Photo by Rod Mikinski, Rod Mikinski Photography

Green Valley, Arizona, in the foothills of the Santa Rita mountains, is one of the 25 best places to retire. Among its draws: low housing prices, low taxes and low crime.

Rod Mikinski

Excerpts from an article written by William P. Barrett, Senior Contributor at Forbes Magazine, published May 8, 2026.

Forbes compared nearly 1,000 U.S. locales on everything from housing costs and taxes to healthcare, crime, air quality and natural hazard risk. These are the top 25 spots for retirees.

Dania Novack lived for nearly four decades in pricey Hawaii, publishing a local food magazine and raising two now-adult children. But after the 2023 Maui wildfires and a drawn-out, contentious and expensive divorce, she decided to return to the mainland for a more affordable retirement. With friends and family still in the Aloha State, she knew she’d visit often. So Novack started looking for a place with reasonable flight connections, a certain cultural vibe and a lower cost of living than, say, Southern California, where she grew up. Novack, now 65, took a road trip through Colorado, Oregon and Washington State and concluded, “I don’t like cold weather.” Instead, she opted for a desert climate. She visited a friend who had moved to Green Valley, Arizona, in the foothills of the Santa Rita mountains, 20 miles south of Tucson and just 70 miles north of Mexico and was sold. “There’s access to nature and culture,” she gushes. “I absolutely love Green Valley.”

The scenic unincorporated area, made up of 130 mostly age-restricted (i.e. retirement) developments, is one of 25 locales honored on Forbes’ Best Places To Retire In 2026 list, which identifies U.S. spots offering a high quality of life at a comparatively affordable price. Since 2020, the median price of single-family homes nationwide has risen 50% to $409,000, according to the National Association of Realtors. But in Green Valley, it’s just $282,000.



Article can be found HERE