seriously thinking about leaving S. CA but where to?

[iamlucky13]

I am retired so I can move anywhere in the country. I have spent countless hours searching for a place to live. Originally , I was searching for a state free of taxes. But it doesn't matter anymore. I just want to leave CA but not sure where. Any suggestions based on the criteria

Criteria:
1/ Good climate similar to Orange County, CA. Okay with some snow in the winter but not fond of huge amount of rain.
Pacific NW and Atlantic NE are out significantly cooler and wetter much of the year

2/ No hurricane , flood , tornado and blizzard
Gulf Coast and Atlantic SE have hurricanes. The central part of the country all has either tornadoes, blizzards, or both, and a lot of it tends to be muggy in the summer.

3/ Not Hawaii
4/ Low crime

Not a must but wouldn't mind a city close to the airport as I travel a lot, and close to the beach
There's not much beach to be had in Arizona and New Mexico

I think you've basically ruled out the entire country. Are you just looking for a quieter part of California?

[LiveSimple]

Not sure if you are Medicare eligible yet, but what about the Mediterranean Coast? If it fits your travel interests it would be wonderful until you need to pick somewhere in the US.

Interesting any particular countries / cities ?

[KT785]

Californians go to Las Vegas, Reno, Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Salt Lake City, Utah Valley, Austin, Denver, Boise, Portland, Seattle ... [among others]. None are a coastal Mediterranean climate.

Texas!

• no personal income tax
• no corporate income tax
• lower cost of living
• Austin, Texas’s capital city, is #10 on Forbes’ list of the top 10 growing economies.
• The climate is just as warm as California, with average temperatures between 80 and 100 degrees in the summer, and winters are mild with little to no snow.
• Austin “live music capital of the world”
• Dallas “Fried Food Capital of Texas”
• Texas BBQ
• natural beauty to explore, including the historical Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Palo Duro Canyon, Dinosaur Valley State Park, and Padre Island National Seashore.

https://www.tsishipping.com/blog/moving ... -home-2018

I was thinking the same thing, though certain parts of Texas could be off the list due to potential the weather events OP noted (Houston and Dallas).

We moved from the Midwest to the Hill Country just north of San Antonio (Boerne/Fair Oaks Ranch area) and couldn’t be happier. Our location may be a bit rural for OP but there are certainly great areas closer into the city; Austin could likewise work and is probably closer culturally to So. Cal.—though cost of living is higher there than San Antonio.

[sil2017]

I am retired so I can move anywhere in the country. I have spent countless hours searching for a place to live. Originally , I was searching for a state free of taxes. But it doesn't matter anymore. I just want to leave CA but not sure where. Any suggestions based on the criteria

Criteria:
1/ Good climate similar to Orange County, CA. Okay with some snow in the winter but not fond of huge amount of rain.
Pacific NW and Atlantic NE are out significantly cooler and wetter much of the year

2/ No hurricane , flood , tornado and blizzard
Gulf Coast and Atlantic SE have hurricanes. The central part of the country all has either tornadoes, blizzards, or both, and a lot of it tends to be muggy in the summer.

3/ Not Hawaii
4/ Low crime

Not a must but wouldn't mind a city close to the airport as I travel a lot, and close to the beach
There's not much beach to be had in Arizona and New Mexico

I think you've basically ruled out the entire country. Are you just looking for a quieter part of California?

I guess I can’t be near a beach unless I stay in CA
If I move , it would be out of CA . I live in a quiet neighborhood already .

I am expecting a call back from a realtor in AZ today . Will report back . Also I will call a realtor in New Mexico about possible cities based on my criteria.

[mrspock]

Buy hurricane insurance... move to the Florida keys. Done, next.

Aside: I always find it amusing how much Californians (who live in earthquake country) fear/worry about hurricanes. You can see them coming days or weeks away... earthquakes not so much. I’ll take hurricanes over earthquakes any day.

[bhsince87]

If you took hurricanes and tornadoes off the list, your options would increase dramatically.

IMO, hurricanes are only a major problem if you are right on the coast, especially waterfront or on an island. Otherwise, there is plenty of warning time to get out of dodge.

The climate of the DelMarVa area, and on down into coastal NC is pretty temperate. Mostly small snowfalls, tornadoes are rare, and there is usually a sea breeze in the summer. Once you get more than a few miles inland, humidity climbs quickly in the summer.


