AARP Article Dream Town July/ August 2006

By Sarah Mahoney

Desert playground
St. George, Utah
Nora and Pat Flannery

Four years ago Nora Flannery, 54, was flipping through a magazine when she came across an article on St. George, Utah. "My husband, Pat and I knew St. George because we had been driving through on family vacations to Lake Powell for years," she says. What they had never done, though, was actually stop. A few months later they did, staying at SunRiver, a fast-growing 55-plus community just outside St. George. Within the year the Flannerys sold their restaurant-supply business in central California and put a down payment on a house. "I guess we were really ready for the change," says Pat, 59.

Much of the appeal of St. George lies in its myriad of opportunities for hiking, biking, and other fitness activities in the red-rock cliffs that surround the town. Both Nora and Pat play pickleball a fast-paced racquet game popular in the area-and since moving, they have also bought bicycles. "And on Sundays we try and make it a point to take the Jeep off-roading, because there's such great territory to explore," says Pat. "We could never have afforded this kind of life back in California," adds Nora.

Like many of the "equity refugees" from California, the Flannerys were able to put a large down payment on a house that cost about $200,000 four years ago. They both still work, albeit part-time. But mostly they enjoy the constant activity in and around SunRiver. "We go to lots of parties," Nora says.

They are not alone in their newfound love of St. George. Originally a Mormon enclave, the city is in one of the ten fastest-growing counties for people who are 60 and up in the United States, according to a 2006 AARP report on the migration patterns of older adults. SunRiver alone has more than 1,000 homes. In the last five years St. George has added more than 7,500 new homes; in 2005 more residential building permits were issued in tiny St. George (population 65,968) than in any other Utah city. Still, the spacious desert landscape makes it feel as if there’s room for everyone.

Why the Locals love it:

St. George is a bargain
Retirees here get Arizona weather and scenery but also enjoy Utah’s tax advantages. Taxpayers who are 65 or older at the end of the tax year may be entitled to a retirement exemption of up to $5,700, depending on their income (married couples filing jointly can claim up to $15,000).

Lifestyle perks
St. George is all about the great outdoors. Zion National Park is within an hour's drive, and a 25-mile network of trails along the Virgin River connects with longer paths.

Great escapes
Las Vegas is just 120 miles south, and some of the country’s most spectacular parks are less than a half day's drive: St. George is 155 miles from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, 132 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park, and 160 miles from Lake Powell National Recreation Area.

Residents love
The camaraderie that comes with St. George's fitness culture. The city hosts the St. George Marathon, one of the country's largest, and the Huntsman World Senior Games, which draw almost 8,000 50-plus competitors from all over the United States.

Average temperature in summer: 99 Degrees F

Average temperature in winter: 55 Degrees F

Number of sunny days per year: 300

Casual supper for two at the Chuck-a-Rama: $16

Hot Tickets The Tuacahn Amphitheatre and Center for the Arts hosts plays and Vegas performers: $12.50 to $29 a seat.