Study: Phoenix lands in top 20 for metropolitan retirement areas

PHOENIX — Arizona’s capital city jumped into the top 20 places to retire in a recent study.

Of 100 metropolitan areas in the United States, Phoenix slotted in at No. 17, right below San Diego, Calif., Raleigh and Durham, N.C. and New York City.

This is a 17 spot jump in U.S. News and World Report’s list from last year, when it was No. 34 overall.

Predictably, features of the city including weather and the economy drive up its rankings.

From U.S. News:

Nicknamed the “Valley of the Sun,” the Greater Phoenix area sees more sunshine than any other metro area in the country. That in and of itself is enough to entice people to lay down roots, but Arizona’s capital also features a desirable combination of a thriving job market, a relatively low cost of living and plenty of ways to enjoy the nice weather.

Additionally, retirement areas that offer activities, sports and restaurants like PebbleCreek also creates a draw, said Kate Hofmann, a spokesperson for Evolve PR and Marketing.

The rankings were based off scores made on five categories: desirability, value, job market, quality of life and net migration.

Phoenix’s highest score came in the desirability category, with an 8.2 out of 10 rating, while value, job market and quality of life, all hovered between 6.6 and 6.8

Net migration had a 7.8 rating.

U.S. News noted that Phoenix is more affordable than coastal metro areas.

“The region’s booming tourism industry helps alleviate residents’ costs, with visitor spending saving locals more than $1,000 a year in taxes,” the site said.

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