Otherwise, the mountainous parts of NC, SC, and Georgia have generally mild weather as well. A bit of a haul to a beach though. A bit more of a chance for a blizzard, but hurricanes are usually pretty weak by the time they reach that far inland.


And on the "other side of the mountain" in that area is Tennessee. Definitely a low tax state.

Of course, flooding can be an issue anywhere. Prudent choice of location is the best defense against that.

[Socrates]

Texas!
no personal income tax
no corporate income tax
lower cost of living
Austin, Texas’s capital city, is #10 on Forbes’ list of the top 10 growing economies.
The climate is just as warm as California, with average temperatures between 80 and 100 degrees in the summer, and winters are mild with little to no snow.
Austin “live music capital of the world”
Dallas “Fried Food Capital of Texas”
Texas BBQ
natural beauty to explore, including the historical Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Palo Duro Canyon, Dinosaur Valley State Park, and Padre Island National Seashore.
https://www.tsishipping.com/blog/moving ... -home-2018

^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^

I'm from Northern California. I'm moving to South Texas in about 4 years when I can retire earlier. Austin gets great weather and its cheap (compared to Southern California).

[beyou]

Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey settled this issue in 1976. You can check out, but you can never leave.

+1

I am not from CA, but when I visit I wonder why anyone would leave (if they can afford to live there, a big if).
I live in a HCOL area too, love it and plan to just accept the high cost in retirement...for a period of time.

[SC Anteater]

Buy hurricane insurance... move to the Florida keys. Done, next.

Aside: I always find it amusing how much Californians (who live in earthquake country) fear/worry about hurricanes. You can see them coming days or weeks away... earthquakes not so much. I’ll take hurricanes over earthquakes any day.

Not me! Actual damaging earthquakes happen so infrequently that they're really not worth worrying about. I'm almost 50 and I've experienced two (Whittier '87, Northridge '94) and neither one damaged the actual structure I was living in at the time (though they certain affected other people more). I'll take those chances any day.

[quantAndHold]

Depending on what county you move to, property taxes in AZ might eat up any other savings you see by moving. Make sure you check that. And the weather won’t be as good.

Also, you know that CA doesn’t tax social security, right?

[Starfish]

Austin:

(-) Large property taxes
(-) 6 months of oppressive heat.

[WhiteMaxima]

Portland, OR , Seattle WA. Rain, not a problem. California is too dry. No water, no life.

[koryg75]

Not sure if you are Medicare eligible yet, but what about the Mediterranean Coast? If it fits your travel interests it would be wonderful until you need to pick somewhere in the US.

Interesting any particular countries / cities ?

Very reasonable housing in Spain and southern France. Expat healthcare also reasonable and good quality. I’m hoping it stay that way until I’m ready to retire.

[celia]

I think most places between Malibu and Redondo Beach would meet your criteria!

[Sam1]

Any suggestions based on the criteria

Criteria:
1/ Mild climate similar to Orange County, CA. Okay with some snow in the winter but not fond of huge amount of rain. - Partial Check
2/ No hurricane , flood , tornado and blizzard - Check
3/ Not Hawaii - Check
4/ Low crime - Check

Not a must but wouldn't mind a city close to the airport as I travel a lot, recreation (hiking) within a couple hours or less, preferably real estate costing 800k or less. I wouldn't mind a condo either. And hopefully close to the beach. I am okay with an active 55 plus community

Suburban Atlanta would meet all of those except for the "close to the beach".

This is what came to mind for me (of places I'm intimately familiar with). No "close" beaches, but lots of beaches within a 5.5 hour drive, and lots of lakes nearby. And having the "busiest airport in the world" means you have direct flights just about everywhere you'd want to go. Low taxes, lots of 55 plus communities (my mother absolutely loves hers).

Atlanta has a miserable climate. HOT 9 months out of the year and cold with rain for the other 3. The weather isn’t conducive to sports, living a walkable lifestyle or not using AC all the time.

