Tucson Rated 20th Best City to Live In America

Tony Ray Baker
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Tucson Rated 20th Best City to Live In America

Well, look what we have here! Yet another accolade and feather in Tucson’s cap. According to Resonance Consultancy Tucson is the 20th best city to live in America! That’s no small feat, there are a lot of other cities from sea to shining sea in the USA. And just so you know, that’s up 21 spots from where we ranked last year. Let’s take a look at what made Tucson 20th best city to live in.

Tucson Was Rated Using These Categories
Tucson Was Rated Using These Categories

The 20th Best City

Resonance Consultancy used 6 major categories to grade upon: People, Place, Product, Programming, Promotion, and Prosperity. 

Notably, we ranked #14 in Place,

“Fast-growing Tucson is buoyed by its sense of place, ranking #10 in both our Weather and our Parks & Outdoors subcategories. The city is poised to ascend up future national rankings, due to a torrent of new investment in all manner of green and common space,” said Resonance.

The company also rightfully credits the University of Arizona for our cities “youthful bounce” considering that almost 25% of our fair city are between the ages of 20-35 years old. We’ve all seen the construction blowing up around the UA and downtown. Growth is coming ready or not. And honestly, we think Tucson is ready for it. You can’t stop the march of progress.

We also ranked #10 nationally on Prosperity if you can believe it. We can. Housing prices are steadily climbing as more and more people take notice of our little jewel in the desert. And, despite the pandemics brutal economic impact on Tucson, we still ranked an impressive #17 in shopping!

What’s Next?

We have no doubt that by 2022 Tucson will continue to scale the Best City list from the 20th best city until we break into the top 10! Where do you think we will rank next year? What about 5 years from now? Well, no matter where we land, we here at See Tucson Homes are ready and excited for it.

IFEA Award Kudos to Tucson, AZ

Tony Ray Baker
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IFEA Award Kudos to Tucson, AZ

IFEA Award Kudos to Tucson, AZ!

IFEA Award Luncheon in Tucson, AZ
IFEA Award Luncheon in Tucson, AZ Photo: Dawn Vandaveer www.Prototypes-v3.com

Congratulations are in order, once again, for Tucson, Arizona! Winning the IFEA Award (International Festivals & Events Association) for 2017.

Recently, FEATSAZ (Festival & Events Association of Tucson & Southern Arizona) submitted the video (above) to the IFEA for review.

After reviewing the video, beautiful Tucson, Arizona has met the IFEA’s most highest standards. And in doing so, on Thursday, September 14th, at 1:30 PM the IFEA officially designated Tucson as a World Festival & Event City!

This event took place at the 62nd Annual IFEA Convention, Expo & Retreat at the prestigious J.W. Marriott Starr Pass. This is the third year in a row Tucson has been host to the IFEA Convention and most likely the last in the region for some time to come.

Nevertheless, on top of Tucson becoming the first city in the United States to be recognized as a UNESCO World City of Gastronomy, winning the IFEA Award, for 2017, is a great honor and another huge success for our city! We love you, Tucson!

More about the IFEA:

The main focus of the IFEA is to identify and provide services for those organizations that put on festivals.   More specifically, organizations that create and run quality festivals and events that support their communities in a positive way.

In Tucson, that organization is FEATSAZ (Festival & Events Association of Tucson & Southern Arizona).  FEATSAZ deserves a big kudos for their ongoing work for our community.  They should get an even bigger high five for their video and pdf submission to the IFEA that helped Tucson win the renowned award.

Great job to everyone at FEATSAZ and thank you.

Have a great day,
Tony Ray

P.S. Shout out to my ghost-writer “Gonzo” for writing up this piece.
Also, Please check out these other great Tucson Accolades.

Download the PDF of the 2017 IFEA Award Winners

Cities with the Fastest Job Growth

Tony Ray Baker
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Cities with the Fastest Job Growth
We Love Tucson's Playful Architecture, Cities with the Fastest Job Growth

Cities with the Fastest Job Growth

Via an article published August 16, 2016 in Bloomberg.com, an economist, Jed Kolko, “who specializes in U.S. cities and the future of work, points out that mid-sized cities, such as Tucson, Arizona and Seattle, Washington, continue to see fast job growth, but the San Francisco Bay area has fallen out of the top 10.” Tucson ranks number 3 overall on the list, beating out Austin, TX and Seattle, WA.

You can see the Bloomberg article of The Cities With the Fastest Job Growth, and let me know if I can assist you in finding a home in Tucson, so you can get in on this amazing opportunity. I specialize in the downtown area but I can certainly help you find a home anywhere in town, central, northwest, east, and south sides.”Better job security is fueling real estate demand in the south, and a corresponding pick-up in home-builder sentiment. This new construction boom in Tucson has already begun, especially with the revitalization and expansion of Tucson’s booming downtown.”

To give you an idea of the expected job growth in Tucson I was recently at a Downtown Growth and Development seminar (October 2016) and theses were the reported statistics relating to jobs coming to Tucson and below this chart of innovative companies who are or will be headquartered in Tucson.

