Tubac is casual and rustic but sophisticated.   It is bit of the civilized world in a stark natural landscape, and life here is savored.  The town is situated in the Santa Cruz Valley, surrounded by the Tumacacori Mountains, and large stands of cottonwood, mesquite and acacia trees dot the landscape.  Centuries-old adobe buildings, most of which are 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 disputes occur, they are settled at the county level).  There are also two churches, two parks, two markets, a health clinic, a community center and a small library (3,000 books).   Tourists come to stroll the cobbled sidewalks, shop in tasteful art galleries and dine in some very good restaurants.  Retirees come for the hot days, easy living, low crime rate and understated Southwestern lifestyle.  

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 there has been fairly recent home construction.   The median home price appears to be around $300,000, with substantial inventory, for a town this size, in the $200,000s to $400,000s.

The Barrio de Tubac is a master-planned, all ages community with several neighborhoods, including the Townhomes at Embarcadero.  These cater to second home owners and are beautiful, completely furnished, attached homes.  Prices start in the $250,000s, although re-sales may be less.  For an extra fee, concierge services, housekeeping services, laundry services, valet service, an errands' service, covered parking, meal delivery and more are available.   A leasing program is also in place; one bedroom units with a year-long lease start at $1,676 per month.  Weekly and monthly rentals are also available.   The Tubac Golf Resort, a 200 year-old ranch that is now a resort and housing development, has homes priced from the low-$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 to zoom in and out.

The average property tax rate in Santa Cruz County, where Tubac is located, is $7.56 per $1,000 in property value.  The annual taxes on a $300,000 home are approximately $2,268.   Residents age 65 or older who meet certain income requirements may have the cash value of their home locked in place for tax purposes.    Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits are exempt from state income taxes.   Up to $2,500 total of military, civil service, and Arizona state/local government pensions are also exempt.  All out-of-state government pensions are fully taxed.  Single homeowners age 65 and older who earn less than $3,700 and married couples who earn less than $5,500 are eligible for a tax credit of up to $502.  The sales tax rate is 6.5%.

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.   Even though things move rather slowly, a number of volunteer opportunities are available, including working with the Tubac Historical Society, an all-volunteer preservation group, giving time to the Tubac Center of the Arts, and doing a variety of jobs, including acting as a docent, a gardener or manning the visitors' desk, at Tumacacori National Park.

Tubac's elevation of 3,250 feet keeps it cooler in the summers than nearby Tucson or Phoenix, but it still gets hot, and July and August temperatures are usually in the high 90s with days in the low 100s not uncommon.  The average January low is 32 degrees, and the average January high is 60 degrees. Humidity is low, averaging 30%-40%, and the sun shines 285 days a year.  

Exploring nearby wineries and historic Spanish missions give residents a bit to do when not hiking, golfing or eating.    Four nations, Spain, Mexico, the Confederate States of America and the United States, have laid claim to Tubac over the years, and vestiges of their rule are showcased at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park (the Park was threatened with closure but is now slated to stay open).  The Park preserves the original foundation of the 1752 presidio, stages re-enactments and has an old underground museum accessible by steep, well-worn steps.   The lovely Tubac Center of the Arts exhibits the works of local artists, including silk screeners, jewelers, bronze sculptors and potters.  It also offers classes and workshops for the public.  The Tubac Jazz Festival happens every October, but the major event of the year is February's juried Tubac Festival of the Arts, a wonderful showcase of talented artists from around the country.

The Tubac Community Center is also the site of the Tubac Senior Center (and of the public library).  The Senior Center is only open on Thursday, and services are essentially limited to providing a congregate meal.  The Santa Cruz County Council on Aging provides a number of services, including legal and tax assistance and transportation to Tucson ($25) and to Nogales ($15).  There is also a shuttle to the Wal-Mart in Nogales every Tuesday.  

For all of its seductive charm, Tubac has its drawbacks.  Retiring in a place so far off the beaten path and so small is obviously not for everyone, and anyone who decides to live here must have a love for artists and their creative ways.   Senior services are not as strong as they could be, and extensive medical care is 20 miles away.    The air and water quality are both below the national averages, and the unemployment rate is above the national average.   Santa Cruz County is small, rural and poor.   Tubac has not yet found the on-ramp to the high-speed information highway (although there is phone service and dial-up Internet).   And it is a good idea to visit Tubac in the summer to see how hot it really gets before making a decision to move to this part of the desert.  

Many retirees, though, would be quite content spending their days far from the hassles of modern life, chatting with artists and craftsmen, strolling through galleries, enjoying excellent dining and basking in the desert sun.  For some, Tubac just may be the perfect retirement spot.

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