1- Beautiful Scenery
The Tucson area is nestled between 6 mountain ranges. The Catalina Mountains to the North, Rincon Mountains to the East, Santa Rita Mountains to the Southeast, Huachuca Mountains to the South, Tucson Mountains to the West, and Tortolita Mountains to the Northwest. The sky is almost always clear in Tucson and Tucson has some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The sunrises over the Rincon Mountains and sets behind the Tucson Mountains. Tucson’s landscape is also beautiful because it is located in the Sonoran Desert and is surrounded by cactus, which makes Tucson very unique to the rest of the United States. The saguaro cactus is the symbol of the American West and Tucson is flooded with them. Be sure to check out my blog post all about the cacti you may see in the Tucson area. Tucson also has low pollution, lending itself to beautifully clear skies. It does not rain often in Tucson so you can see the sky with very little cloud cover most of the time. Tucson is the perfect place if you enjoy star gazing at night. There is a world-famous star gazing observatory Southwest of Tucson called Kit Peak. Kit Peak is “the largest, most diverse fathering of astronomical instruments in the word.” In fact, in 1972 dark sky ordinances went into effect in an effort to provide standards to keep Tucson dark for the observatory and its residences. You can even see the Milkyway Galaxy from downtown Tucson at night!
2- The Cost of Living
A lot of people move to Tucson after selling a home elsewhere in the United States and are able to put down a large downpayment or even pay cash when they buy a home. Tucson is roughly 10% less expensive to live in compared to Phoenix and is roughly 10% less than the national average. Check out Bestplaces.com and compare Tucson to the rest of Arizona to see that Tucson falls below the state average in grocery, health, ultilities, housing and transportation. Tucson is also bike-friendly and has extensive bike routes and paths, including “The Loop.” Tucson also has no tax on Social Security benefits, which makes Tucson a hot spot for retirees. Tucson is also home to some larger companies like Raytheon, Caterpillars Hexagon Mining and Amazon that have reputations for being high paying. Davis Monthon Air Force Base and The University of Arizona also provides many jobs to Tucsonans. The minimum wage as of April 2022 is $13 an hour and is scheduled to increase to $15 by 2025.
3- Weather
Tucson has sunshine almost year-round and the weather in Tucson is perfect 7 months out the year, and when I say perfect, it is typically between 65 and 80 degrees during those months. The other 5 months out of the year (May-September), the temperature can be in 100s, but Tucsonans just adjust their schedules to get outdoor activities done in the early morning or evening during those months. You can hike, bike, golf, or ride horses before the 100-degree temperature hits or wait until the monsoon cools of the city. The monsoon is a short rainstorm that comes through parts of the city between June and September and it really cools off the entire city. The 7-month perfect weather lends itself to people who love outdoor activities. It snows every few years in Tucson and ski valley up in Mount Lemmon gets snow during the wintertime and the temperature up there is 20-30 degrees cooler so it is a perfect escape during the summer months!
4- Entertainment
Tucson is a college town and home to the University of Arizona and with the University comes all of the college sports. The “Wildcats” have an excellent football, basketball, and baseball team which draws in large crowds of fans. The arts scene is incredible and there are several local theatre companies that put on Broadway-quality musicals and plays done by talented Tucson locals. Broadway in Tucson brings in professional traveling theatre groups. The University also has plantetarium, and dance and theatre performances in their theatres on campus. Tucson is also known for its live music scene and many restaurants offer live music. Also, with Tucson being a college town, 4th Avenue and downtown also has really cool boutique shops, restaurants, and bars and you can get around this area on Tucson’s street car. Tucson’s Old Town Artisans is where you can find vintage clothing, organic food and contemporary art. There are also a lot of art museums, and Tohono O’odham and Hokokam native historical sites to visit. Tucson has golf courses all over the city which attracts people from around the world. There are amazing caves just outside of Tucson, and the town of Marana even has sky diving. Tucson has a “Rodeo” in February and schools even close because of how large the event is.
5- Location
Tucson is the 2nd largest city in Arizona and feels more like a “big town,” while compared to Phoenix. It is only 70-miles from the Mexico border and you can be on the beach in Mexico in on less than 4-hours in Rocky Point. Tucson is also a little over 6-hours to the beach in San Diego, 7-hours to Disneyland, 7-hours to the entertainment capitol in the United States “Las Vegas.” The airport is small and low stress and actually offers direct flights to many cities. Mount Lemmon is just a 45-minute trip from the base to the top and even has skiing during the winter months. Tucson is only two hours to Phoenix, and there is a ton to do in Phoenix. Northern part of Arizona also attracts vacationers world-wide. The Grand Canyon is about 5-hours away Flagstaff 4-hours and Sedona is 3.5 hours away.
Are you thinking about buying your very first home in Tucson, AZ? Please feel free to contact me to go over your needs: alexisburrowshomes@gmail.com. 520-869-3176.
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