20 Best Places for Retirement
Money Magazine, 1994
By Leslie
Alderman
Here is what “The Money Guide”, the 1994 Edition,
a Money Magazine publication, had to say about Prescott, Arizona
Let the applause begin. The best places to retire are, in order, Prescott, Ariz.; Fairhope, Ala.; Mount Dora, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Chapel Hill, NC.
That is the consensus of a board of seven experts who helped MONEY choose the top 20 retirement locations in the U.S.
We first asked the experts what retirees want when they relocate.
From the answers, we drew up a wish list of 10 attributes, led by low crime
rate, mild climate, affordable housing, attractive
environment, proximity to cultural and educational activities, strong economic
outlook and excellent health care. …
Prescott, Arizona
The
mild climate and laid-back lifestyle attract more that 600 retirees a year to
this mile-high mountain town.
Bordered by 1.25 million acres of National Forest and the
1,400-acre Yavapai Indian Reservation, Prescott
(pop 28,211) is an ideal spot if you love outdoor activities. Its high
elevation and mountain breezes keep temperatures from reaching the grueling
levels of low-lying Phoenix,
90 miles to the south. In summer they rarely exceed 85 degrees, and in winter’s
sun-filled days they average around 50 degrees. Humidity stays a modest 45%
year-round. Practically every day you can play tennis, golf on two city
courses, one created by famed designers Gary Panks
[Note: Prescott now has three additional courses open for public play], or hike
the many trails on nearby Granite Mountain. The Grand
Canyon is roughly two-hour drive away.
Because Prescott
is the county seat, many services are conveniently located in town. They
include the regional Social Security office, motor vehicles department and the
129 bed Yavapai Regional Medical Center., No wonder
retirees favor this quiet mountain community. About 23% of the population is
over 65, half of them relocated from California
and the Rocky Mountain States.
The living in Prescott,
though bountiful, is not cheap. [Noted author] Dickinson estimates that a retired couple
needs at least $25,000 of annual income to live comfortably. Studies compiled
by SCORE, a business association, reveal the annual median income of those over
55 is $40,000 to $45,000 – more that three times the national median.
Founded in 1864 as the territorial capital of Arizona,
Prescott still
had the distinct feel of a Wild West town. Historic Whiskey Row once had 20
raucous saloons; today, many of the original buildings house boutiques, hotels,
and gift shops. The town also had its genteel side, which can be seen in Mount Vernon Street’s
graceful Victorian homes, many of them on the National Register of Historic
Places.
“This is a town that attracts individuals,” says Dickinson, who
moved here in 1988. “There is nothing cookie cutter about it – not the people,
not even the homes”. Indeed, most of the houses are custom-built into the rough
and hilly terrain, where javelinas (wild boars)
sometimes wander across the yards at night. And in many residential
developments, builders are required to make each house one of a kind. As a
result, the typical home costs about $154,000, 26% above the national average.
Newcomers often become involved in the community through the Volunteer
Center of Yavapai County, which steers people to programs with 135 different
local agencies; The Sharlot Hall Museum, for example,
enlists more than 150 volunteers to greet and guide visitors through exhibits
on the town’s first settlers. The local college, Yavapai Community College,
offers senior citizens hundreds of courses, including challenging classes in
genealogy and environmental chemistry, for about $35 each. The college also
conducts 190 weeklong trips a year through the Elderhostel Network; the most
popular are a houseboat excursion on Lake
Powell, 225 miles to the northeast,
and a 200-mile trip to the Hopi Reservation, also in Arizona’s northeast corner.
“Money Magazine, 1994”
