Arizona Relocation Guide
This Arizona relocation guide can be used as a quick reference to this state which is a favorite of retirees.
When planning a relocation, you should do thorough research on school systems, salary, housing and the like. Pay attention to the tax structure in the state you are relocating to - how much is the income tax? Do they have a sales tax? What is the property tax rate? All these things can have a major impact on your budget and should be carefully considered before relocating.
Geography
Arizona is approx. 113,635 square miles and borders Utah, New Mexico, Nevada and California. Although Arizona is often thought of as just dessert area, over half the state is mountains and plateaus, in fact, Arizona boasts the nations largest ponderosa pine forest. It is also home of many canyons, including the popular tourist attractin, the grand canyon.
Population
If you are relocating to Alaska, you will be joining the approx 5,580,811 other people who currently reside in this state. In the year 2000, the population demographics was roughly:
White - 75.5%
Black or African American - 3.1%
American Indian & Alaska Native - 5.0%
Asian - 1.8%
Arizona has only 45.2 persons per square mile as compared to the US average of 79.6 persons per square mile.
Climate
Arizona is well know for it's pleasant, dry climate. The summer in the desert areas can get up to 110 degrees F and the winter can see temps in the 20's or 30's in the higher areas and it can get below freezing in the high mountains. It rains very little in the desert areas and in Phoenix the rainiest month of March gets only about 1 inch of rain. Overall, there is an 80% of sunshine throughout the year.
Industry
Arizona is abundant in gold, silver and copper as well as semi precious gems. Tourism is a major industry as is cotton, grain and livestock.
Cost Considerations
Arizona has a median income of about $40,500 which is just about equal with the national average of approx $41,900. The cost of living is comparable to the rest of the states considering salary adjustment.
If you were relocating from Boston MA, you would find it to be about 25% cheaper to live in Arizona (depending on the town you relocate to) with groceries costing about 15% less, housing about 50% less, utilities about 38% less and health care about the same. So if you are relocating to a new company or within the same company, you should expect to make roughly 25% less for the same job. If you make $60,000 in Massachusetts, you might expect about $44,000 in Phoenix Arizona.
Other Relocation Information
Arizona boasts a high quality of life and temperate climate.
• References include U.S. Census Bureau and Arizona State Website
Learn about other states:
Alabama - This southern state is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico, the northern most part of the state rural and wooded with lakes and rivers - relocators will find this state is very inexpensive to live in with a median income well below the average.
Alaska - It's cold, but beautiful. Relocating to this state will find you living in a place where the median income is higher than the national average and expenses are comparable to the rest of the states.
Arkansas - A mild climate, but low wages and cost of living.
California - Relocating to this state will get you beautiful weather and scenery but it has a very high cost of living - and earthquakes.
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