St. George is the largest city in the upper N/W Arizona corner area... definitely not small with population close to 110k. Las Vegas, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, and Salt Lake City are the closest cities to it which are noticeably larger.
St George has rapidly expanded. It has 10x the population it did in 1980 and has almost double in population nearly every decade. If your from a major metro area, it still feels "small" but in the west, any city with a population over 100k is most definitely "big".
It's very popular with retiring Mormons who want to be closer to the desert and economy of Vegas and SoCal, but still have their own little enclave.
The biggest gripe I've heard about St George is that any "character" it has is very LDS-centric. White picket fences and manicured lawns. There are only 4 licensed bars in city limits. Only two libraries.
Like many Utah cities, it gets high marks for being safe, clean, traditional. Nothing wrong with any of that.
I'm in the West, I don't consider any town over 100k to be a city, or "big". I guess it's a matter of perspective, as I consider St George to be a town, as it doesn't have the services that a city has.
Check out Laughlin/bullhead city, also Parker az. All I know about Flagstaff is I had the best Mexican food in years a few months ago there.
Parker strip is neat.
Lake Havasu City is becoming a bustling retirement area, and actually developing a little bit of a varied economy. Source, my company covers that area and I work closely with a lot of folks out there. Younger folks are excited by how busy town seems, old folks are happy to have more neighbors. Not sure about the healthcare options, though.
Sorry for bringing up a few day old topic.
I won't comment on the politics other then to say, I don't care for them.
OKC, very affordable, great access to healthcare providers. My fiance has found it much easier to find an RA specialist than Tulsa. Doctors send my dad here for things. You'd likely be shocked at the kind of place you can buy here for the money.
Since you're talking about retirement, the politics won't likely impact you. I won't say anymore, don't want this thread or my account under a patio.
My older brother spent ~35 years working in SoCal and ended up in Las Cruces a few years ago, but many of the AZ cities mentioned in this thread were on his radar. He likes it fine so far, but it's definitely a change of pace from Santa Ana.
I'm hoping to retire in 5 years so I've clicked on way too many clickbait articles about "cheapest places to retire" . So far I'm having great difficulty coming up with a better place than where I already am in Columbia, MO. Maybe move to a smaller house (once the kids are gone) in a neighboring/nearby county to get out from county taxes/regulations, but I'm impoverished so I don't have much to tax.
So to clarify, I'm not necessarily looking for the cheapest place to retire. Looking for someplace out west that isn't horrifically expensive, has decent weather, and decent access to normal things for "not so young" people. I like hiking and outdoor activities, and remember the easy access to those opportunities that don't exist in the east where every place is somebody's private property that they want to either prosecute or kill you for stepping foot on.
I currently don't have any medical issues (knock wood), but recognize that I will be entering that phase of life where medical issues, driving, etc. become a thing.
I spent a few years when I was much younger out west. Later, when back east, I met a lovely young woman. Although I desired to move back west, she did not. We stayed in the east. She is no longer among us and we didn't have any children, so where I go once I retire is currently my decision. As much as I'd like to fantasize about a big plot of land the middle of nowhere, I realize the time for starting down that road is past.
I relocated a few years ago and at the time I choose not to look out west due to all the issues that were arising regarding availability of and access to potable water. Lake Mead was at record lows along with a bunch of other western reservoirs. There were long term drought issues. I can't say these issues are resolved, but in the short-term they seem to have eased up. So, I'm reconsidering that decision.
$400k for a dump that needs a complete reno with 2 br and 1 bath on a 1/10th acre lot is not something I can wrap my head around or am willing to spring for.
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