To find the best places for singles to retire in Arizona, 55places.com looked at over 29,000 US cities designated by the most recent census data, focusing specifically on major areas with a population of 20,000 or less. We then broke down each area by how many single or unmarried people made up the total population. Additionally, we added a median price-to-income ratio from the census data to target areas where homebuyers can reasonably afford to purchase. From that data, we curated a final list of areas listed on 55places.com.
Here, then, in alphabetical order, are the ten best small towns for singles to retire in Arizona:
1. Carefree
Carefree definitely sounds like an ideal place to retire. This small town of around 4,000 people is located in the Arizona desert, about 15 miles from the northern edge of the Greater Phoenix metropolitan area. Downtown Scottsdale and all its amenities are also a quick 35-minute drive due south.
For a town of its size, Carefree has a wide range of shops and restaurants. Its main attraction, however, is its proximity to the desert and mountains that surround it. There are a number of trailheads and preserves within a 20-minute drive. Carefree is definitely a place for those singles who intend to make full use of Arizona’s great outdoors.
Carefree features the 55+ community Las Torres, which is made up of 26 attached homes selling in the low $200s to low $300s. Amenities include an outdoor pool and spa, hiking and biking trails, and basketball, bocce ball, and pickleball courts.
2. Cornville
Cornville is a small town in Northern Arizona with a population of just over 3,000. Surrounded by mountains and forests, this village is an hour’s drive from the town of Prescott, and a 25-minute drive from the former mining town and current popular tourist destination Jerome.
Cornville has one 55+ active adult community, Dorado at Verde Santa Fe, which is a 5-minute drive west of the town center. This gated community is good for singles thanks to the numerous activities organized, including wine socials, day trips, holiday parties, a monthly pot-luck, and a Christmas dinner. The 96 single-family homes range in price from the high $200s to the low $400s and amenities include an 18-hole golf course, outdoor pool, walking and biking trails, fitness center, restaurant, and a library.
3. Eloy
Eloy is a growing city of around 20,000 people located 45 minutes north of Tucson and an hour’s drive south from downtown Phoenix. It’s surrounded by the desert landscapes of Central Arizona, with natural attractions, such as the Picacho Peak State Park, a 15-minute drive away.
Eloy is home to one community that will appeal as a place for singles to retire, and that is Robson Ranch. This gated 55+ community has 4,600 attached and single-family homes ranging from the low $200s to the high $400s. Amenities include an 18-hole golf course, the Sports Club with pools and a fitness center, and the Creative Arts Center. Singles can also enjoy the variety of clubs and activities offered, including a singles club, social hours, social dances, a walking group, a ladies’ social club, and clubs for all kinds of sports, fitness, arts, crafts, and card and board games.
4. Gold Canyon
Gold Canyon is a town of about 10,000 people at the eastern edge of the Phoenix urban area. Apache Junction, with a population of about 40,000, is a 15-minute drive away, while Arizona’s third-largest city, Mesa, is a 30-minute drive. Going in the opposite direction, residents are only a few minutes from reaching the desert and heading toward nearby mountains.
Gold Canyon has three active adult communities that are great for singles. The largest is Mountainbrook Village, a 55+ community with 1,659 homes selling from the low $200s to the mid $500s. Amenities include two 18-hole golf courses and multiple athletic courts.
5. Oracle
For the single looking to enjoy the natural scenery of Arizona, Oracle is a place to consider. This former gold and silver mining town of around 3,600 people is about an hour’s drive north of Downtown Tucson and surrounded by desert landscapes and mountain views.
Oracle has one 55+ active lifestyle community with lots to offer the single retiree, and that is SaddleBrooke Ranch. It’s a gated community with 1,500 single-family homes ranging in price from the low $300s to the low $900s. The wide selection of amenities includes an 18-hole golf course, a Creative Arts and Technology Center, and the Ranch House, which features several dining options, a ballroom, and an auditorium. Residents can also visit the La Hacienda Club, which provides access to a fitness center, two pools, and tennis courts. There are also 24 pickleball courts.
The community offers a variety of clubs and activities as well, such as a singles club, a bicycling group, a women’s club, a dining out club, and numerous others covering a range of interests from sports to arts and crafts.
6. Paradise Valley
Paradise Valley is a small town located near Scottsdale. With a population of 15,000 people, this city is renowned for being the most affluent in the Greater Phoenix area. Part of its appeal is the fact that the town has all the restaurants, shops, and facilities of an upscale area, with those of Scottsdale right next door as well. Residents are also in the foothills of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, a collection of several different parks with hiking and biking trails.