[Trader Joe]

I am retired so I can move anywhere in the country. I have spent countless hours searching for a place to live. Originally , I was searching for a state free of taxes. But it doesn't matter anymore. I just want to leave CA but not sure where. Any suggestions based on the criteria

Criteria:
1/ Good climate similar to Orange County, CA. Okay with some snow in the winter but not fond of huge amount of rain.
2/ No hurricane , flood , tornado and blizzard
3/ Not Hawaii
4/ Low crime


Not a must but wouldn't mind a city close to the airport as I travel a lot, and close to the beach

How about:

1. Astoria, Oregon (and the surrounding areas) - Sales Tax Free State
2. Long Beach, WA (or Vancouver, WA) or surrounding areas - Income Tax Free State

Both are great and both meet your criteria.

[lexie2000]

We are retired. Almost 4 yrs. ago, we left CA for the Reno/Carson area and have never looked back. Yes, we get some snow in the winter (which I love) and it is a drier climate overall than CA, but we love it. Lake Tahoe is about 30-40 minutes from our front door. Skiing is very close too. If you like outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, skiing, camping, off-roading, etc.) it can't be beat. We can get to the airport in less than 30 minutes. AND, AND, AND no state income taxes!!

I lived in CA my entire life - in So. Cal, the central coast (Santa Barbara County), on the Monterey Bay (Santa Cruz), and in the So. Bay Area. Honestly, we just got tired of giving the state tens of thousands of dollars each year to support things we did not agree with.

[Svensk Anga]

I second the two residence idea. If you are used to California real estate values and are paying California income taxes, you can probably live cheaper in two houses elsewhere in the country. Those chained to employment opportunities have tougher choices, but retired, you can do the two state solution. You might like the variety offered by two homes. It can be some hassle with two houses, but if you elect lock-and-leave condos in one or both the hassle can be minimal.

We live in Florida as our primary residence. No income taxes. We get the property tax exemption for residents. We're here October to May. These months are very dry. Hurricane season is all but over by October. Humidity is down and temps are pleasant though maybe a bit cool after a December or January cold front and getting warm (low 90's) in the shoulder seasons. We live in Michigan through the summer. Again, very pleasant climate for the time we are there. A bonus that far north is plenty of summer daylight. We do not pay their state income tax, but do get hit on property taxes as non-residents. The Michigan residence is more modest.

[AerialWombat]

Puerto Rico.

LCOL. Beaches. Still in the States.

[Sandtrap]

Personally I like Scottsdale, AZ. Little rain, few weather hazards (maybe a dust storm), mostly within 20-30 minutes of an airport, good restaurants, resort type lifestyle (good or bad depending on your view), lots of sports stuff going on.

No beaches but there are a lot of lakes no far away. I was always surprised when I lived there and would see boats on trailers. Right now real estate is high for the area although probably low compared to much of CA.

+1
Scottsdale, North Scottsdale, Groom Creek.
N/E Scottsdale toward Troon. Very Upper Scottsdale $$$$$$$.
I have friends that also have "summer homes" in Prescott near the mountains, then another home in upper scottsdale.

[LiketoHike]

From someone who was born and raised in So Cal (San Diego), and lived there for 35 years, I suggest Nashville or Knoxville TN. I relocated to East TN 25 years ago and couldn't be happier.

1. No State income tax
2. Low cost of living
3. High quality of life
4. Mild climate
5. No hurricanes, wild fires or earth quakes
6. No beach... but tons of awesome, inexpensive waterfront lake living

[bernoulli]

Another vote for Texas. When we were thinking about where to live, we considered cities across the country (New York, DC, Northern Virginia, San Fran, San Diego, Seattle, etc.) and decided on Texas. No state income tax, relatively low housing cost, good schools, a bit hot but no snow is a big plus.

[ddurrett896]

Virginia Beach, VA. Edgar Casey approves!

[Wricha]

Asheville NC. Beautiful mountains, decent weather, great food and lots to do. Realtor recently told me CA moved ahead a Fl as the number one state buying property in Asheville area, TX is now second, Fl is third. So you wouldn’t be home sick Serra Nevada brewing Co. moved a big part of there operations there!

[crystalbank]

From someone who was born and raised in So Cal (San Diego), and lived there for 35 years, I suggest Nashville or Knoxville TN. I relocated to East TN 25 years ago and couldn't be happier.

1. No State income tax
2. Low cost of living
3. High quality of life
4. Mild climate
5. No hurricanes, wild fires or earth quakes
6. No beach... but tons of awesome, inexpensive waterfront lake living

This almost sounds too good to be true
From my arm chair Wikipedia research, it seems that Nashville has a bit more 'weather' than always sunny SoCal. More rainy days, some snow days etc. Mind you, I never visited Nashville, so I might be totally off.

