This Arizonan retirement couple commended their new home state for its safe, costly neighborhoods with close access to medical care and year-round warm weather, and said they're surrounded by Californians who bailed out.
"We're doing just great," Gary Michell, a 70-year-old who moved to Arizona two years ago, told Fox News Digital. "There's no stress, no strain."
Gary's 67-year-old wife, Carmen, similarly praised the move.
"I really love this place," Carmen said. "I feel safe. We're not moving from here."
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Amid the large exodus from U.S. cities, retirees that flocked to Mesa, Arizona, were the most financially secure in the country, according to a Smart Asset study published Sept. 14. The Phoenix suburb had the lowest amount of seniors 65 and older receiving food stamps and the highest homeowner rate – 79.6% – among the elderly age group.
Louisville, Kentucky, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, followed close behind Mesa, but no northeastern American cities ranked in the top 25 most financially secure cities out of those ranked, according to the study. Boston, Los Angeles and New York were among the worst financial spots for retirees and Florida, which is home to one of the largest senior populations, only had one city make the top 10 best spots, the study found.
The Michells lived in Hawaii for 22 years, but wanted to save money and live closer to their two daughters on the mainland. They chose to settle down in Maricopa, Ariz., in June 2021, citing the Phoenix suburb's lower cost of living, easy access to medical care and warm weather.
"Our world vision of the economy as far as where we live is kind of predicated on our life in Hawaii," Gary said. "I mean, when we came to Arizona, we couldn't believe how much a gallon of milk, for example, cost compared to what we would pay in Hawaii."
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Grocery costs spiked nationwide after inflation surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some areas were hit harder than others, with groceries increasing 4.5% in urban Hawaii on average for the year in 2021, but only rising 3.5% in Phoenix over the same time period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"You pay for the price of paradise," Gary said about living in Hawaii. "It's not the best place to retire because it is really expensive and there are not too many doctors over there."
Gary said many of their Maricopa neighbors are former Californians who also fled their state's notoriously high prices.
"I think they find the price, particularly real estate, a lot less here than in California," Gary said.
The median house listing price in California was $749,970 compared to Arizona's median listing at $440,000 in June 2021, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. In Hawaii, the median listing also soared past Arizona's at $564,375 that same month.
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Gas prices are also less of a cost burden in the Grand Canyon State. The cost of gas in California, for example, surpassed an average $6 per gallon on Monday, and recently rose over $7 in some areas of the state.
Carmen said she was very happy with their decision to move to Arizona and plans to stay for the long haul.
"I hope not too many people move here because we like the way it's going," Carmen said. "God gave us this home, and we're going to stay here."
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