Retirement

In Phoenix you can talk to retirees who have traveled the world for leisure, business, or military service—people who know they have a wealth of choices for a retirement nest—and they’ll tell you why they chose this city above everywhere else: climate, of course. Tired of shoveling snow and skidding on ice, many retirees opt for the Valley of the Sun. They also like the fact that Phoenix is so welcoming to seniors. The cost of living is relatively low, the people are friendly, there’s plenty to do, and the active retirement communities here have gained international fame.

Many part-time winter residents, who are usually at least 50 years old, are known as snowbirds. These folks flock to a variety of Valley roosts—apartments and condos with short leases, relatives’ homes, their own part-time homes, and, most notably, mobile homes and RV parks. In many cases they find enclaves of like-minded seniors, easing their way into feeling at home in the big city.

Seniors tend to congregate on the fringes of the metropolitan area. In Apache Junction, in the far Southeast Valley, for instance, there are literally dozens of mobile home and RV parks that attract the older set, those here either year-round or part of the year. Diagonally across the Valley, in the far northwest, is the world-famous, first-of-its-kind Sun City, along with similar age-restricted communities marketed as havens for seniors.

There is plenty to choose from in the Valley, both permanent and temporary. For seniors, it’s an ideal place to enjoy the twilight years with families and friends.