Choosing your Ideal Active Retirement State – Florida or Arizona?

There are many choices when it comes to selecting an active retirement state. These choices may make the task easier or more difficult depending on how you look at it. For your convenience, we have provided several facts about two very popular active retirement states – Arizona and Florida. We hope that this added info will help you make a more informed choice between these two fantastic retirement locations.

Population – You may be considering 55 and over communities in states that are less populated. Arizona is a smaller state with a total population of 5.1 million. Florida has a population of 15.9 million. Although Arizona is smaller and less populated than Florida, Arizona has 162,822 people over 65, which is a significantly higher percentage compared with Florida’s 710,025. (Statistic sources: https://www.infoplease.com/us/census/data/arizona/demographic.html
https://www.infoplease.com/us/census/data/florida/demographic.html)

Economics and Home Prices – The prices of homes and the state’s economic status also matter when selecting your retirement state. According to https://www.statisticbrain.com/home-sales-average-price, the median price of a home in Arizona is $149,000 while the median price of a home in Florida is $179,000. The 2012 median household income in Arizona was $47,826, a bit higher than Florida’s $45,050. Both states have experienced declines in household incomes over the years although there has not been a significant change since 2011. The future seems to be a bit difficult in both states as they both rely on fast growth to provide tax revenues. A low-tax environment can be challenging, at the present, as both states are facing zero or negative growth.

Climate – Although both states provide hot, sunny days, there are striking differences between the two. Certain parts of Arizona are cooler, during winter than Florida. Snowfall is common in the northern part of Arizona. Arizona is known as a desert state, and, therefore, Arizona experiences lower humidity and rainfall than Florida.

Tax Environment – Florida is the most tax-friendly when the most tax-friendly out of the two active retirement states is compared. It has no income tax and a 6% sales tax and no inheritance and estate taxes. Property tax assessments do not go higher than the rate of inflation, which is excellent news for seniors looking for senior living properties in Florida. Arizona is also a tax-friendly state although it has income and sales tax. The good news for seniors, social security income is not taxable.

There you have it; factors that can help you choose your perfect active retirement state. There are many active adult communities in these two states. Visit our website ActiveAdultLiving.com® and find the best one.