Not Your Typical Retirement Community
If you are looking for a place to spend your pre- and post-retirement years with great weather, a youthful vibe and plenty to do, put Tempe, AZ on your shortlist.
While Tempe is home to Arizona State University (ASU) and happens to be the state’s largest college town, some recent changes are getting the attention of boomers looking to relocate.
Housing Options
Tempe offers a nice blend of old and new. Tall, mature trees shade many of the parks and neighborhoods in the more established parts of town. Most of the houses were built prior to the modern building boom, resulting in fewer cookie cutter homes. And since most of the homes were built before HOAs were commonplace, homeowners enjoy freedoms not available to folks in some newer communities. Those less inclined to live in a single family home can choose from a multitude of established or newer apartments, condos or townhomes.
To leverage the city’s leading edge infrastructure and educated labor pool, businesses invested in high-tech buildings. This is most evident along the shores of the man-made Tempe Town Lake, where shiny glass and steel mid-rise office buildings glisten in the sun.
Transportation
Regardless of your preferred mode of transportation, getting around and away from Tempe is as easy as it gets. Wide, well-marked bike lanes adorn most major thoroughfares for recreational or commuter cyclists. When four wheels are needed, you will find the streets a cinch to navigate and free or low cost parking plentiful. Travel to nearby Phoenix or other cities is quick and easy via your choice of freeways or Valley Metro bus routes or light rail line that cuts through the university and downtown Tempe. As of 2013, Tempe residents can take the train to or from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, a mere 10 miles from central Tempe.
Active Lifestyle
Tempe continually earns high marks for a lively culture of entertainment and recreation. Fine arts productions at the ASU Gammage Auditorium and non-profit Tempe Center for the Arts rival any in the state. A variety of restaurants, pubs and novelty shops line the Downtown Tempe district adjacent to campus. Downtown comes to life with a slate of festivals, parades and art fairs. For a more suburban shopping and dining experience, check out Tempe Marketplace or the Arizona Mills mall.
Like sports? Most Tempe residents are less than 15 minutes from three of the area’s ten MLB Spring Training stadiums. Plus, the ASU Sun Devils host other Division 1 college teams from around the country in some of the most iconic facilities in the region. Tempe Beach Park plays host to a number of sporting competitions year round, including the Ironman Triathlon each year in November. Tempe is also home to the NFL Arizona Cardinals training facility.
If you are more athlete than spectator, you will appreciate the network of fitness trails winding throughout the town. Hike a mountain in the middle of downtown. Work on your golf game at one of several professionally designed golf courses. You can even paddle or sail the 225-acre Tempe Town Lake year round. Away from the bustling downtown/university area, Kiwanis Park & Rec Center is Tempe’s not so hidden gem for recreation.
Secluded retirement communities loaded with amenities are nice, but if you might prefer a more youthful, urban lifestyle, Tempe may be just what you’re looking for.
Tempe Particulars
Climate
- January average Hi/Low: 69/39
- July average Hi/Low: 105/75
Population: 167,277 (25% age 50 & up)
Median age: 34
Median household income: $64,346
Average home price: $ 181,617
Average rent: $ 1,340/mo
Data Source: realtor.com Market Overview & Information https://www.realtor.com/local/Tempe_AZ
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