Arizona offers some excellent towns and cities where retiring with an affordable cost of living can be enjoyed, along with beautiful scenery and welcoming communities. If this sounds appealing to you, take a look at these progressive communities as your place of retirement!
For an in-depth understanding of Arizona housing markets, consult a real estate agent familiar with Arizona neighborhoods. Clever Real Estate connects you with top brokers such as Keller Williams and RE/MAX who offer agents familiar with Arizona real estate market.
1. Phoenix
Phoenix offers active retirees looking for an engaging climate a great place to settle down and remain active. The Heard Museum houses an outstanding collection of Native American artifacts while Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West and Paolo Soleri’s Arcosanti serve as attractions that showcase architecture.
Arizona boasts one of the lowest costs of living among states, making your dollar stretch further when retiring in Arizona. A study conducted by GOBankingRates evaluated cities nationwide on affordability measures like rent, utilities, groceries and health-care costs as well as amenities tailored to retirement living.
2. Tucson
Carefree is an idyllic retirement community for retirees seeking desert landscape and mountain range scenery nearby. Tucson and Phoenix are easily reached, too.
Sun City Retirement Community offers mobile home living with access to various amenities and clubs, such as golf courses and recreation centers – making it a favorite among active seniors.
Eloy, Arizona offers another city to consider for retirement: it boasts the unique distinction of being Arizona’s skydiving capital! Plus, with its rugged landscape and Old West heritage it makes an excellent setting for outdoor adventure.
Arizona can make your money go further as housing costs are more accessible, making retirement on a budget possible while still enjoying city living.
3. Mesa
Mesa, Arizona’s Maricopa County city located east of Phoenix, provides adventure seekers, foodies and sports enthusiasts the perfect desert playground. Enjoy world-renowned museums as well as unique outdoor adventures on this desert oasis!
Mesa offers its residents an exciting agricultural heritage and can witness bull riding, team roping and barrel racing events in Queen Creek. Furthermore, residents can fill up on art at Mesa Arts Center or local exhibits.
An investment in a quality financial planner can help Mesa residents make the most of their money. They can gain guidance on saving for retirement, investing wisely and planning for major life events – as well as guidance for dealing with bankruptcy and filing for it quickly. Working with a wealth manager may even save more by paying off debt faster, freeing up more income to invest or purchase foreclosure homes for sale at discounted prices.
4. Nogales
Nogales’ mountain pass has long served as a trade route and migration corridor, while also offering visitors duty-free liquor shopping and affordable medical and dental travel trips – not to mention learning more about its rich Mexican culture!
Known as Ambos Nogales (meaning both Nogales), Arizona’s largest international border community. Although separated by international boundaries, Ambos Nogales residents share families, cultures, histories and heritages which unite them all.
Bankrate conducted extensive analysis on each city that qualifies as affordable retirement destinations to identify the top 10. Our calculations used Zillow rental estimates from February 2023 and GOBankingRates data, with all figures expressed in USD currency; photo credit goes to Shutterstock.
5. Prescott
Arizona stands out among states by having one of the lowest cost-of-living costs and scoring higher in comparisons for healthcare quality and access, both key elements for seniors. It also ranks above California when it comes to United Health Foundation rankings of healthcare quality and access, making Arizona an attractive option.
Prescott is a popular retiree destination and offers plenty to attract them. The historic downtown area features an idyllic town square with Whiskey Row. There are also various community activities such as adult education classes offered at Yavapai College and an active bridge club that residents can take part in.
Trilogy at Wickenburg Ranch provides new and resale homes within an active lifestyle community, including holiday parties, cooking and art classes, guided hikes and sporting clubs. Situated close to Phoenix airport and Phoenix city centers allowing seniors easier travel opportunities as well as pet-friendliness this community offers everything you need for a fulfilling retirement lifestyle.
6. Avra Valley
Wickenburg in Arizona offers an active lifestyle at reasonable costs, including plenty of Wild West history to discover and golfers will delight in its Sonoran high desert landscapes. Additionally, residents have access to affordable healthcare services.
Sun City West in Arizona is the second-cheapest place to retire in Arizona, located close to Phoenix but offering many senior-oriented amenities and sporting and social clubs for residents to take advantage of.
Arizona is an ideal state to retire in, with an affordable cost of living that’s lower than California. Take SmartAsset’s retirement quiz and we will match you with a vetted financial advisor.
7. Sun City West
Sun City West in Arizona provides plenty of activities and events to keep both body and mind active, providing everything needed for daily needs to be met with ease. Situated just northwest of Phoenix, this lively retirement community can meet your daily requirements efficiently.
Benton Harbor is one of America’s oldest planned communities and offers its residents an abundance of activities. Golf enthusiasts can test their skills on one of 11 golf courses, while staying fit can take place at more than seven recreation centers that include fitness centers, indoor and outdoor pools, racquetball courts and woodworking shops.
Sun City West stands out by offering a diverse range of homes, both pre-owned resale and new construction. Typically these houses provide between 800 to 4,600 square feet of living space.
8. Peoria
Retirees looking for an area close to major cities with access to top-tier medical facilities will find Peoria ideal. This lakefront town features outdoor activities as well as an intimate suburban feel, making it the ideal place for older adults.
Biltmore Fashion Park and Peoria Artisan Brewery provide great shopping and dining options, while independent eateries such as Fabio on Fire, Haymaker Restaurant Company, Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers all deserve to be visited as well as local breweries, wineries and distilleries that you’ll find there are worth their weight in gold – Retirable can help you determine which Arizona city best matches your retirement budget by scheduling a free consultation consultation!
9. Sun City
As its name implies, Sun City West is an expansive and highly coveted active retirement community designed specifically with senior residents in mind. Situated just west of Phoenix, it offers numerous stores and medical facilities as well as sports clubs and activities. Residents may even drive golf carts on its roads!
Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix that was named one of Livability’s top 10 cities to retire in 2015, may also offer many attractive retirement benefits. There are over 200 golf courses within its boundaries as well as highly regarded health care.
Arizona is generally an affordable state to reside in, boasting low costs of living and no income tax on Social Security income. To find the ideal places in the state for retirees who wish to spend $2,500 each month, GOBankingRates analyzed average 2022 rent, grocery, utility and healthcare index scores as an indicator.
10. Mesa Valley
Few expenses vary as widely from city to city or state to state as taxes do, yet Mesa’s average tax burden–comprised of state and local income taxes as well as Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes–is relatively lower compared to other Phoenix metro areas.
Mesa offers residents plenty of outdoor recreation thanks to its close proximity to Tonto National Forest, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Apache Junction and Queen Creek communities, bike lanes throughout the city and mountain biking trails at Usery Mountain Regional Park and San Tan Mountain Regional Park for cycling adventures in its stunning Sonoran Desert landscapes.
Mesa offers an ideal getaway when temperatures reach their peak, thanks to Mesa’s museums with their world-class exhibitions and educational programming. No matter your passion – art, beer brewing or foodie alike will find something of interest here! Arizona’s third-largest city provides something for all visitors.
