With a warm climate and attractive homebuying opportunities, Southern Arizona has retained its status as a popular place for retirees who want to stay active and social. This region provides easy access to large metropolitan centers as well as picturesque outdoor recreation. If you want the best of both worlds and plenty of sunny days to enjoy it all, this may be the perfect spot to start your home search.
The best 55+ communities in Southern Arizona are in the adjoining towns of Sahuarita and Green Valley with one community further southeast in Sierra Vista. Here’s what these communities have to offer.
Vista View Resort – Sierra Vista, AZ
Low $100s – High $100s
Vista View Resort is in the small city of Sierra Vista, about a 90-minute drive southeast of Tucson. This gated 55+ community has 355 single-family homes. It’s a 10-minute drive from the center of Sierra Vista, which has a population of about 45,000. The popular old west town of Tombstone is a 25-minute drive away, and the Kartchner Caverns State Park is a 30-minute drive away.
Amenities center on the clubhouse, which has a fully-equipped kitchen to help cater community events. There’s also a library, a billiards room, an exercise room, an outdoor pool, and walking and biking trails. The community has a full-time activities director, and residents can enjoy casino trips, computer classes, dancing and live music, card games, book fairs, water aerobics, and monthly potlucks.
The smallest homes are the Coronado models, which have 1,088 square feet, one bedroom, a den, one-and-a-half bathrooms, and a two-car garage. The largest homes are 1,865 square feet, and these have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage.
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Rancho Resort – Sahuarita, AZ
Mid $100s – High $200s
Rancho Resort is a gated 55+ community of 370 single-family homes located alongside Interstate-19. It’s a five-minute drive from the center of Sahuarita, a town of about 34,000 people which runs into the neighboring town of Green Valley. The center of Green Valley is a ten-minute drive due south, and Tucson is a 20-minute drive due north, both on I-19.
Most amenities are in the 20,000-square-foot clubhouse, and these include a fitness room, an arts and crafts room, a ballroom, a library, and a business center. Outdoors, there’s a pool and spa, hiking trails, and courts for tennis, bocce, and shuffleboard. Residents can join in on a number of clubs, groups, classes, and activities, including biking, hiking, dances, happy hours, a book club, a craft club, yoga, wine appreciation, and a travel club.
The smallest models are low-maintenance, single-level homes that start at about 1,000 square feet with a two-car garage. Larger homes are also low-maintenance, single-level homes with up to three bedrooms and an attached garage or carport. Current homes for sale range from the mid $100s to the mid $200s.
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Desert Hills 3 West – Green Valley, AZ
Mid $100s – Mid $200s
Desert Hills 3 West is a smaller community of 170 attached homes for the 55+ active adult. It’s a ten-minute drive from the center of Green Valley, an unincorporated community of about 25,000 people with a large number of active adult communities popular with snowbirds.
Residents of Desert Hills 3 West are automatically members of Green Valley Recreation (GVR), which incurs an annual membership fee. This gives access to all 13 of GVR’s recreation centers around Green Valley, plus the new 24-court Pickleball Center, which is directly across I-19 from Desert Hills 3 West. The GVR centers provide numerous swimming pools, fitness centers, tennis courts, arts and crafts studios, dance clubs, social clubs, classes, sports clubs, and live entertainment. Several are within a few minutes of Desert Hills 3 West.
Homes range from 900 to 1,200 square feet and most have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an attached carport. Current homes for sale range from the low to mid $200s.
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The Villages of Green Valley – Green Valley, AZ
Mid $100s – High $200s
The Villages of Green Valley is a 55+ active adult community of 475 attached and single-family homes. It’s a five-minute drive from the center of Green Valley.
Amenities include a clubhouse with a catering kitchen, a fitness center, and facilities for billiards, table tennis, and card games. Outdoors, there’s a swimming pool and patio, along with four pickleball courts, six shuffleboard courts, and a tennis court. Homeowners are also automatically members of GVR which means they can use any of GVR’s 13 recreational centers as part of their annual GVR dues.
The smallest models are 745 square feet and have one bedroom, one bathroom, and a two-car garage. The largest homes are 2,500 square feet with four bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, and a two-car garage. Current homes for sale range from the mid to high $100s.
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The Springs at Santa Rita – Green Valley, AZ
High $100s – Low $300s
The Springs at Santa Rita is a gated community for the 55+ active adult and has 442 attached and single-family homes. It’s a ten-minute drive south of the center of Green Valley and a three-minute drive from the Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital.
There are many amenities at the 30,000-square-foot recreation center, including a catering kitchen, a fitness center, a business center, studios for arts, crafts, and dance, and a computer lab. Outdoors, there’s a pool and hot tub and trails through the community’s private 24-acre park. Residents also have access to the numerous amenities provided by GVR (see above).
The smallest models are about 850 square feet and these have one bedroom, one bathroom, and an attached garage. Homes go up to 1,600 square feet and these have three bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and an attached garage.
Request more information about The Springs at Santa Rita.
