Advantages & Disadvantages of Retiring in Phoenix

You consider retiring in Phoenix but want to get additional information about overall quality of life, living costs, housing situation, entertainment options, landscape, medical infrastructure and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of retiring in Phoenix in the following chapters.

Retire in Phoenix – Overview

Reasons to Retire in Phoenix

1. Decent public transport in Phoenix
2. Phoenix is a bicycle-friendly place
3. You will find most things you need within walking distance
4. You don’t necessarily need a car to get around
5. Many senior centers in Phoenix
6. Many bars to socialize for pensioners
7. Many great sports teams in Phoenix
8. More than enough entertainment in Phoenix
9. Great weather in Phoenix
10. Pensioners can spend lots of time outdoors
11. Most people in Phoenix have an excellent internet connection
12. Your loved ones have an easy time visiting you in Phoenix
13. Many nature reserves around Phoenix
14. Good medical infrastructure in Phoenix
15. You find many good restaurants in Phoenix
16. Decent future outlook for pensioners in Phoenix

Decent public transport in Phoenix

One advantage of retiring in Phoenix is that you have decent public transport near the city center and can therefore get around by bus or other means of transport in a pretty efficient and reliable manner.

Phoenix is a bicycle-friendly place

Not only will you have good public transport, but Phoenix is also a pretty bicycle-friendly city where you can get around by bike in a pretty efficient manner and this can be great for pensioners since they can save money by going by bike while they can stay fit at the same time.

You will find most things you need within walking distance

If you live close enough to the city center, you will also find most things you need for daily life within walking distance and this can be great for you as a pensioner since you will be able to get most things even if you can’t walk long distances anymore due to serious health conditions.

You don’t necessarily need a car to get around

Since you will have decent public transport and solid supply of material goods in general and will also find most things for daily life at almost every corner, you will not necessarily need a car to get around and this can be helpful for retirees since they are often no longer able to operate a car in a safe manner and have to rely on alternative means of transport.

Many senior centers in Phoenix

Another upside to retiring in Phoenix is that you will also find more than enough senior centers and locations where you can play parlor games and hang out with many other people of your age so there will be always something to do and chances are that you will never feel lonely as a pensioner in Phoenix.

Many bars to socialize for pensioners

There are also numerous bars where you can have a drink with fellow retirees and talk about what’s going on in the world so you can get many different opinions on certain topics and can have any interesting conversations.

Many great sports teams in Phoenix

You should also know that there is a decent number of good sports teams in Phoenix and if you are a sports fan who loves to watch games live in person, Phoenix may be a great place to retire since you will have more than enough options in this regard.

More than enough entertainment in Phoenix

You will also find many things you can do with your time in Phoenix.

For instance, you can go to the movies, go bowling, play golf and do many other things you may be used to from other big cities and chances are that you will not miss a thing in this interesting city.

Great weather in Phoenix

Retiring in Phoenix can also make quite a lot of sense due to the great weather you will have most of the time.

In fact, you can enjoy many hours of sun during summer and will also have relatively mild winters so you don’t have to stress your body with the cold and chances are that you will stay fitter as a retiree compared to people moving to Chicago or other colder places since cold weather is often bad for the spine and may cause additional health problems in the long run.

Pensioners can spend lots of time outdoors

Thanks to the great weather, people who retire in Phoenix can also spend lots of time outdoors and can therefore get lots of fresh air which helps them stay fit in the long run.

Most people in Phoenix have an excellent internet connection

Since you will have an excellent internet connection in basically all parts of Phoenix, you will also be able to stay in touch with your favorite people via video calls and can also stay connected to the world in general so you will know what’s going on in the world and can react accordingly.

Your loved ones have an easy time visiting you in Phoenix

Since Phoenix has a big airport, your loved ones also have an easy time visiting you in Phoenix without having to deal with layovers or other unpleasant things and chances are that you will have people coming to your home on a regular basis so you will not feel lonely most of the time.

Many nature reserves around Phoenix

Another benefit of retiring in Phoenix is that you will have many nature reserves and national parks close to the city and this enables you to go fishing, hiking and do many other things in nature which may not only be quite interesting but can also keep you fit as a pensioner in the long run.

Good medical infrastructure in Phoenix

You can also benefit from a pretty decent medical infrastructure in Phoenix and will find many good doctors and hospitals which can be great for you as a retiree since the older you get, the more likely it will be that you will suffer from serious health conditions that need to be treated appropriately.

You find many good restaurants in Phoenix

There are also many good restaurants you can try in Phoenix and culinary experiences may become one of your major events since the older you get, the fewer things you will be able to do since your body will often no longer work properly and having great meals can really be one of the top priorities to make your life better.

Decent future outlook for pensioners in Phoenix

Since Phoenix is the biggest city in Arizona, it will be an important place to work, live and retire for many decades and you can be sure that you will find decent public infrastructure in Phoenix for many years to come.

Now that you know the reasons for retiring in Phoenix, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of retiring in Phoenix in the following so you can get a more realistic picture of reality and can better decide whether you still want to retire in Phoenix or rather want to spend the last chapter of your life in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Retiring in Phoenix

1. Rents in Phoenix are too high for many pensioners
2. Living costs in Phoenix are above national average
3. Housing shortage is a big problem
4. Many pensioners have to search quite a long time to find a decent place to stay
5. Phoenix may be too hot for many pensioners
6. Crime is a problem in Phoenix
7. Many pensioners have to live in rather dodgy districts
8. Many retirees struggle to pay their bills in Phoenix
9. Many pensioners even have to work at retirement age
10. Pensioners become increasingly desperate
11. Phoenix doesn’t have the best air quality
12. Public transport gets worse in the outskirts of Phoenix
13. Phoenix is a crowded city
14. You may just not like big city life
15. Phoenix is not located at the coast

Rents in Phoenix are too high for many pensioners

One problem with retiring in Phoenix is that rents are already pretty high and people who retire in Phoenix will have to spend much more money on housing compared to people living in Houston or other cheaper places.

Consequently, unless you receive a really good pension, you may have a hard time affording a decent place to stay in Phoenix.

Living costs in Phoenix are above national average

Not only housing costs are high, but also living costs in Phoenix are above national average and many retirees are therefore not able to afford many nice things and often just sit at home watching TV since they simply can’t afford to take part in many activities that will cost significant amounts of money.

Housing shortage is a big problem

You should also not underestimate the competition in the housing market in Phoenix. In fact, housing shortage is a big problem in Phoenix and many pensioners really struggle to find an affordable place to stay and also always have to worry about getting evicted in case they are not able to pay rent consistently in time.

Many pensioners have to search quite a long time to find a decent place to stay

Since the housing situation in Phoenix is really bad, many retirees also have to search for many weeks or even months to find a decent place to stay at an affordable price and some pensioners even never find a decent home and have to stay in cheap motels.

Phoenix may be too hot for many pensioners

While weather in Phoenix is great, it is also pretty hot in this region and many pensioners who are not able to deal with the heat in a proper manner faint or just don’t feel well during times of extreme heat and if you are really sensitive to hot weather, chances are that you will be better off moving to Detroit or other cooler places.

Crime is a problem in Phoenix

Another disadvantage of retiring in Phoenix is that crime rates are pretty high and many pensioners no longer want to leave their homes during nighttime since they just don’t feel safe in their neighborhoods anymore.

Many pensioners have to live in rather dodgy districts

Since Phoenix is a pretty expensive city, many retirees also have a hard time affording a home in a nice neighborhood and many retirees therefore have to live in rather dodgy boroughs where crime is a big problem and many of them just don’t feel comfortable anymore in those places which greatly adversely affects overall quality of life.

Many retirees struggle to pay their bills in Phoenix

Since Phoenix is a pretty expensive city with high living and housing costs, many pensioners really struggle to pay their bills and many of them also live below the poverty line and can’t afford any luxury.

Many pensioners even have to work at retirement age

Pensioners who only receive pretty poor pensions often also have to work during retirement age since their pension will just not be enough to cover their expenses and they have to make additional money on the side.

Pensioners become increasingly desperate

Over the past decades, many pensioners also have become increasingly desperate since they no longer know how to pay skyrocketing rents and other expenses and therefore always have to worry about their financial future which may translate into all sorts of mental health problems in the long run.

Phoenix doesn’t have the best air quality

Another downside to retiring in Phoenix is that air quality in this city is really poor and in case you already suffer from pulmonary problems, chances are that it will not be the best idea to retire in Phoenix since your symptoms may become even worse.

Public transport gets worse in the outskirts of Phoenix

While public transport is pretty decent close to the city center of Phoenix, it gets worse in the suburbs and outskirts of the city and if you can’t afford to live near the city center, you may have to rely on other means of transport to get around in an efficient and reliable manner.

Phoenix is a crowded city

You should also know that Phoenix is a pretty crowded and hectic city and traffic jams are a big problem.

Moreover, even if you don’t get around by car, you may still get hit by a car as a pedestrian and therefore always need to stay focused while you are in public.

You may just not like big city life

While retiring in Phoenix can be great for people who love big city life, it may not be great for people searching for rather quiet places to retire since it is simply too hectic and crowded and you will also not find many quiet places in this region.

Phoenix is not located at the coast

You should also note that Phoenix is not located at the coast and you will therefore not have the same opportunities to spend time at the beach as people living in San Francisco or other places near the coast which may lower your overall quality of life in the long run.

Top 10 Retiring in Phoenix Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Phoenix A Good Place To Retire?

While Phoenix can be a great place to retire since the weather is great and you can spend lots of time outdoors in beautiful nature, you should also know that living and housing costs are pretty high and many retirees have to work during retirement age to make additional money to cover their expenses.

Alternative Cities To Retire

If you don’t want to retire in Phoenix, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Houston

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Los Angeles

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Chicago

Sources

https://www.phoenix.gov/

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.