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| What Bisbee is like for active adults |
Bisbee is an historic mining town of 6,000 people in south central Arizona, almost at the Mexican border. If you are looking for an interesting, off-beat place to retire, Bisbee might be the place. An associate of ours recently visited Bisbee and reported back that he thought the town was a "sleeper", an up and comer that could be the next hot retirement destination. Time will tell. The town is at 5,500 ft., an elevation that gives it milder temperatures than most places in Arizona.
The Bisbee area is famous for its copper, gold, and silver mines. The Copper Queen Mine, one of its largest, helped serve America's need for copper during WWI. The mining industry has had its booms and busts, but the result overall was to create a city with great wealth, even its own suburbs. Today there is still some open pit mining.
Bisbee is famous for its Victorian architecture and Bisbee Blue, a beautiful turquoise. Hippies discovered the town in the 70's as a refuge from trendy (and expensive) Aspen. John Wayne was a frequent visitor and helped in the town's economic development. Today Bisbee is one of the more interesting towns in the southwest. It has been actively promoted as a tourist destination and place for baby boomers looking for an interesting retirement town. The Copper Queen Hotel is an anchor for the downtown, along with a great Art Deco Hotel. There are plenty of coffee shops. The AARP named Bisbee one of the "quirkiest" towns in America. Believe it or not Bisbee actually has some suburbs - one of the nicest is the very affluent community of Warren. Jerome AZ is a town which is frequently compared to Bisbee. |
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| Where to Live & Real Estate Values |
| Real estate prices tend to go in cycles in Bisbee. There are plenty of beautiful Victorians and prices go up and down. According to City-Data.com median home prices at the end of 2011 tended to be in the low $90s. Of course the condition and location can produce big swings below and above that average. We are not aware of any active communities in Bisbee, although there are many in nearby Green Valley and other towns. |
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| What is special about this retirement community |
| Victorian architecture, Copper Queen Hotel, quirky town, location in the mountains. Bisbee has been documented in The New Yorker as well as The Cornell Review by Calvin Trillin. Set in the Mule Mountains, the hills are so steep that some homes can only be reached by steps. The Sheriff of Cochise and numerous other TV shows and movies were filmed here. |
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| What is not special about this retirement community |
| Bisbee is prone to booms and busts, so far. It is located in a very remote part of the country. And if you don't like quirky, you won't like Bisbee. |
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| What kinds of people like retiring here |
| Former hippies, baby boomers who loved their era, people with a sense of adventure, and those who love southern Arizona will love it in Bisbee. |
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| Local economy is driven by |
| Tourism and mining are the big influences in the Bisbee economy. Minerals like turquoise, malachite, and galena are found and sold here. |
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| Climate and Physical Environment |
| Bisbee is at an elevation of 5,500+ ft. in the Mule Mountains, 82 miles southeast of Tucson near the Mexican border. The climate is relatively mild for being this far south, with January temperatures in the low 40's and July temps in the mid 70's. |
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| Restaurants & Cultural Scene |
| The Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum is located in the former Phelps Dodge general office building. There is the Arizona Cactus Botanical Garden and Southeastern Arizona Bird Sanctuary. Bisbee's tourist promotion emphasizes the town's historic old west flavor. Known to be gay-friendly, there are several Gay Pride parades/events per year. |
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| Crime |
| Crime in Bisbee is just above the national average, although it is all property related crime. |
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| Medical facilities |
| Copper Queen Municipal Hospital. There is another hospital in Douglas, 12 miles away |
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| Transportation |
| Sierra Vista Muni-Libby and Fort Huachuca AAF is 33 miles away. Bisbee has a muni field as well. |
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What people are saying about Bisbee | | Yes, we are serious about Bisbee |
| We purchased a property in Bisbee and traveled this June to Arizona to check it out. Everything in life has it's good sides and it's bad and I am happy that we are individuals with diverent life styles and tastes. I was surprised of the many positive sides of living as "a desert rad" in the "middle of nowhere" and have to say I prever it to living ignorantly "somewhere". The people were very friendly without signs of discrimination or disrespect. Yes, we saw some Border-Patrol Vehicles but not much more then I would see in West Palm Beach, Fl. There is only 1 Hospital here in Bisbee that is correct but how many do you need for approx. 6000 people. More Restaurants than needed, a Beer-Brewery a Coffee-Shop which roasts its own Coffee, a Food Co-Op and Farmers Market for FRESH Food. We cannot wait for the time to be able to move to Bisbee, Az. |
| Posted by 2wheeltoys on June 23, 2012 | | Are you serious about Bisbee |
| Bisbee is on the edge or in the middle of no where. Unless you want to be a desert rat close to the Mexican border (you'll see lots of border patrol agents in their futile work out of town) The nearest decent medical facilites are in Tuscon so don't plan on needing 911 help. There is next to nothing to do besides look at the hole in the ground that was a copper mine.
Recommending this town as a retirement spot makes me wonder about the intent or intelligence of this website. But as long as you don't believe everything you read on the web I guess it's OK. |
| Posted by DavidO on March 08, 2012 |
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Facts about BISBEE
- State: AZ
- Environment: Mountain,Desert,Small Town,Outdoor Oriented,
- City Population: Less than 10,000
- Median age of Population: 25-44
- Avg Jan Temperature: 41-60
- Avg July Temperature: 81+
- Median HH Income: 20,001-40,000
- Average Home Price (MLS): Less than $100,000
- Annual Property Tax on a $200,000 house: Less than 2000
- Total Crime Index: 81-90 (low)
- Cost of Living Index: 81-90 (low)
- Culture Index: 81-90 (low)
- State Sales Tax: Yes
- State Income Tax: Yes
- Name of the Guide: 2wheeltoys
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Can you add to or correct these Facts? Or do you have a photo of this community we could use? If so, please click on Edit these facts |
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Vote on the Ratings for Bisbee |
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Update Your Ratings |
1. Overall Retirement Ratings
1. Rating: 3.7/5 ( 3 votes cast)
2. Expense:
Inexpensive to Luxury
2. Rating: 3.5/5 ( 4 votes cast)
3. Taxes:
Inexpensive to Expensive
3. Rating: 3.7/5 ( 3 votes cast)
4. Culture:
None to Cosmopolitan
4. Rating: 3.0/5 ( 3 votes cast)
5.Recreation:
None to Summer camp
5. Rating: 2.7/5 ( 3 votes cast)
6. Transportation:
Boondocks to World Hub
6. Rating: 0.7/5 ( 3 votes cast)
7. Security:
Dangerous to Ft. Knox
7. Rating: 2.3/5 ( 3 votes cast)
8. Medical Facilities:
None to Excellent
8. Rating: 1.7/5 ( 3 votes cast)
9. Political Situation:
Conservative to Liberal
9. Rating: 3.3/5 ( 3 votes cast)
10. Environmental:
Oblivious to Ultra-Green
10. Rating: 3.7/5 ( 3 votes cast)
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