10 Most Livable Arizona Retirement Towns

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Arizona is a rather popular state for retirees, thanks to a very warm and dry climate as well as zero taxes on Social Security. While it doesn’t boast the beaches of the retirement-friendly Florida, it offers a number of perks for those wishing to settle down there for their retirement years.

That said, it’s important to know where in Arizona are the best places to retire. That’s why GOBankingRates conducted a study to discern the most livable towns for retirement by analyzing cities with a population over 10,000 and a 65-plus population above 33%, taking into account median income levels and overall quality of life to create a livability index. The highest score on that index is 100; the worst is zero.

From that study, GOBankingRates located the 10 most livable Arizona retirement towns. These are locations with the best quality of life for retirees in the Grand Canyon State, for anyone looking to settle down in a beautiful desert locale.

1. Oro Valley

• Percentage of population 65-plus: 34.9%
• Livability: 81

2. Cottonwood

• Percentage of population 65-plus: 34.1%
• Livability: 77

3. Prescott

• Percentage of population 65-plus: 40.5%
• Livability: 72

4. Sun City

• Percentage of population 65-plus: 74.9%
• Livability: 71

5. Catalina Foothills

• Percentage of population 65-plus: 34.9%
• Livability: 70

6. Fountain Hills

• Percentage of population 65-plus: 39.6%
• Livability: 69

7. Apache Junction

• Percentage of population 65-plus: 33.7%
• Livability: 67

8. Payson

• Percentage of population 65-plus: 37.8%
• Livability: 66

9. Fort Mohave

• Percentage of population 65-plus: 37.5%
• Livability: 65

10. Lake Havasu City

• Percentage of population 65-plus: 35.3%
• Livability: 63

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities with at least 10,000 total population and a population percent for ages 65 and over of at least 33%, as sourced from US Census 2023 5-year American Community Survey. The total households and household median income were also sourced from the same source. Using AreaVibes.com, the livability index was sourced for each location in order to help determine the overall quality of life. The cities were sorted to show the highest livability index first representing the most livable retirement towns. All data was collected on and is up to date as of July 29, 2025.

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