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Home        Vol  VI    Issue 94           December 20, 2011         Previous Issues

Retirees Enjoy Southwestern Heritage, Desert Climate, Easy Living and a Quiet Lifestyle in Artsy Tubac, Arizona

Cost of Living:  Above the National Average

In keeping with the town's architectural integrity, every home is built in the traditional southwestern adobe, Mexico colonial or territorial style. Tubac has been growing, nearly 25% in the last decade, so old homes mingle with the new. The median home price is $265,000, and there are several planned communities.  The Barrio de Tubac is an all ages development with numerous neighborhoods, including the Townhomes at Embarcadero.  These cater to second home owners and are beautifully furnished.  Prices start in the $250,000s, although re-sales may be less (long-term rentals are also available).  The Tubac Golf Resort, a 200 year-old former ranch, has homes priced from the mid- to high-$200,000s.   Tubac Country Club Estates has spectacular homes in the $300,000s and up.  Tubac does not have a manufactured home community, and there are few, if any, apartments.

 This is an interactive map.  Click on the arrows in the upper left hand corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and click on the +/- signs (more than once if necessary) to zoom in and out.

Arizona is a friendly place when it comes to retirement and taxes. Social Security is exempt from taxation, as is up to $2,500 in other retirement income (military pensions, civil service pensions and Arizona state pensions). Real estate tax rates are set by local jurisdictions. In Tubac, the annual taxes on a $265,000 home are approximately $1,825. Seniors who earn less than $3,750 (single) or $5,500 (married) per year are eligible for a property tax credit of $502. People who are at least 65 years or better, have resided in their primary residence for at least two years and have total income less than four times the Social Security supplemental security income benefit rate may apply to have the valuation of their residence frozen at the full cash value. Personal property is taxed, and the state sales tax ranges from 1% to 4.25% (and is added to the local sales tax).

Tubac is diverse, rustic, a bit dusty and understatedly chic.   It is a slice of the civilized world in a stark natural landscape, a place where the quiet life is savored.   The Village is situated in the Santa Cruz Valley, surrounded by the Tumacacori Mountains, with chaparral and large stands of cottonwood, mesquite and acacia trees dotting the landscape. Centuries-old adobe buildings, most of which are now studios or shops, line the town's main streets. There is no official city government, but city facilities include the Tubac Historical Society and the fire department (if local legal disputes occur, they are settled at the county level). There are also two churches, two parks and two markets.   Tourists come to stroll the cobbled sidewalks, dine in some very good restaurants and shop in tasteful, minimalist art galleries. Retirees come for the hot days, low crime rate, artist vibe and relaxed Southwestern lifestyle.

Art is everywhere.  The Tubac Center of the Arts exhibits the works of local artists, including silk screeners, jewelers, bronze sculptors and potters, and it offers classes and workshops for the public.  February's juried Tubac Festival of the Arts, a wonderful showcase of talented artists from around the country, may be the best event of the year.    And to show that art comes in many forms, the Tubac Jazz Festival takes place every October.

But Tubac's history is never far from view.  Four nations, Spain, Mexico, the Confederate States of America and the United States, have laid claim to this town over the years, and vestiges of their rule are showcased at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, located in Tubac's "Old Town."  Here, at the original foundation of the 1752 presidio, re-enactments and an old underground museum with well-worn steps, remind all of Tubac's past.

Residents have plenty of outdoor places to play as well.  Tumacacori National Historic Park is a great location for backpacking, mountain biking and lots of bird watching. Madera Canyon is wonderful for hiking, and the 4.5 mile Anza Trail that runs along the cottonwood forests from Tumacacori National Historic Park to Green Valley provides even more chances to hike and bike. Peņa Blanca Lake and Sycamore Canyon are within 30 minutes and are prime spots for fishing and more bird watching.   Exploring nearby wineries and historic Spanish missions, including the San Xavier de Bac Mission (built from 1797) and the Tumacacori Mission (built from 1687), give residents even more to do.  

Golfers love this area as ten courses are within 30 minutes. The Tubac Golf Resort and Spa, a Conde Nast Traveler favorite, provides challenging play in a spectacular setting along the Santa Cruz River. The Rio Rico Resort offers one of Arizona's top rated courses, the Robert Trent Jones Championship Course, and has attracted golfers to the area for 30 years.

Shopping venues for items other than pieces of art are not plentiful, but the two small markets provide the basics. Most residents make monthly shopping trips to Tucson for their supplies. Restaurants are numerous (many chefs consider their dishes to be works of art), and there are a few taverns. The farmers' market is popular, and Nogales (20 miles) has a Wal-Mart.

Tubac does not have a public transportation system, but it is a very walkable community. No one is in much of a hurry to get anywhere, anyway.     The Tubac Community Center is the site of the Tubac Senior Center, and the Santa Cruz County Council on Aging provides a number of services, including recreation classes, a noon congregate meal, legal and tax assistance and scheduled transportation to medical appointments and shopping.  The Community Center is also the location of the Tubac Community Library, which is small with just 3,000 books but open five hours a day Monday through Friday.  

Health care facilities are limited primarily to the Tubac Regional Health Center, a small clinic that provides general care. More extensive medical is available in Nogales' Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital (20 miles), which meets national averages in most specialty areas (Medicaid and Medicare patients are accepted).  Tucson, however, has seven hospitals, several of which, including 429-bed Carondelet Saint Mary's Hospital and 300-bed Northwest Medical Center, are award-winning and accredited by the Joint Commission.   Both accept Medicare and Medicaid patients.  For military retirees, Tucson also has a VA hospital.

With an elevation of 3,250 feet above sea level, Tubac stays cooler in the summers than nearby Tucson, but it still gets hot, and July and August temperatures are usually in the high-90s, with some days in the low-100s. Winter low temperatures are in the 30s and 40s, with highs in the 50s and 60s. It rains little except during the summer (July and August) monsoon season. On the comfort index, a combination of temperature and humidity, Tubac comes in well above the national average. The sun shines 285 days a year.

For all of its rustic, artsy charm, Tubac has its drawbacks. Santa Cruz County, in which it is located, is small, rural and poor, and this is evident soon after one leaves the Village.   Not all of Tubac has found the on-ramp to the high-speed information highway (dial-up Internet is available but high speed Internet is still spotty).   The water quality and air quality are below the national averages (but not unhealthily so).  Illegal immigrants, fresh from crossing the U.S./Mexico border, have been known to show up in town.

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