Prospective Employers Shortlisted or Serious Consideration
Industry Employees Average Wage
Engineering / Manufacturing 1,975 $110,000
Engineering 170 $150,000
Manufacturing 40 $60,000
Professional Services 75 – 100 $75,000
Aerospace and Defense 1,000 $40,000
Manufacturing 60 $46,000
Advanced Services 192 $50,000
Manufacturing 31 $102,000
Total Jobs / Average Wage 3,543 $79,100

Awesome Tucson Companies

Accelerate 120 jobs

Taken from Accelerate’s website: “Accelerate Diagnostics is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. Set at the base of the majestic Catalina mountain range, Tucson is called “science city” and was recently named one of America’s most innovative cities by Forbes Magazine. The community is quickly becoming a biotech and diagnostics hub, with companies such as Roche, Sanofi Aventis, Syncardia, and HTG Molecular, among others, driving biotech job growth of over 33%.”

Home Goods 900 jobs

ADP 450 jobs

Caterpillar 1,000 jobs

Caterpillar moving it’s headquarters to Tucson will not only provide many new job opportunities, but will also ensure lots of new construction for an overall economic boom! Get ready. Their new office will be located right downtown.

Comcast 1,100 job

World View 400 jobs

You’ve got to check out this innovative company. Here’s just one sentence from their website. “World View is leading the way in the emerging stratospheric economy, offering an innovative and affordable high-altitude flight platform that is transforming access to space.”

I hope you enjoyed discovering a bit more about Tucson. It’s no surprise that Tucson is ranked as one of the Cities with the Fastest Job Growth because many many exciting plans are underway and what I shared with here, is only the tip of the iceberg.

Download the PDF of Bloomberg's The Cities With the Fastest Job Growth

Tucson AZ One of the Best Cities for Millennials

Tony Ray Baker
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Tucson AZ One of the Best Cities for Millennials
Tucson AZ One of the Best Cities for Millennials
Tucson AZ One of the Best Cities for Millennials

Tucson AZ is One of the 5 Best Cities for Millennials says Time.com/Money

Tucson and its downtown revitalization has caught the attention of many potential prospects. Being recognized by Time, Tucson AZ was placed among the 5 Best Cities for Millennials in the US. 24% of Tucson population (and possibly higher) is made up of individuals 20 years old to 34 years old. For those individuals looking for a place to with exceeding job growth opportunities, accessible amenities and an affordable housing market. This youthful city is a place for millennials to gather, meet, work, study, play and simply live.

Downtown, encompasses four main areas: Mercado San Agustin, Downtown Tucson, Fourth Ave and the University of Arizona Main Gate. Retail business owners, well know chefs, investors and developers are just some of the few looking at Tucson, many already part of its exciting new growth.

Most would have to agree that the introduction of the light rail played a big part in fueling this excitement, helping make a Downtown Tucson a place Millennials could live without a car. The light rail connects several main shopping areas together. This allows you, the rider, easy access to over 340 venues.  Beginning at Mercado San Agustin, the light rail passes through downtown Tucson, Fourth Ave shopping district, Main Gate at the UA and ends at the University Hospital.  The end being part of a loop, which will take you right back to the beginning.

This diverse downtown Tucson area is a great place for everyone.  Along the light rail, there are a lot of places to meet, work, study, play and live simply with great connectivity. Being connected to so much is one of the main reasons that Tucson is recognized as one of the best cities for millennials.

Low Cost of Living:

If you’re comparing possible cities for relocation, Tucson just looks better and better. Its hard not to consider a city with a low cost of living and affordable housing. The cost of living index for Tucson AZ is 105 which is well below the urban average of 117. According to research done by GOBankingRates, it costs $39,966 each year to comfortably live in Tucson AZ.  Therefore, Tucson ranks number 1 as most affordable city in the US.

  • Income needed: $39,966
  • 50 percent for necessities: $19,983
  • 30 percent for discretionary spending: $11,990
  • 20 percent for savings: $7,993

“With the lowest total needed to cover necessities out of the 50 biggest U.S. cities, Tucson residents can likely make do on the $37,149 median income, which is just $2,817 short of the amount needed to live well there.”

Affordable Housing:

Affordable housing attracts businesses and new businesses create new jobs and that is why affordable housing is so important.  Tucson’s medium home prices have always been among the lowest in the US.

On a side note: There is nothing like pride of ownership. When I purchased my first home in the North West area of Tucson, I felt like I had finally grown up. I remember how great it felt not having someone dictate what I could do in my own living space. Paying the mortgage felt so much better then paying the landlord. Most importantly, it was a new beginning that helped me focus more on career, finances and other long term goals. Everyone should be able to experience buying their first home.

Have a great day,
Tony Ray
(520) 631-TONY (8669)
Free relocation package and Tucson fun info

Download the Time Magazine / Money Best Cities for Millennials
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