Anyone searching for a place to retire that includes lots of sunshine, great golf, a reasonable cost of living and a wide selection of housing choices certainly might want to start by looking at Arizona. Yes, the climate can be excruciatingly hot in certain areas, notably Phoenix and southern portions of the State, but there are some very attractive areas where temperatures are more moderate, the four seasons are filled with spectacular scenery and outdoor activities are readily available.

In spite of the heat, Phoenix, the sixth largest city in the nation, and the surrounding environs have become well-established as a retirement haven for many who find the climate from September through May to be almost perfect. Couple the climate with the advantages of a truly metropolitan environment and all that big city living has to offer, and many retirees find the area hard to resist.

Well-known places like Sun City, Scottsdale and Tempe, together with a number of smaller retirement-oriented communities just minutes from the center of the city, have made this one of the largest concentrations of seniors in the country. Yet only 12% of the total population is over 65, as compared with 23% in Miami.

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