5 Reasons to Move to Flagstaff

5 Reasons To Move To Flagstaff Arizona: A Quick Dive Into This Scenic Town

By Katie Smith Powered by REMAX

When it comes to moving to a new city, there’s a lot of questions that come to mind. Such as is this city safe? What to do in this city? Places to visit, food to eat, are the people friendly, the list goes on and on. As a real estate expert, I find that you can funnel all the questions down to five topics: culture, recreation, safety, weather and real estate. In this article, I will simply answer: is Flagstaff Arizona a good place to live? 

Lets find out!

Nots of outdoor related culture surrounds the people of flagstaff

Flagstaff's Rich Culture

Flagstaff is Arizona’s 16th largest city and it gives off a seductive small town charm. Being a college town, there's a lot of new blood year after year bringing young energetic vibes to the whole city. Flagstaff is Arizona’s 16th largest city and it gives off a seductive small town charm. Being a college town, there's a lot of new blood year after year bringing young energetic vibes to the whole city.

Whether you're biking to work or taking the freeway to your favorite restaurant, everyone is pleasant to interact with. It’s the perfect blend of business and fun and there's a friend waiting for you wherever you go.

Flagstaff's Recreation

Sitting at an elevation level around 7000 feet, Flagstaff is a town with activities for all. From winter sports to summer hikes, rock climbing to mountain biking, any time of the season, there’s plenty to do. 

Hiking in Flagstaff Arizona

Winter in Flagstaff, a lot of people will leave the warmth of the valley for a little “snow play.” After the fresh powder hits the forest floor, roads will be lined with vehicles and the laughter of families as everyone finds a hill or ditch to slide down. You find most of your true snow lovers up at Snowbowl, Flagstaff’s luxury ski resort. For the warmer parts of the season, there's hundreds of miles of trails to hike, bike, climb, and run. The elevation change can be a challenge if you're not acclimated to the thinner air but with time and lots of hydration, you can explore your heart out. 

Safety in Flagstaff

Safety, it's usually top of mind when it comes to making a decision about moving cities. If you're thinking of moving to Flagstaff, fear not. It is largely a tourist town combined with college students so a lot of people are always on the go. The top concern in this town is theft and most of the cases are around bicycles and food. This is a large community of active people and biking is the main form of transportation and fun for people and unfortunately people take advantage of this and steal. Other than theft, it is a very low risk city and has even been called the best city of Arizona to retire in!

Weather for Everyone

This is one of the top reasons to move to Flagstaff! We’re talking 4 seasons. Since it's currently winter, I’ll start there. The days warm up to high thirties to even high forties and the nights drop into teens and twenties. Snowfall varies year by year but expect to get a decent amount though it usually doesn't last that long. Around the corner spring brings in fifties and sixties with nighttime lows in the thirties and forties.

Summer time is perfect for being outdoors as it’s usually never over eighty degrees, the only thing to worry about is the elevation. With being closer to the sun (7000 ft elevation), those rays can burn you quick, so lots of sunscreen is needed. To wrap up the summer season, fall brings in sixty degree days with chilly nights. This is the perfect city to get a little bit of everything without having to endure the extremes of each season.

Impressive Real Estate Market

Flagstaff real estate has been on fire the past few years as it's a highly sought after location for second home buyers and people looking to relocate from the valley. The down side to such a high demand is that the housing prices are 34% higher than the national average (payscale.com).

If moving for a job or purchasing for a business, this market is always in high demand. If possible, having a cash offer will always help the buying process move smoother. If cash isn’t possible, save up for a larger down payment to help fight the higher interest rates.

Below you can find some statistics pulled from the Northern Arizona MLS pulled from a sold market analysis for 2022 on residential properties:

Explore Flagstaff with Arizona's Top REMAX Realtor

Flagstaff Arizona is a special mountain town. The people are friendly, there’s activities for all types of people, crime is low, the weather is mild, and the real estate market is hot! When you combine all those things together you get paradise, a city of your dreams. If you want to learn more about Flagstaff please visit the official city website and find more fun things to do at discoverflagstaff.com. To begin your real estate journey, visit me at katiesmith.exprealty.com.

Thanks for reading,

Katie Smith