[LiketoHike]

From someone who was born and raised in So Cal (San Diego), and lived there for 35 years, I suggest Nashville or Knoxville TN. I relocated to East TN 25 years ago and couldn't be happier.

1. No State income tax
2. Low cost of living
3. High quality of life
4. Mild climate
5. No hurricanes, wild fires or earth quakes
6. No beach... but tons of awesome, inexpensive waterfront lake living

This almost sounds too good to be true
From my arm chair Wikipedia research, it seems that Nashville has a bit more 'weather' than always sunny SoCal. More rainy days, some snow days etc. Mind you, I never visited Nashville, so I might be totally off.

Well granted....since it "Never Rains In Southern California"...it does rain more here. But, as a trade-off...everything is green and lush. We do have seasons and it does get humid in the summer, but relatively speaking, it is pretty mild. As far as snow....maybe, maybe a couple of inches a year, and it usually melts the next day. Weather-wise, nothing compares to So Cal, but quality of life-wise you cant beat East TN.

[iamlucky13]

1. Astoria, Oregon (and the surrounding areas) - Sales Tax Free State
2. Long Beach, WA (or Vancouver, WA) or surrounding areas - Income Tax Free State

Both are great and both meet your criteria.

Both towns completely fail the original poster's first criteria. The tsunami risk at Long Beach in particular probably also doesn't go well with their apparent desire to minimize natural disaster risks.

Besides, the worse the traffic and the urban expansion gets in the Pacific NW, the more it loses of its natural charm and its former cost of living advantage. Call me a grinch or question my perspective, but the Pacific NW is pretty much full.

[stlutz]

I would agree with those who are suggesting places in the middle eastern part of the country. The problem with other places on the west is that they are basically just California 10 years ago (just less friendly). Anywhere you move to in the west you'll feel like it gets worse (i.e. more like CA now) every year.

[dkdoy]

Ashland, Oregon

[TimeRunner]

What's your budget for your new home + (property taxes + state income tax) per year?

Maybe you just need to move from Anaheim to Laguna Beach oceanfront. Is Emerald Bay in your budget? A few miles is a world of difference and a relatively easy move.

[Dottie57]

Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey settled this issue in 1976. You can check out, but you can never leave.

I always liked that.

[JoMoney]

Most places where people live are pretty darn livable. It might be good to just pick someplace, anyplace, and try it out for awhile knowing you're not locked in and have the rest of your life to try somewhere else.
Is there nowhere in particular you have attachments to, friends, family, community you'd like to be closer with ?

[Starfish]

It's a good chance in most places outside US you will be taxed heavier.
I am curious about the tax comment. How much do you pay in taxes to CA, percentage wise? I assume your property tax is very low due to the infamous prop 13.
I always liked Lake Tahoe, Nevada side. Why not there?
What about Utah? Park City? Is not as mild as coastal Ca, but still pretty good.

Real estate on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe is super expensive relative to the California side due to tax escapees. They get impressive snowfalls too.
https://www.zillow.com/incline-village-nv/

I thought that too, but it doesn't seem so.
Picking Incline village as an example is like picking Palo Alto for California house prices. If you look at South Lake Tahoe, there is no much difference (if any) between one side or the other of the border.

[mrspock]

Buy hurricane insurance... move to the Florida keys. Done, next.

Aside: I always find it amusing how much Californians (who live in earthquake country) fear/worry about hurricanes. You can see them coming days or weeks away... earthquakes not so much. I’ll take hurricanes over earthquakes any day.

Not me! Actual damaging earthquakes happen so infrequently that they're really not worth worrying about. I'm almost 50 and I've experienced two (Whittier '87, Northridge '94) and neither one damaged the actual structure I was living in at the time (though they certain affected other people more). I'll take those chances any day.

I didn't grow up here, and I just don't get used to anything over a 4.0....I have this "holy cow is this *it*" feeling every time. I have no 7.0 or 8.0 reference in my mind. The last time a quake hit I was sitting at home and it felt like a truck hit my house....turns out it was a 4.0 or 5.0 or something....maybe 100 miles away. I couldn't believe it (I figured I was way closer to the epicenter).

