Arizona has spent decades building a reputation as a place where people go to retire. But as the state gets older, the impact is reaching far beyond retirement communities.
An aging population is changing the way Arizona communities think about health care, housing, jobs, transportation and the services people will need as they get older.
About 20.6% of Arizona residents are now 65 or older — meaning more than one in five Arizonans is a senior citizen. The trend is being driven in part by the aging Baby Boomer generation, along with the steady flow of retirees moving to the state.
The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity and Aging Well Arizona track the state’s changing demographics. But Arizona’s aging population doesn’t look the same everywhere.
In some of the state’s smaller and more rural communities, older residents make up a surprisingly large share of the population.
La Paz County is one of the oldest parts of Arizona, with roughly 36% to 40% of its residents age 65 or older. In Yavapai County, about one in three residents is 65 or older, while Mohave County is close behind at roughly 32%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, which provides estimates based on age and location.
The numbers become even more dramatic in some communities built around retirement.
In Sun City West, about 86% of residents are 65 or older. In Green Valley, seniors make up close to 80% of the population. Prescott has also become a popular retirement destination, with roughly 40% of its residents in the 65-and-older age group. Payson has a similarly large senior population, with more than one-third of residents over 65.
Exact percentages can vary depending on the Census year and how a community is defined, but the overall picture is clear: Arizona has some communities where older adults make up a huge portion of the population.
And the trend is no longer limited to traditional retirement towns.
Growing cities such as Goodyear and Peoria are attracting older residents along with younger families. Scottsdale also stands out, with nearly 25% of its population age 65 or older — one of the highest percentages among Arizona cities with more than 100,000 residents.
More older residents means more demand for health care
One of the biggest challenges created by an aging population is health care.
Older adults are more likely to need treatment for chronic conditions and other complex medical needs. That puts additional pressure on Arizona to make sure it has enough doctors, nurses, caregivers and other health professionals to serve a growing senior population.
The 2025 America’s Health Rankings Senior Report highlights several health and health-care challenges facing Arizona seniors, including access to services and the state’s ability to meet the needs of its older residents.
But health care isn't only about hospitals and nursing homes.
More older adults are choosing to remain in their own homes as they age, increasing the need for home health care, caregivers, transportation and other services that can help seniors remain independent.
For Arizona communities, the question is becoming less about how many medical facilities they have and more about whether they have enough people and services to help older residents continue living safely and independently.
Housing is becoming a bigger issue
Arizona's appeal to retirees has long been tied, in part, to the promise of an affordable place to live. But rising housing costs are making that more difficult for seniors living on fixed or limited incomes.
America’s Health Rankings tracks the number of older households facing housing-cost burdens, generally defined as spending at least 30% of household income on housing.
At the same time, the needs of older homeowners and renters are changing.
A home that works well for a 65-year-old may not work as well at 80 or 85. Single-story homes, wider doorways, accessible bathrooms, ramps and walk-in showers can make it easier for people to remain in their homes as they age.
That is putting more emphasis on housing and community designs that take aging into account. Aging Well Arizona’s demographic research points to the broader planning challenges created by the state’s changing age structure.
Senior communities that offer different levels of care are also becoming increasingly important. Independent living, assisted living and memory care options can allow residents to remain in the same community even as their needs change.
Retirement is changing Arizona’s workforce, too
Arizona’s aging population is also creating a workforce challenge.
The MAP Dashboard, an Arizona State University-supported data resource, tracks the relationship between age and workforce participation. As more residents reach retirement age, the number of people working and supporting essential services can shrink relative to the number of people who have left the workforce.
That can create challenges for industries already dependent on large numbers of workers, including health care, retail, public services and caregiving.
But retirement doesn't necessarily mean every older Arizonan stops working.
Scottsdale provides one example. More than 20% of residents age 65 and older remain employed, according to demographic and workforce data.
For employers, that can mean retaining experienced workers who have years of knowledge and professional experience.
It also highlights an important part of Arizona's aging story: getting older does not automatically mean leaving the workforce.
Arizona is preparing for a different future
Arizona's aging population is about much more than retirement.
It is becoming a question of how communities prepare for the next 10, 20 and 30 years.
Places with large senior populations will need to think about how they provide health care, build affordable and accessible housing, maintain transportation options and support the caregivers who help older residents remain independent.
They will also have to consider the growing number of older adults who want to keep working, volunteering and contributing to their communities.
For places such as Sun City West, Green Valley, Prescott and communities across western and northern Arizona, that future isn't something waiting on the horizon.
It's already here.
And as Arizona continues to grow and its population gets older, the needs of its senior residents will play an increasingly important role in how the state plans its communities, economy and future.
Matt Loeschman has had two separate stints at Independent Newsmedia. He began as a reporter covering Peoria and later Surprise from 2000-2009. In 2017, he returned to Arizona and INI as the news editor of the Daily News-Sun (now the Phoenix Independent). He previously covered the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League for more than a decade.
Community: During high school football season since 2017, he contributes live postgame radio reports to the AzPreps 365 Friday Night Football Wrapup Show. He supports organizations such as Phoenix Children’s, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley and the American Cancer Society.
Education: The University of Texas at Austin majoring in Journalism-News and Public Affairs.
Random Fact: He can sing and he has been fortunate to meet many famous people during his journalism career including First Lady Hillary Clinton, King of Country Music George Strait and Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey. Attended all 4 home games of the 2001 World Series.
Hobbies: Watching and playing a wide variety of sports, including golf, tennis, pickleball and softball. Playing PlayStation 5, working out, shopping and reading.
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