Lookin' for Arizona Pards.

[Badlands Walker]

Howdy,  I was hoping to find some pards on here that can share some information about the state of Arizona.  I am looking for information concerning the gun laws, taxation, insurance rates and any other helpful information that anyone can share.  The little woman are looking to move to southeast Arizona & would appreciate any input we can get.  Much obliged!

[Sam Hane]

http://www.sam-hane.com/sass/azlegal.htm

AZ firearms laws

[jrdudas]

I lived in Tucson for 12 years (1972-1984), now live in Ohio.  Also just got back from a short Arizona vacation.  Perhaps someone with more recent experience can jump in here, but I'll try to tell you what I know.

Housing costs in the cities; Phoenix and its suburbs, Tucson and the surrounding area.  Expect to pay more than many places for less house, but still much cheaper than California, New York, New Jersey, and Chicago area. 

Guns laws;  When I lived there you were restricted from carrying concealed, but anything displayed in plain sight was legal.  I believe that they now have a CCW law.

Insurance rates;  I didn't really notice any difference when I moved to Ohio, but it may have changed.  Some things are more expensive, for instance vehicles seem to cost more, and the licensing of cars and trucks is based on their value.  My new (at the time) 1978 Pontiac stationwagon cost about $475 for license tags the first year.  Each year the cost goes down as the value of the vehicle diminishes.  There's a minimum fee once a vehicle is over a certain age; used to be $35. 

Utility rates;  We had natural gas for our furnace and hot water tank and it was more costly per cubic foot than in the eastern states.  At that time, gas came from El Paso Natural Gas and had to cross New Mexico via pipeline.  New Mexico levied a tax on each cubic foot and my gas bill was usually about the same as my mother's, who lived in Ohio.  Due to the milder weather we used far less gas but paid about the same on a monthly basis.  I don't remember how much the water cost, but I do remember that I thought it was higher than most places.  Makes sense when you remember that Tucson is a desert city.

Property taxes:  I paid more in property tax for a house on a little less than half an acre than I pay in Ohio for a house on 6 acres.

State income tax:  At the time I think the state income tax was about 2%; probably higher now.  Ohio state income tax is about 7%.

You save money on some items (winter clothing, snow tires, etc) if you live in a warm weather location.  Remember that not all of Arizona is warm in the Winter; a good part of the state is at an elevation of 4,000 feet or more.  That means cooler temperatures and snow in some locations. All in all it seems to average out about like any other location, except those aforementioned known expensive spots.

I know there are some pards living in Arizona who frequent this board; maybe one of them can give you more current info.

JR


P.S.  I'm looking forward to the time when I can move back there.