The region's hottest fields, according to Entrepreneur , are software development, construction, and tourism-related enterprises. Add to the equation Arizona's easy access to the bordering states of New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada, as well as California and Mexico, and you've got prolonged prosperity. While young families, driven by corporate relocations, are headed to the Valley in droves, a growing number of retirees are looking for homes in the region. Sun City, a Phoenix suburb catered specifically to retired homebuyers, is a response to the needs of this growing segment of the Valley's population. Although touted as a retirement community, life in Sun City is anything but sleepy.
Residents are active, and community involvement is central to Sun City's lifestyle.
Only 40 percent of the state is covered by desert, and six National Forests sit within Arizona borders, covering 11.2 million acres. The world's largest municipal park, South Mountain Park, is in Phoenix and comprises more than 20,000 acres. Although it's undeniably blessed with the sunshine many of us now crave in the midst of another gloomy January, the Valley of the Sun has something for every taste. More than just a barren desert, it's a window to a myriad of recreational, economic, housing, and even climatic options. Courtney Ronan is a freelance writer who contributes a weekly column profiling various communities.