GOBankingRates, a personal finance news and features website, has released a list of the nation’s Wealthiest and Safest Retirement Towns that placed Prescott and Prescott Valley in the top 30, along with several more Arizona cities and towns.
At No. 9, Prescott was the second highest-ranking Arizona city on the list, as Oro Valley near Tucson came out as No. 1 in the country. Prescott Valley wasn’t far behind in 17th place. Four additional communities in the state also made the top 30: Scottsdale, Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City and Apache Junction. The survey compared cities across the country with at least 25% of their populations older than 65.
Southwestern cities fared well in the survey, with 12 of the top 30 in California and another one near Las Vegas in Nevada. The rest were scattered over the rest of the map, but none were in Florida.
The survey’s methodology compared the communities by analyzing data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, Sperling’s BestPlaces and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey. Livability scores were sourced from AreaVibes and average single-family home value from the September 2024 Zillow Home Value Index.
Prescott and Prescott Valley received similar scores, with Prescott’s slightly higher crime rates balanced out by higher incomes and home values. Below are the scores each municipality received from the survey:
Prescott
• Violent crime per 1,000 residents: 3.51
• Property crime rate per 1,000 residents: 14.42
• Ages 65+ average retirement income: $40,660
• Single-family average home value: $614,569
• Livability score: 72
Prescott Valley
• Violent crime per 1,000 residents: 2.61
• Property crime rate per 1,000 residents: 9.31
• Ages 65+ average retirement income: $30,927
• Single-family average home value: $461,185
• Livability score: 62
