The 55+ active adult communities in Central and Southern Arizona appeal to snowbirds as they provide the best amenities with the warmest winter climates. Many snowbirds fly south (or southwest) in the winter months to avoid the harsh winters in places like the Midwest and New England, making Arizona a top snowbird destination.
Here are ten of the best communities in Arizona for snowbirds.
1. Province – Maricopa, AZ
High $200s – High $500s
Province is a gated community with 2,217 attached and single-family homes for the 55+ active adult. It’s a five-minute drive from downtown Maricopa, a city of almost 60,000 people in Central Arizona. The city is surrounded by Arizona’s desert and mountains, but downtown Phoenix is only a 40-minute drive away.
The many outdoor amenities in this community make it appealing to snowbirds. Although it doesn’t have its own golf course, it does have an 18-hole putting green and there are several courses within a 10-minute drive. Province has courts for tennis, bocce, pickleball, shuffleboard, and basketball, along with an outdoor amphitheater, 50 acres of scenic lakes, outdoor and indoor pools, a fitness center, ballroom, library, and arts and crafts studios.
Snowbirds appreciate the fact that there are almost forty models available, covering a wide range of space requirements and budgets. Homes start at 1,172 square feet and these have one bedroom, a den/second bedroom, two bathrooms, and an attached two-car garage. The largest homes provide 2,830 square feet with up to four bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, and a three-car garage. Prices range from the high $200s to the high $500s.
Request more information about Province.
2. Sun City Grand – Surprise, AZ
High $100s – Low $1Ms
Sun City Grand is a 45+ active adult community of over 9,800 attached and single-family homes and condos. It’s a ten-minute drive from downtown Surprise, a city of over 140,000 people at the north-western edge of the Phoenix urban area. If you’re a snowbird who wants to be near the desert, then the 30,000-acre White Tank Mountain Regional Park is only a 20-minute drive away.
Snowbirds are also drawn by Sun City Grand’s many amenities. These include four championship golf courses, five all-seasons pools, eleven lighted tennis courts, 22 lighted pickleball courts, eight lighted bocce courts, two fitness centers, and fishing lakes.
The fact that there are homes here as small as 427 square feet will appeal to snowbirds who want a small, low-maintenance winter bolthole in Arizona. These have one bedroom, one bathroom, and a one-car garage. Several other models come in at under 1,000 square feet, though if you want more space then homes go up to 3,388 square feet with three bedrooms, a den, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and a two-and-a-half-car garage. Prices start in the high $100s through to the low $1Ms.
Request more information about Sun City Grand.
3. Continental Ranch Sunflower – Marana, AZ
Mid $200s – High $300s
Continental Ranch Sunflower is a 55+ community with 967 single-family homes. It’s a 15-minute drive from the center of Marana, a town with a population of about 50,000. It’s also a 20-minute drive north of downtown Tucson. For snowbirds who are outdoor enthusiasts, the entrance to the Saguaro National Park West is a ten-minute drive away. Continental Ranch Sunflower’s amenities include a fitness center, an aerobics and dance studio, an arts and crafts studio, a library, an outdoor pool, a putting green, and courts for tennis and bocce.
The most affordable models offer 1,096 square feet with one bedroom, a den, one-and-a-half bathrooms, and a two-car garage. The largest offer 1,972 square feet with two bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and a two-car garage. Prices go from the mid $200s to the high $300s.
Request more information about Continental Ranch Sunflower.
4. The Preserve at SaddleBrooke – Tucson, AZ
Low $700s – Low $1Ms
The Preserve at SaddleBrooke is a 55+ active adult community of single-family homes. It’s a 45-minute drive north of downtown Tucson in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, appealing to snowbirds who want an active outdoor lifestyle.
Amenities include the Preserve Golf Club with its 18-hole golf course, pro shop, restaurant, fitness center, outdoor pool, and tennis courts. Other amenities at the community include a bistro, arts and crafts studios, an aerobics and dance studio, a library, a performing arts/movie theater, two outdoor pools, a softball field, and courts for basketball, volleyball, and badminton.
This is a community for snowbirds who want space as the limited number of models start at 2,395 through to 3,118 square feet. All have a den, two or three bedrooms, two-and-a-half or three-and-a-half bathrooms, and a two-, three-, or four-car garage. Prices range from the low $700s to the low $1Ms.
Request more information about The Preserve at SaddleBrooke.
5. Country Club Vistas – Green Valley, AZ
Mid $200s – Mid $300s
Country Club Vistas is a 55+ community of 512 attached and single-family homes. It’s about a five-minute drive north of Green Valley, an unincorporated community of about 25,000 people that’s a 30-minute drive south of Tucson. It’s an extremely popular Arizona snowbird destination, which means that all the services snowbirds might need are available here.
Residents have access to all the amenities provided by Green Valley Recreation (GVR), an umbrella organization that provides recreational facilities to member homes in Green Valley in return for an annual fee. Country Club Vistas is a five-minute drive from GVR’s Las Campanas Center, which has a fitness center, an outdoor pool, and courts for tennis, bocce, and racquetball. Other GVR facilities are just a short drive away.
