Americans are, on the whole, more nomadic than most. We tend to move around a lot: for work, for retirement, for a fresh start on life. Over time, some areas become more popular destinations due to various criteria, and that popularity might wane as circumstances change — for example, Alaska is the leading state in the U.S. when it comes to shrinking population, while Idaho’s population is growing by leaps and bounds.
Also very high on that same list? Arizona, whose population has risen by 1.49% in 2022. Statistics show 200 people move to Phoenix on a daily basis, up from 174 daily only a few years previous. In 2022, over 280,000 people migrated to Arizona.
So what is it about Phoenix in particular that attracts people? Let’s dig in and unpack some of the secrets to the city’s popularity.
Reasons to move to Phoenix
While there are plenty of reasons — both personal and otherwise — that an individual or family might move to Phoenix, there are a few reasons that are particular to the area itself.
Warmer climate
One of Arizona’s main draws for decades has been the warm, sunny weather, which compliments the copious amount of outdoor activities and natural beauty the state has to offer. What’s more interesting is that the population of Phoenix (and Arizona in general) continues to grow despite record heat waves. Why are people still moving to Phoenix when the summers can be so brutally hot? For most, it seems a few months of hot summer is highly preferable to eight months of cold, snowy winter. For many aspiring Phoenix residents, the summer heat is a small price to pay for the other benefits the city has to offer.
Job opportunities
Another major reason for the influx of people to Phoenix? The booming job market. Phoenix recently came into its own as a top ten tech hub, wooing a wealth of venture capital and startups, particularly in the area of AI. Even as long as a decade ago, Phoenix was predicted to be “the next Silicon Valley,” and that promise seems well on its way toward being true. Developers such as the Mack Real Estate Group of New York are assembling plans for building a massive amount of infrastructure for the state’s burgeoning status as a technology powerhouse. This will no doubt have a cascading effect and bring even more prosperity to the state, further increasing its popularity and attractiveness as a destination.
Retirement
Arizona has long had a reputation alongside Florida as an ideal place to retire. The city’s reputation for year-long sunshine (at least it’s a dry heat!), the vast natural beauty, low property taxes, premier golf courses, and even dedicated residential developments for seniors like Sun City. Fans of major league baseball will also find Phoenix a great place to live out their golden years.
Affordability
Another reason many people are moving to Phoenix — particularly older people — is the affordability. While Phoenix is far from the cheapest city in the world — it ranks 81st on the list of most expensive cities to live — it’s only about 7% above the national average, which pales in comparison to someplace like San Francisco (86% higher) or New York (77% higher). As far as a place to live and/or retire goes, you could do a lot of worse.
There’s also the question of housing, where Phoenix might prove more of a challenge. When any area gains popularity, the housing market naturally goes up as demand increases and supply dwindles. Phoenix is no exception, with housing prices on the rise and unlikely to fall anytime soon. In fact, choosing to rent your home instead of buying might be one of the smartest moves you can make when relocating to Phoenix — a full 99% of properties in Phoenix are cheaper to rent than to own. (For reference, the national average is around 81%).
If you’re worried about keeping your possessions covered while you’re renting, you don’t need to worry much about that either — according to Ross Martin from insurance comparison platform The Zebra, renter’s insurance in Arizona is a mere $157, which is less expensive than the national average. By the way, that’s $157 a year, which comes out to around $13 a month.
Fewer natural disasters
With extreme climate emergencies increasing everywhere, the subject of natural disasters is on the minds of many homeowners, both current and aspiring. If you’re looking to move to Arizona, there’s good news and bad news. On the downside, Arizona ranks quite high for wildfires, as it’s been troubled by drought and water shortages for decades. But on the other hand, most of Arizona is protected from the coastal weather (particularly Phoenix), so there’s less worry of being hit by a hurricane, coastal storm, or similar weather event.