Tucson Named #1 Best Place to Live by AARP Magazine

Tucson Arizona - takes the Top Honor!  AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world’s largest-circulation magazine, announced their annual “Best Places To Live” list, with this year’s list focused on the towns and cities that are best for living the simple (and often less expensive) life.

AARP came up with almost 20 criteria that captured not just the physical characteristics of a town but also the mindset of the people living there.  The criteria included: Housing appreciation (or depreciation) and affordability, employment, education, health, low cost of living, less congestion/traffic, more open spaces, outdoor amenities, hiking & biking trails, state parks, green values, alternative energy sources, energy efficiency programs, stress index, healthy living score and percentage who commute by bike or by walking.

Out of 324 metropolitan areas they surveyed, about 25 rose to the top.  Looking at different regions of the country, they selected one metropolitan area from each region to come up with the top five cities and five runners-up.

Here’s what they say about Tucson:
“With a population of 525,000, Latin culture embraces Native American spirit in this city filled with arts, dining and bountiful outdoor recreation opportunities, including the 1.8 million acres of the Coronado National Forest that rings the city.  With an average of 286 sunny days a year and affordable median housing prices, residents have the time and money to enjoy all that Tucson offers."

To read the press release in its entirety click here.