails and nature. For medical services, Northern Arizona Healthcare Sedona provides excellent treatment in town. Although the cost of living is high, with median home listing prices about 1.1 million (as of February 2024) the exchange you get from that is a well-established retiree community where comfort and convenience are a priority.
Page
Close to the state border with Utah, Page is a popular destination for its proximity to two famous attractions, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. They are essential components of any trip to the American Southwest, sharing a similar formation history of having been sculpted by erosion millions of years ago. The town was founded in 1957 as a community for builders of the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, which led to the creation of one of the largest reservoirs in the country, Lake Powell. Today with the help of tourism, Page is a community brimming with life, where creativity flows from its street art to its food scene, incorporating the likes of modernity and age-old Navajo traditions.
For retirees, Page is a great place to consider, as it is an intimate and welcoming community of just over 7,000 people. For those looking to purchase a home, median home listing prices are about $420,000, which is on par with the US national average (but lower than the $525,000 average in Phoenix). Serving the area for more than 50 years, the Page Hospital is a place you can trust for medical services.
Catalina Foothills
Named specifically for its location at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains, this vibrant community is just a short drive north of Tucson, but it feels thousands of miles away from the city. With over 300 days of sunshine, Catalina Foothills has made itself a destination of its own. The architectural style of this place is intended to fit right in the surrounding Sonoran Desert, first the idea of local architect Josias Joelser, which can be seen from its downtown to private residential areas. Nowadays, the community draws shopaholics to the boutiques of La Encantada, while others looking to discover the creative side of its residents are pointed to DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun and many more art venues.
The community is marketed toward the higher end, with median home listing prices around $754,900, but the reward of that is an excellent quality of life, which made it rank first on Money's Best Places to Retire in America list in 2020. There is a great selection of clinics in town, while Northwest Medical Center is the closest hospital serving the area.
Prescott
Sitting at over 5,200 feet above sea level, Prescott enjoys a favorable climate year-round, with an average temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The town's location within the largest stand of ponderosa pine forests in the country makes it an ideal destination to stay close to nature, with its backyard consisting of five beautiful lakes, overlooked by the iconic Granite Mountain. Founded in 1864 as a gold mining town, the modern appearance of Prescott is a reformed version of the past, where old saloons have been transformed into trendy cafes and restaurants, and former mansions have become history museums. The oldest rodeo in America (and the world) calls this place home. The week-long Prescott Frontier Days is perhaps the most anticipated time to watch cowboys and girls putting on their best moves.
As a visitor, it is a delightful experience to discover Prescott, and as a retirement destination, the town can just be amazing too. Although the median home listing price is steep at $798,000, Prescott still is a great place for retirement. It has a large senior demographic (40% of the residents are 65+), who have taken great advantage of the high-quality medical care offered at Yavapai Regional Medical Center and the Northern Arizona VA Medical Center.
Bullhead City
Once a lonely desert outpost, Bullhead City, with a population of 42,000 and growing, has become an oasis of vacation homes on the eastern banks of the Colorado River, which separates it from the lively casinos and entertainment venues of Laughlin in Nevada. Much of its tourism benefits from visitors on the other side of the river, who come into town to stay in the handful of hotels or RV resorts, before crossing back again the next day. However, there is just as much to do here, from learning about the history of the tri-state area in the Colorado River Museum to admiring the views of Davis Dam, as well as boating and water skiing all around Lake Mohave.
Being this far west in the state, it can seem like a desolate choice for a retirement destination, but it is only 100 miles from the bright lights of Las Vegas. In addition to its sunny weather year-round, Bullhead City boasts two nine-hole golf courses and three 18-hole golf courses, and well-maintained public green spaces such as Rotary Park for a lovely evening stroll by the river. The cost of living here is reasonable, with median home listing prices at $369,900, and about 30% of its residents are 65 and above. The Western Arizona Regional Medical Center, accredited by the Joint Commission and awarded the best hospital in the Mohave Valley by the local Daily News' reader's poll in 2019 and 2020, is located in town.
Carefree
Carefree, a community with not more than 3,700 people, has all the comforts of a big city, while still retaining its unique small-town feel. North of Phoenix and Scottsdale, the town is known for the Carefree Desert Gardens, with over 50 kinds of flora and fauna collected from the surrounding desert. The compact-sized downtown area is the place to shop for crafts and admire artworks the skillful creations of local artists, attend events and live music performances at the Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion, or simply see where the shadow is pointed on the famous Sundial. If that is not enough for you, neighboring Cave Creek has a whole lot more things to see, ranging from its eponymous museum showcasing its frontier history to nearly 3,000 acres of cacti and rocky landscape at the Cave Creek Regional Park. There is more nature to experience nearby in the Tonto National Forest too.
Given its convenient location between some of Arizona's biggest cities, Carefree is an outstanding place for retirement. However, the trade off of joining this affluent community is a higher cost of living, with median home listing prices around 1.2 million. The Desert Foothills Medical Center and Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital are the two main medical facilities in town. In addition, retirees can live "carefree" here if they enjoy golfing in one of the many public or private golf courses, like Desert Forest Golf Club, set among beautiful desert scenery.
The Grand Canyon State is famed for its desert and rocky landscapes, straight from picture postcards, attracting millions of visitors every year to see them with their own eyes. Many retirees have also fallen in love with not only the nature, but also the perfect balance of low cost of living and high quality of life achieved in Arizona. From Sedona's outdoor emphasis to Bullhead City's sunny riverside location, they are all incredible places in this beautiful state to consider for retirement.