I know rationally the risk of death from an Earthquake is lower due to the frequency of occurrence, but with Hurricanes I at least can do something like evacuate (though I'm sure this is easier said than done). In short, it's not so much the financial costs, but the psychological costs of living in Earthquake country.

[Glasgow]

I'm thinking on the same line as OP except I'm from NorCal. On the way out of post office this morning, I picked up New Homes (for Bay Area and vicinity) ad magazine. To my surprise, new homes in West Sacramento start at 300's. With that, I might consider buying an old house for a couple of or 3 hundred grands with nice yard and remodel. This would restart our property tax down to less than 5K/year. The max we'd paid at the 30th year would be 1.8x of the initial amount which would be around $8K in 2050. Not bad, and it's the CAPITAL of CALIFORNIA.
Brentwood or Stockton...somewhere around there would be a bit more expensive, but manageable.

[jakepeters]

Californians go to Las Vegas, Reno, Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Salt Lake City, Utah Valley, Austin, Denver, Boise, Portland, Seattle ... [among others]. None are a coastal Mediterranean climate.

For Portland/Seattle: Too bad about the excessive rain and crime and drugs rule it out...

Also, could be a huge earthquake in the (near) future...

No need to even consider them, nope!

JP


Seattle area resident, ahem

[EddyB]

Californians go to Las Vegas, Reno, Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Salt Lake City, Utah Valley, Austin, Denver, Boise, Portland, Seattle ... [among others]. None are a coastal Mediterranean climate.

For Portland/Seattle: Too bad about the excessive rain and crime and drugs rule it out...

Also, could be a huge earthquake in the (near) future...

No need to even consider them, nope!

JP


Seattle area resident, ahem

The chances that someone wants to leave SoCal because of liberal politics, but would be willing to move to Portland, seem very low.

[DesertDiva]

How about Baja Mexico or Puerta Vallarta? Same climate but different politics. Still mostly American. Cheaper living if that is your main concern.

Or Rocky Point

[Starfish]

I would agree with those who are suggesting places in the middle eastern part of the country. The problem with other places on the west is that they are basically just California 10 years ago (just less friendly). Anywhere you move to in the west you'll feel like it gets worse (i.e. more like CA now) every year.

But California is empty! You drive around and it's nothing. Yes, there is a crowded Bay area and a crowded Los Angeles-San Diego and somewhat crowded Sacramento, and these areas are crowded only because zoning and urban sprawl. But the rest o state is completely empty.
You don't have to live in the crowded part of California if you don't like, you can go in 80-90% of the state were are very few people.
So getting worse is just a matter of reference point.

[stlutz]

I would agree with those who are suggesting places in the middle eastern part of the country. The problem with other places on the west is that they are basically just California 10 years ago (just less friendly). Anywhere you move to in the west you'll feel like it gets worse (i.e. more like CA now) every year.

But California is empty! You drive around and it's nothing. Yes, there is a crowded Bay area and a crowded Los Angeles-San Diego and somewhat crowded Sacramento, and these areas are crowded only because zoning and urban sprawl. But the rest o state is completely empty.
You don't have to live in the crowded part of California if you don't like, you can go in 80-90% of the state were are very few people.
So getting worse is just a matter of reference point.

The OP doesn't want to be anywhere in CA. The rest of the West is growing very rapidly and is becoming more like CA--economically, politically, culturally, whatever.

Yes, Bakersfield is very different from LA. But if that is unacceptable then I don't know that a comparably sized city elsewhere in the West would be.

The problem with moving to the perfect place is that the people who move in tend to ruin it and then complain about all of the newcomers, LOL.

I'm just suggesting looking for a place that you think you'll like better ten years from now than you do today. I don't think Scottsdale, AZ would fit that bill for the OP, for example. Doesn't mean that Scottsdale isn't a great place--I just don't think the OP would be happy there longer term as it's becoming more like the OC.

[123]

Do you know the way to San Jose (California)? The beach is over the hill in Santa Cruz with lots of options.

[Glasgow]

Do you know the way to San Jose (California)? The beach is over the hill in Santa Cruz with lots of options.

The starting price in good neighborhood is somewhere around $1M for a 3BD/2BA, hence, $12K-13K prop tax. Not good for retirement.

[DrGoogle2017]

Buy hurricane insurance... move to the Florida keys. Done, next.

