Quiet suburb with stunning desert landscapes named safest retirement town for wealthy Americans

Wealthy retirees hoping to live comfortably may enjoy living in Oro Valley, Arizona - America's safest and wealthiest retirement town.

That is according to GOBankingRates, which gave the town this status in a recent study.  

Experts made the finding by identifying every US city where at least 25 percent of the population is aged 65 or older.

They took each town and factored in several categories, including average retirement income and the percentage of households with retirement income.

Experts also factored in violent and property crime rates per 1,000 residents, and analyzed average home values as of September 2024.

Besides Oro Valley, these other Arizona cities also made the list: Prescott, Prescott Valley, Lake Havasu City, Scottsdale, Apache Junction and Bullhead City. 

Oro Valley, Arizona, was incorporated on April 15, 1974, according to the town's website.

There were originally 1,200 residents, and its government meetings were once held in a two-room rented apartment.

Over the next 10 years, the city began to open schools, create a fire district, and approve exchanges to protect Catalina State Park.

The city has grown into a relaxing living environment and, as of 2023, a home for nearly 50,000 residents.

GOBankingRates concluded the Arizona city has a score of 0.57 in violent crime per 1,000 residents.

While its 11.41 property crime rate score is higher than some of the top-rated US cities, it's not the worst.

Residents from Oro Valley who are at least 65 have a $52,098 average retirement income and a single-family average home value of $525,380.

The study concluded its livability score is 81.

'When we first moved here, for example, many of our four-lane roads were just two-lane roads,' 28-year resident and Oro Valley Mayor Joe Winfield told KGUN 9.

'Where there were stop signs, there are now signalized intersections. We've witnessed the construction of schools and churches.'

Winfield added he's focused on further bettering the town and has identified efforts as part of four pillars of government: 'Public safety, public works, parks and rec and land use.'

'It's not for us to define the vision, but to gather input from the community and work towards realizing it,' he stated.

Besides its low crime rates and stable living conditions, Oro Valley has a warm climate, lifestyle and retirement communities, and it's close to Tucson, Arizona.

These additional factors could be reasons why the Oro Valley housing market has become competitive.

The typical home value for any kind of property in Oro Valley, Arizona, is $508,151, according to Zillow.

This value is 1.8 percent higher than last year's home value, and 11.9 percent of Oro Valley home sales were over the list price.

Another safe and wealthy area that retirees may enjoy is Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Its violent and property crime rates per 1,000 came in at 0.43 and 3.40, and the average retirement income for someone 65 or older is $50,351.

Bella Vista, Arkansas, has a $32,209 average retirement income, and its single-family average home value is $336,590.

One thing GOBankingRates discovered was that 12 of the safest and richest retirement towns are located in California.

These California towns include Rancho Palos Verdes, La Quinta, and Palm Springs.

Other areas with a safe and wealthy environment include Georgetown, Texas, Centerville, Ohio, and Mesquite, Nevada.  

AreaVibes was the source GOBankingRates used to help conclude livability scores, while the single-family home value was from the Zillow Home Value Index.

Other sources for the data were the US Census American Community Survey, Sperling's BestPlaces and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey.