Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Bisbee, Arizona
Once a Mining Town and Now Stuck in Time, Historic, Quriky Bisbee is Popular with Tourists and Artists
At 5,550 feet above sea level and along the U.S./Mexico border in arid southeastern Arizona, rustic Bisbee is a step back in time. It started out as a mining town in the 1880s and for years prospered as tons of gold, copper and silver were pulled from the land. In the 1970s, the mining operations ceased, and Bisbee looked for a way to survive.
City leaders quickly turned to the idea of heritage tourism and opened one of the mines for public tours. This mine, the Copper Queen, was once Arizona's most productive copper mine and became the highlight of a Bisbee visit. As more tourists came to town, Bisbee began to evolve as an artists' colony and today is a quirky, hip and relatively gay-friendly desert oasis. Its historic downtown is wall to wall Victorian buildings along compact, narrow streets. Antique shops, B&Bs, art galleries and cafes attract not only tourists but the occasional celebrity. Neighborhoods outside of downtown have adobe homes, bungalows and ranch ramblers, some in better shape than others. A grocery, a food co op and a farmers' market serve local needs.
The Arizona Cactus Botanical Garden is here and has more than 800 species of desert plants. Bisbee Obscure Productions produces a number of plays each year. The annual Bisbee 1000 Stair Climb challenges contestants to traverse 1,034 stairs while being serenaded by musicians along the route.
Population: 5,000 (city proper)
Age 45 or Better: 47%
Cost of Living: 27% below the national average
Median Home Price: $268,000
Climate: Summer temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, and winter temperatures are in the 30s, 40s and 50s. On average, the area receives 15 inches of rain per year.
At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients? Yes
At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission? No. The nearest accredited hospital is in Sierra Vista, 28 miles away.
Public Transit: Yes, and it deviates off-route to pick up people who cannot reach the regular bus stop.
Crime Rate: Meets the national average
Public Library: Yes.
Political Leanings: Conservative
College Educated: 30%
Is Arizona Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? Yes
Cons: Bisbee has lost about 5% of its population during the last decade.
Notes: Bisbee is ringed by the Mule Mountains and is a hilly place. Home prices have increased 4% since last year.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes, but the distance to an accredited hospital should be weighed.
Arizona:
The Grand Canyon State was originally part of New Mexico. After the land was ceded to the U.S. in 1848, it became a separate territory. It did not enter the union until February 14, 1912. Copper was discovered in the area in 1848, and metals mining continues to be an important part of the economy. Cattle and tourism are two of the states other vital industries.
Although Arizona can be one of the hottest states in the union, air conditioning continues to bring more and more people to the urban areas. The Colorado Plateau spreads through Arizona from the north and is interspersed with remnants of the Rocky Mountains. The land flattens into desert near Phoenix. The Colorado River forms the state's western borders and snakes through the Grand Canyon.
Arizona is home to places with names like Nothing, a ghost town in western Arizona, and the Horspitality Resort.
The state is stubborn when it comes to time. It observes Mountain Standard Time on a year round basis.
Best Places to Retire
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