Retirees Are Quietly Leaving California For This Affordable Gem With Charming Towns, Mountains, And State Parks

It's common knowledge that retirees from the Midwest and East Coast have long flocked to dry, sunny Arizona. These cold-weather refugees are often just glad to stop shoveling snow. However, for a variety of reasons, the state is attracting a large number of Californians these days, too. Bay Area transplants weary of the foggy gloom may be as glad for the Arizona sunshine as northerners. "I moved from the Bay Area to AZ 7 years ago and I would never move back. It feels like I'm on vacation here all the time," writes one Redditor. 

According to relocation firm Nelson Westerberg, over a million Californians have decamped to Arizona over the last 5 years, including many retirees who might have expected to spend their golden years in California. Instead, they have found themselves priced out, or driven out by the threat of fires and floods (and the skyrocketing cost of insurance against those threats). But Arizona's appeal for Californians extends far beyond economics. According to another happily retired Redditor, Arizona is "very senior-friendly. You have to work to avoid all the fun activities geared toward seniors. It's like summer camp all the time." 

But if you live in San Diego or Santa Barbara, you may be concerned about giving up your perfect California climate for the scorched Sonoran desert. The good news is that California retirees who balk at the excessive heat and congestion of the greater Phoenix metro area (Scottsdale, Mesa, Glendale, etc.) can find their sweet spot in the Grand Canyon State's affordable, scenic towns, many nestled among mountains, with access to endless outdoor recreation, including a diversity of offerings that appeal to retirees, like golf, boating, hiking, and horseback riding.

If you're a Californian who has been saving up for decades to retire to a recreational destination like Lake Tahoe, Mammoth, Big Sur, or Big Bear, chances are you've been priced out of that particular dream. Fire insurance premiums in California's mountain towns can be as high as $15,000 per year, according to the New York Times. Added to that, California's median property tax is just under $5,000. Arizona's, on the other hand, is just $1,858, and the state will freeze property taxes for qualifying residents 65 and older.

Access to outdoor recreation is another perk of life in Arizona. California has the largest state park system in the United States, but Arizona has abundant recreation as well, with over 30 state parks, many in gorgeous mountain ranges. Sedona's Red Rock State Park has some of the state's most iconic hikes. Mountainous Patagonia Lake State Park has birding and fishing, while Lost Dutchman State Park in the Superstition Mountains is famous for wildflower super blooms. On Arizona's West Coast, just across the Colorado River from California, Buckskin Gulch State Park is a sunny oasis for boating and swimming.

California has Yosemite, but Arizona's Grand Canyon is right beside it in the pantheon of the greatest National Parks. Flagstaff, at 7,000 feet elevation, is just 75 miles from the Grand Canyon National Park's South Entrance. For more affordable retirement options with a small town feel, quirky Route 66 towns like Williams and Seligman are day-trip distance from the Canyon, too.

California homeowners selling family homes to buy in Arizona's quaint towns may find themselves living mortgage-free with a considerable nest egg left over. The average home price in California is around $775,000. The average in Arizona? $423,000. If you opt for Tucson, a delightful gem surrounded by five mountain ranges, you'll spend just $324,000. That's a lot of dough left over for dining out in a town famous for being a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Just 100 miles further south, you'll find another affordable retirement spot surrounded by majestic mountains, Bisbee, Arizona. The town is packed with art galleries and quirky culture, and the average home sells for just $237,000. 

Another funky former mining town that's popular with art-loving retirees is Jerome, midway between Prescott and Flagstaff in Arizona's Black Hills. Brimming with Old-West charm, it has a population that skews toward retirement age, with 53% of residents aged 45 or older. On the Mogollon Rim you'll find the nearly mile-high rodeo town of Payson, surrounded by alpine lakes and reminiscent of California's High Sierra.

If a quaint city in the hills of California with small-town, new age spiritual vibes is what you're looking for, you may like artsy Sedona, famous for its energy vortexes and wellness retreats. Both towns happen to be renowned for their stunning sunsets. Wine lovers pining for Napa and Sonoma can head for Sonoita-Elgin's lush rolling hills, covered in sprawling vineyards. If you were hoping to retire near Lake Tahoe's famed ski resorts, which SFGate recently called a "toxic blend of billionaires and angry townies," it may be time to reconsider. Instead, you could head for Flagstaff, where the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort offers very similar amenities.