To find the best places for retirees in Arizona, experts measured tax burden, access to medical care, and opportunities for recreation and social activity in places across the county.
The places which received the highest marks in these categories were those that ranked highest on the overall index in SmartAsset’s seventh annual study on the best places to retire.
| Rank | City, State | Tax Burden | Doctor Offices per 1,000 People | Recreation Centers per 1,000 People | Retirement Centers per 1,000 People | Percentage of Seniors | Best Places to Retire – Index |
| 1 | Green Valley | 14.3% | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 79.8% | 49.95 |
| 2 | Sun City West | 14.5% | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 84.1% | 48.84 |
| 3 | Sun City | 14.5% | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 75.8% | 43.94 |
| 4 | Litchfield Park | 14.5% | 4.4 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 26.0% | 41.06 |
| 5 | Prescott | 16.0% | 4.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 37.3% | 34.83 |
| 6 | Paradise Valley | 16.7% | 7.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 26.9% | 33.37 |
| 7 | Cave Creek | 16.9% | 5.8 | 4.6 | 0.0 | 41.4% | 33.32 |
| 8 | Scottsdale | 16.0% | 4.8 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 24.3% | 32.81 |
| 9 | Sedona | 16.7% | 4.2 | 2.9 | 0.0 | 42.6% | 30.53 |
| 10 | Golden Valley | 14.0% | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 37.6% | 30.10 |