There are only two standard home models, but these range from 1,132 to 3,601 square feet, offering snowbirds a choice of two to four bedrooms, two to four bathrooms, and a one- or two-car garage. Prices range from the mid $200s to the mid $300s.
Request more information about Country Club Vistas.
6. Sun City – Sun City, AZ
Below $100k – Low $600s
Sun City is the largest active adult community in the state, and it’s one of the best communities in Arizona for snowbirds because of the sheer variety it offers. It has an age restriction of 55+ and has over 27,000 attached and single-family homes, and condos. It’s located a 45-minute drive northwest of downtown Phoenix between the cities of Peoria and Surprise.
Amenities include 11 golf courses, 19 shopping areas, 31 places of worship, an amphitheater hosting major artists, numerous fitness centers, indoor and outdoor pools, arts and crafts studios, and facilities for most sports.
Snowbirds can enjoy the Sun City lifestyle no matter their budget or space requirements. Condos start with studio apartments at 635 square feet, and there are several other models under 1,000 square feet offering one or two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a one- or two-car garage or a carport. If you need more space, the largest homes offer 2,137 square feet with two bedrooms, a den, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage. For those on a budget, prices start below $100k, with the largest homes in the low $600s.
Request more information about Sun City.
7. Trilogy at Power Ranch – Gilbert, AZ
Low $400s – High $700s
Trilogy at Power Ranch is a gated community of 2,035 single-family homes for the 55+ active adult. It’s in the city of Gilbert, a 30-minute drive from downtown and on the south-eastern edge of the Phoenix urban area. Residents can be in the 10,000-acre San Tan Mountain Regional Park in about 25 minutes.
A popular amenity is the Trilogy Golf Club at Power Ranch, which also has practice facilities, a pro shop, and a bistro and bar. Other amenities within the community include a movie theater, several dining options, a culinary teaching kitchen, fitness center, arts and crafts studios, two outdoor pools, and courts for tennis and bocce.
The smallest models offer 1,100 square feet and have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a two- or two-and-a-half-car garage. The largest homes offer 2,505 square feet with two bedrooms, a den, two- or two-and-a-half bathrooms, and a three-car garage. Prices range from the low $400s to the high $700s.
Request more information about Trilogy at Power Ranch.
8. Sun City Anthem at Merrill Ranch – Florence, AZ
Mid $300s – Mid $500s
Sun City Anthem at Merrill Ranch is a community of 3,800 single-family homes for the 55+ active adult. It’s in the town of Florence, which has almost 30,000 people and is separated from the Phoenix urban area by the San Tan Valley and the San Tan Mountain Regional Park.
Amenities here include the 18-hole Poston Butte Golf Club, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center, aerobics studio, arts and crafts studios, ballroom, library, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, an outdoor amphitheater, hiking and biking trails, a rock-climbing wall, and courts for tennis, pickleball, bocce, and sand volleyball.
Models start at 1,099 square feet with one bedroom, a den, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage. The largest models offer 2,849 square feet and have two bedrooms, a den, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and a three-car garage. Prices range from the mid $300s to the mid $500s.
Request more information about Sun City Anthem at Merrill Ranch.
9. Sun Lakes – Sun Lakes, AZ
Low $200s – Low $1Ms
Sun Lakes has 6,683 attached, single-family, and manufactured homes for the 55+ active adult. It’s on the southern edge of the Phoenix area, just south of Chandler. Downtown Chandler is a 20-minute drive north, while the unspoiled landscape of the Gila River Indian Community is immediately south of Sun Lakes.
Sun Lake’s amenities will appeal to golfing snowbirds as they include four 18-hole golf courses and three 9-hole courses. There’s also a fitness center, restaurants, an aerobics and dance studio, a ballroom, fishing lakes, and courts for tennis, bocce, racquetball, and handball.
There are a few dozen models, the smallest offering 1,320 square feet with one bedroom, a den, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage. The largest homes offer 3,497 square feet and these have three bedrooms, a den, up to four bathrooms, and a three-car garage. Prices range from the low $200s to the low $1Ms.
Request more information about Sun Lakes.
10. PebbleCreek – Goodyear, AZ
Mid $300s – Low $1Ms
PebbleCreek is a gated community of 6,200 attached and single-family homes for the 55+ active adult. It’s a 10-minute drive from the center of Goodyear, which has a population approaching 90,000. Downtown Phoenix is a 40-minute drive due east, while a 20-minute drive west takes you to the Skyline Regional Park, an 8,700-acre mountain preserve.
Amenities include both the Eagle’s Nest and Tuscany Falls championship golf courses, several restaurants, several fitness centers, two auditoriums and a theater, arts and crafts studios, indoor and outdoor pools, a pickleball complex, and lighted courts for both tennis and bocce.
Snowbirds could try one of the smallest homes, which offer 1,110 square feet and have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage. The largest homes offer 3,217 square feet and have two bedrooms, a den, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and a two-car garage. Prices range from the mid $300s to the low $1Ms.