Aside: I always find it amusing how much Californians (who live in earthquake country) fear/worry about hurricanes. You can see them coming days or weeks away... earthquakes not so much. I’ll take hurricanes over earthquakes any day.

Earthquakes are easy. I’ve been through a few big ones already. Nothing to it. The ground shakes , so what. I didn’t even know one just existed because I parked outside the garage and was waiting for my sister. Her house was hit the hardest, she was close to the epicenter of the Northridge earthquake. The house is still there, she got some earthquake money. That’s it.

[reason-logic]

Prescott AZ

[LFKB]

Charleston, South Carolina. Beautiful city, tons of restaurants and culture, good weather (although not Southern California good) and right on the water. It does get the sporadic hurricane but usually they stay further south I believe.

[SC Anteater]

I would agree with those who are suggesting places in the middle eastern part of the country. The problem with other places on the west is that they are basically just California 10 years ago (just less friendly). Anywhere you move to in the west you'll feel like it gets worse (i.e. more like CA now) every year.

But California is empty! You drive around and it's nothing. Yes, there is a crowded Bay area and a crowded Los Angeles-San Diego and somewhat crowded Sacramento, and these areas are crowded only because zoning and urban sprawl. But the rest o state is completely empty.
You don't have to live in the crowded part of California if you don't like, you can go in 80-90% of the state were are very few people.
So getting worse is just a matter of reference point.

The OP doesn't want to be anywhere in CA. The rest of the West is growing very rapidly and is becoming more like CA--economically, politically, culturally, whatever.

Yes, Bakersfield is very different from LA. But if that is unacceptable then I don't know that a comparably sized city elsewhere in the West would be.

The problem with moving to the perfect place is that the people who move in tend to ruin it and then complain about all of the newcomers, LOL.

I'm just suggesting looking for a place that you think you'll like better ten years from now than you do today. I don't think Scottsdale, AZ would fit that bill for the OP, for example. Doesn't mean that Scottsdale isn't a great place--I just don't think the OP would be happy there longer term as it's becoming more like the OC.

I think there was an Eagles song about that . . .

[VanGogh]

A few months ago we bought a small, full-time home in a nice, resort-like development in North Scottsdale, 85266. The scenery is beautiful, and there is plenty to do. Healthcare seems top-notch. Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is about half an hour from our home. So far, it's easy to make friends, because so many people relocate here and are new to the area. It's still too early to endorse it wholeheartedly, but I'm appreciating it more every day as I adjust to the relocation. Yesterday, while I was enjoying the pool, my hometown in Pennsylvania was experiencing a tornado. There are great restaurants, museums, shopping districts and cultural events here. Hope this helps as you research your options.

[Starfish]

Do you know the way to San Jose (California)? The beach is over the hill in Santa Cruz with lots of options.

That is pretty much the last place would think for retirement. Ugly as hell, expensive, crowded, polluted, taxed etc. It's a work camp, not a retirement place.

[WannabeAgAlum]

Check out Boise, Idaho and surrounding towns. Hidden gem. Not as cold as you might think due to the relatively low elevation. Just big enough to have everything you need except the beach. Off the beaten path. Eagle, Idaho is particularly nice. Sawtooths are not too far away. Ketchum/Hailey/Sun Valley is very appealing too if resort towns are more your scene, but it's higher/colder/snowier.

Boise is one of if not the most isolated metro areas in the U.S.

[mlebuf]

I live within a mile of Scottsdale. Great quality of life and low crime. The only downside is the summer heat. A lot of people establish a residency in Scottsdale and buy/rent a condo in San Diego, Orange County, etc. for the summers to escape the heat and CA taxes. Others get a second place in Flagstaff, which is a 2-hour drive up the I-17 and much like Colorado ski country. Other N. Arizona places people escape to for the summer are Prescott, Payson and the White Mountains. Tucson is about 120 miles SE of Phoenix but slightly cooler in the summer.

I personally don't find the heat all that bad. Everything is air-conditioned and with low humidity you don't drip or feel the heat unless you out in it. Of course, I came from New Orleans that is literally built on a drained swamp. Your mileage may vary.

The best way to check out Scottsdale is to visit in the summer when the room rates are rock bottom and the temperature is high. Stay for a week or two and if you can take the heat you will love the rest of the year.