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Short Profiles of Reader Recommended Towns

In their search for a great retirement spot, readers ask us to profile all kinds of towns, from the places they grew up or attended college to places they have visited in their travels or just heard about from other people.  This page is where we address these profile requests.

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Green Valley, Arizona (population 22,000) is about 40 miles north of the U.S./Mexico border and about 25 miles south of Tucson, although Tucson has grown so much that Green Valley is essentially now a Tucson suburb.  Green Valley is also growing, 20% in the last decade, and it caters to mature retirees, with 22% of residents age 45 to 64 and 73% age 65 or better.     The cost of living is roughly 10% below the national average, and the median home price is $150,000 (down 15% from last year).    The crime rate meets the national average.  Nearly everyone is from somewhere else, which may be why residents are welcoming and friendly.  

The majority of housing is age-restricted (55+), and much of it is relatively new construction.  In many ways, Green Valley really feels like a big meandering subdivision (with 59 separate HOAs).  Neighborhoods are tidy and curve along winding lanes with neat, sand-colored stucco houses, palm trees and well-maintained xeriscaped yards.      Arizona continues to be hard-hit by foreclosures, and although Green Valley has its share of repossessed homes, it is not overrun with them (unlike the community, Sahuarita, just to the north of Green Valley).  

This desert metropolis has a lot to offer, thanks in part to Green Valley Recreation ($403 membership cost per household per year), which has 12,000 members and manages a full range of services and amenities, including thirteen recreation centers, dozens of clubs, hobby shops, classes, concerts and volunteer groups.   Residents also enjoy ten golf courses, numerous shopping malls, year round musical and theater events at the Community Performing Arts Center, festivals, fairs and a farmers' market.   Golf carts are a popular mode of transportation.

There are health clinics in town, but the closest hospitals are in Tucson (which is odd for a town that caters to an older demographic).   The Joyner-Green Valley Branch Library is part of the Pima County Public Library system and provides computers with internet wifi access.    Tucson International Airport is located off Interstate 19, about 23 miles north of town.    The surrounding landscape is quite pretty and very green indeed, with the jagged Santa Rit a Mountains looming in the background.   Outside of town, nearby Madera Canyon is one of the top spots in the nation for bird watching.  

Green Valley's climate is hot and dry, but its elevation is 2,900 feet. and that helps mitigate the summer heat somewhat.  Still, summer temperatures reach the high-90s, with winter temperatures in the 60s and 70s.  The air quality is very good, and the sun shines 285 days of the year.   

The people who have come to Green Valley seem to enjoy it very much, citing the climate and endless activities, but there are several things to keep in mind if thinking of retirement here.  First is the water issue.  Green Valley sits on an aquifer (which is why the area is green much of the year), but the water table levels are dropping because Arizona law states that no one owns the water.  As a result, anyone and everyone, including large companies, can pump it out.  And they do.  According to a 2007 Pima County report, Green Valley does not have a sustainable water supply and could run out of water within 10 to 15 years.    

There are also several large open-pit copper mines close by (Sierrita Mine and Mission Mine are the largest), and fears of contaminated drinking water are an ongoing concern (although according to most reports, Green Valley has water quality just slightly below the national average).   

Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes, but....

Current residents enjoy the desert climate, green scenery, friendly neighbors, reasonable cost of living and wide array of amenities, but the untenable water situation, no hospital and proximity of copper mines should be considered before retirement here.