Two active lifestyle communities close to Paradise Valley are in northwest Scottsdale, just a few miles outside the city proper. Villa Monterey is a 10-minute drive from downtown Paradise Valley. This 55+ community features 800 condos and attached homes ranging from the mid $300s to the high $500s. Amenities include an outdoor pool, a clubhouse, hiking and biking trails, and two tennis courts.
Scottsdale Shadows is a gated active lifestyle community with 838 condos. Prices start at the high $100s and range up to the low $400s. Members of the community enjoy access to amenities including a clubhouse, fitness centers for men and women, a 9-hole golf course, three outdoor pools, and arts and crafts facilities. Homeowners can also participate in social activities, such as ballroom dances, barbecues, clubs, movie nights, holiday parties, and shopping and day trips.
7. Rio Verde
Rio Verde is a master-planned community in the northeast section of the Phoenix urban sprawl. The total population of around 2,000 residents has quick access to both the mountains and nearby metropolitan areas. The 21,000-acre McDowell Mountain Regional Park is a 10-minute drive away, while central Scottsdale, the nearest major city, can be reached in 30 minutes.
The largest of the three active lifestyle communities in Rio Verde is Trilogy at Verde River. This is a gated active lifestyle community with 1,285 single-family homes. Prices start in the mid $400s and move up to the mid $1 millions. Amenities include an 18-hole golf course, a putting green, golf practice facilities, a fitness center, and a ballroom. Residents have a choice of dining options, an outdoor pool, and tennis, pickleball, and bocce ball courts as well. Singles can also enjoy such activities as barbecues, happy hours, a dance club, holiday parties, movie nights, guided excursions, and other social events.
Rio Verde is also the name of a 55+ community within this town. It has 980 attached and single-family homes with prices ranging from the low $200s to the low $1 millions. Residents enjoy access to a golf and country club with two 18-hole courses and a driving range. The community center features a fitness center, aerobics and dance studio, library, post office, outdoor pool, and courts for tennis, pickleball, and bocce ball. Members of the community also enjoy access to a riding stable. There are a wide variety of activities to participate in, including ballroom dancing, a community chorus, tennis lessons, and clubs for many sports and fitness activities, as well as arts, crafts, and various hobbies.
Tonto Verde is a gated 55+ community and has 717 attached and single-family homes. These range in price from the high $200s to the high $1 millions. Homeowners can take advantage of amenities including two 18-hole golf courses, a ballroom, a library, dining options, a fitness center, an outdoor pool, and two scenic lakes. There are countless social activities to appeal to the single resident, including a book club, community chorus, concerts, food tastings, holiday parties, happy hours, karaoke nights, and wine tastings.
8. Sun Lakes
Sun Lakes is a gated active adult community featuring 6,683 attached, manufactured, and single-family homes. Prices start in the mid $100s and go up to the high $700s. Among the many amenities are four 18-hole golf courses, three 9-hole courses, five clubhouses, a choice of restaurants, several pools, fishing lakes, and tennis, bocce ball, racquetball, and handball courts. There’s also no shortage of activities for residents —single or otherwise—to get involved in, including an 80s Plus group, ballroom dancing, a drama group, a friendship club, a Young at Heart group, and more clubs covering a wide range of interests.
9. Vail
Vail is a town of just over 10,000 people just a 30-minute drive southeast of Tucson. Located off Interstate 10, this city is surrounded by a desert landscape with mountains visible in the distance. Residents can also be in Phoenix within two hours.
Del Webb at Rancho Del Lago is a 55+ community located in Vail. This gated community features 522 single-family homes ranging in price from the low $200s to the high $300s. The main amenities include an 18-hole golf course, an 18-hole putting green, two outdoor pools, a clubhouse, a fitness center, and multiple athletic courts. There are plenty of activities that appeal to single residents, such as a book club, casino trips, cooking classes, a travel club, movie nights, monthly hikes, and poker tournaments.
10. Wickenburg
Wickenburg is a town of around 8,000 inhabitants just over an hour northwest of Central Phoenix. Residents enjoy the desert landscape with views of the mountains, ideal for singles looking to retire away from the big city.
Homebuyers interested in Wickenburg can take a look at Trilogy at Wickenburg Ranch, a gated active lifestyle community. Homeowners reside in 2,000 single-family homes that sell from the mid $200s to the low $1 millions. A selection of amenities are also available including 18-hole and 9-hole golf courses, a fitness center, a day spa, an outdoor pool, and an outdoor sports complex. Residents lead a social lifestyle by way of holiday parties, cooking and art classes, guided hikes, and sporting clubs, making this another great place to retire in Arizona.
