Need Advice: Family Friendly AZ towns not in the valley

[Hatchet Jack]

Hi Guys, need some input please. Just got out of an interview and I'm going to be getting a job offer, office is in phoenix, but I can work remotely most days. Will need to likely drive to Phx once or twice a week. Married w/ 4 kids ages 1-9. I'm not afraid to turn down the offer if I can't figure out a good place to raise my family.

A little background: grew up in a town of 500 people in Utah (don't hold it against me, and I don't wear a flatty). After college I lived in Safford for 5 years and loved it, had my first 2 kids there, made some lifelong friends and developed a deep appreciation for hunting coues bucks; . We decided to move back to UT in 2019 to be closer to family and I've regretted it every day; Not a fan, it's way too busy. Mountains are too crowded by my house and it's now too expensive to buy property where I grew up. My wife and I miss AZ and the Gila Valley every day and started looking at opportunities to get back to AZ when this opportunity popped up. I know, phx has about 5x the people as Utah, but I'm just trying to give this opportunity some proper thought. Top priorities are living somewhere fairly small with a good community/schools and good public land access. Preferrably would like an acre of land. I'm not made of money but make a decent living. Should pocket some decent cash if I sell my house in Utah. My main concern is that everything within 2 hrs of Phoenix is either way overpriced or overcrowded. Is there anywhere a common guy could afford a little land and a decent house and raise some outdoor feral kids while making this job work? Appreciate any input from you guys. Thanks

[Curtis Reed]

If I was driving to phoenix only once a week I would move down south to Sonoita/Elgin  I love that area.  If you have to drive 2x a week it would make the decision a lot more difficult.  

[yotebuster]

I’d move to Blue!  

[Coues247]

It's sad that Payson is so expensive (and the schools aren't the best for kids) because that sounds like it would fit what you're looking for. Could possibly find something cheaper in star valley or a little ways out of town. Maybe look into cottonwood or camp Verde? Prescott is getting bigger and bigger and very expensive. I would avoid Globe (or Glob as my dad calls it). I don't know enough about south of Phoenix to have any thoughts there. A little further out from 2 hours you would have to look at Heber/Overgaard area but once again not the best schools and pretty small without much for convenience and that drive wouldn't be much shorter than driving from gila valley anyway. 

[oz31p]

36 minutes ago, Curtis Reed said:

If I was driving to phoenix only once a week I would move down south to Sonoita/Elgin  I love that area.  If you have to drive 2x a week it would make the decision a lot more difficult.  

Shhh!!!

[n2horns]

1 to 2 times in the office, move out of sate and fly in via a regional jet/commuter.  Rent a motel for that day or 2 and talk to your accountant about any tax breaks / deductions

[trphyhntr]

Safford to Utah, the obvious answer is snowflake 

[wildwoody]

1 hour ago, Coues247 said:

It's sad that Payson is so expensive (and the schools aren't the best for kids) because that sounds like it would fit what you're looking for. Could possibly find something cheaper in star valley or a little ways out of town. Maybe look into cottonwood or camp Verde? Prescott is getting bigger and bigger and very expensive. I would avoid Globe (or Glob as my dad calls it). I don't know enough about south of Phoenix to have any thoughts there. A little further out from 2 hours you would have to look at Heber/Overgaard area but once again not the best schools and pretty small without much for convenience and that drive wouldn't be much shorter than driving from gila valley anyway. 

Payson, where you from Wickenburg, kidding. Put your kids in one of the private schools up here. Lots of sports, cool park with fish. Great people like Bojangles. Costs are the same as hot box down there. Anyway I would pick Payson everytime. If you want a big lake and don't mind Phoenix type heat, Tonto Basin is booming and the bridge is complete. Code to great hunting.  Hope all works out for you and the family.

[Flatlander]

Seems like Camp Verde or Wickenburg would be similar to what you are describing.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Thanks for all the input so far guys. I guess I should have mentioned that I still would need to be close to the company operations which range from Flag to Tucson and between. So as much as I'd love to live in Blue, Alpine, Show Low etc. that's not in the cards. Been looking at Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Wickenburg, outskirts of Prescott.  Open to any other input you guys might have. 

[catmanj]

Better idea would be to switch jobs, move back to the Gila Valley, and take your Hushin sticker off your back window. 

[catclaw]

I would really look at Tonto basin as an option

[HyNoon]

1 hour ago, Hatchet Jack said:

Thanks for all the input so far guys. I guess I should have mentioned that I still would need to be close to the company operations which range from Flag to Tucson and between. So as much as I'd love to live in Blue, Alpine, Show Low etc. that's not in the cards. Been looking at Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Wickenburg, outskirts of Prescott.  Open to any other input you guys might have. 

Is safford and the Gila valley out ? Or do you not want to go back there and try something else ? Or too far? 

[Roofer Billy]

2 hours ago, Flatlander said:

Seems like Camp Verde or Wickenburg would be similar to what you are describing.

 

Yarnell

[bojangles]

6 hours ago, wildwoody said:

Payson, where you from Wickenburg, kidding. Put your kids in one of the private schools up here. Lots of sports, cool park with fish. Great people like Bojangles. Costs are the same as hot box down there. Anyway I would pick Payson everytime. If you want a big lake and don't mind Phoenix type heat, Tonto Basin is booming and the bridge is complete. Code to great hunting.  Hope all works out for you and the family.

I’m not sure how great I am, but thanks!!  There’s a lot of great people up here.