SperlingViews - Show_Low, Arizona

Show Low on the surface seems like a perfect place for us to retire to (summers not so hot/great outdoor activities/small town living, etc) However, on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), Sperling's lists Show low at a nine. :( Can anyone please provide us with some comments on this statistic? Thanks.[read more...]

We are considering semi-retiring in Show Low, mainly due to he climate and smaller town living. However, the crime rate on a scale of 1(low) to 10 (high)is nine. This concerns us greatly. Can anyone provide me with a comment on why it may be so high and what types of crimes generally occur in this community? Thank you.[read more...]

It Gets hot in winter and snows in summer[read more...]

I AM WRITING IN CAPS AS IT IS EASIER FOR ME TO SEE WHAT I TYPE. I HAVE BEEN VISITING THIS AREA OF THE MOGOLLON RIM FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS. I FIND THE SHOW LOW, PINETOP-LAKESIDE AREA TO BE VERY PLEASANT FOR THE 60 PLUS SET. I PURCHASED A SMALL PROPERTY IN A SENIOR PARK THIS PAST AUGUST. THIS WILL BE MY SUMMER HOME; SIX MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. SHOW LOW SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY TOGETHER LITTLE CITY. IT HAS AN INDOOR AQUATIC CENTER, A SMALL CITY BUS THAT RUNS FROM SHOW LOW ALL THE WAY TO THE HONDAH CASINO WITH MULTIPLE STOPS IN BETWEEN. THE SUMMER CLIMATE IS IDEAL; IT SURE BEATS MESA AT 115 DEGREES IN JULY !!!! I NO LONGER WORK SO I DON'T COMPETE IN THE JOB MARKET. UNFORTUNATELY, IT SEEMS POOR FOR THOSE WHO NEED TO WORK. THE MURDER RATE IS VERY HIGH FOR SUCH A SMALL COMMUNITY. I GUESS MURDER-SUICIDE IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH HERE. THIS IS VERY SAD. IT APPEARS TO BE AN ANDY OF MAYBERRY COMMUNITY; THEN YOU SCRATCH BELOW THE SURFACE, IT HAS A NASTY UNDERBELLY. LOTS OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG RELATED ARRESTS, ECT. I HAVE NOTICED A WELL ENDOWED BIKER COMMUNITY (I DON'T MEAN MA AND PA TAKING THE GOLD WING OUT FOR A SUNDAY DRIVE). IF I WAS A MUCH YOUNGER PERSON, AND I HAD A PROFESSIONAL CAREER, I WOULD STILL JUMP AT THE CHANCE TO RAISE MY FAMILY HERE. AS I SAID, I AM IN THE SENIOR REALM AND LIVE HERE ONLY SIX MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR AND I CAN SAY NOTHING ABOUT THE WINTERS, HEALTHCARE, ECT. MY PRIMARY ADDRESS IS MESA, AZ. I STILL GIVE THE AREA 3-5 STARS. IF YOU LOVE THE WOODS YOU ARE HOME. [read more...]

To the poster who blasted Show Low. I have lived here for 19 months. I moved from 50 years in So Calif. Here, the air is clean, the wildlife beautiful. The elk & deer can be seen along the roadside daily and the wildflowers are breathtaking. Here you can fish, ski, hunt, hike and off- road vehicles are legal provided they are licenced. You can walk around with a gun on your hip if you want, tho crime is very low. The people are friendly. Sure, it has a large mormon population, but so what. There are lots of churches of many denominations. I retired here and plan to be buried here.[read more...]

I moved to Show Low in 2000 and thought i was moving to a family town, If you are not mormon,dont like to go out side in the windy freezing winter,like rednecks with big scary smelly trucks,terrible school system,and alot of crime. Then stay away from here. Your kids will start saying aint and asking for a pig.[read more...]

Nice place to live, cost of living has grown too high. Mainly real estate.[read more...]

I have lived in Show Low for 14 years. It does have nice weather and outdoor activities like fishing camping in the summer and nearby skiing in the winter. But as far as living here permanently , year round, it can be difficult especially if you are young and just starting out. I am a single mother. I work at the largest employer in Show Low (Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center) as an RN. So in response to a comment by “joedert h” who said “Without a trade or a skill you can offer a possible employer, you can expect to work at taco bell. Better yourself with some education or put the time in to work and learn a trade then you will make more money.” Ouch. Well joe, I have gone to college and now I’m a nurse, and compared to the average individual income in this town I am doing well. However I still find it difficult to maintain a household and make my mortgage on my double wide. For someone who is looking for a vacation or second home, Show Low is ok. The cost of real estate is absolutely ridiculous in Show Low. For young people, new families or single income households who did not purchase their home at least five to ten years ago, this can be very difficult. It is a fact, the two largest employers in Show Low are the hospital and Wal-Mart. Wages here are slightly lower than average and the cost of housing is through the roof. If you read the stats provided by this site you will see that recent job growth is -3.03%. It was reported by this website “Show Low, AZ, violent crime, on a scale from 1 (low crime) to 10, is 5. Violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and non negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The US average is 3.” So much for the safe small town. Also, in an article in the local newspaper, The White Mountain Independent, on 9/7/07 it was written that “Navajo County Probation reports 85 percent of probation cases have used meth. Navajo County [the county which Show Low is located in] has the highest numbers in Arizona for meth use among 12th graders but it has the lowest per capita spending on prevention." The Show Low School district is mediocre at best (“performing” to “performing plus”). All in all, it is small town that is easy to get stuck in, but I would not recommend looking to move here unless you are retired with a lot of money! [read more...]

This comment is a responce to another poster that was bashing S.L. I disagree, for the average unskilled person it can be hard, but job dedication does pay off. Without a trade or a skill you can offer a possible employer, you can expect to work at taco bell. Better yourself with some education or put the time in to work and learn a trade then you will make more money. As for housing, the guidlines for it are the same as anywhere, if you want to live in the heart of the city , your going to pay for it. There are alot of places that are inexpensive and decent to live, "nobody starts at the top". I don't live in Show Low any more but i would move back today if i could. If you have lived in a big city you know what traffic is, Show Low doesn't have any, at all, even in the summer, To the poster of the comments above ; please visit a big city! The "pollen" has never made me sick i lived there for 15 years, I actually never knew anyone who got "sick" they took allergy medicine. Like I said, I love Show Low, I wish I was there now!!!!!!![read more...]

Show Low is a little community about 45 miles from the New Mexico border. Take it from somebody who has lived here their whole life: the job opportunities here are terrible. Minimum wage is the norm. A high paying job is $13 to $15 an hour. Major employers are Navapache Hospital, Wal-Mart & Home Depot. And if you plan on opening up a business, the rent for space is based on California rental costs, so it's extremely high. And to buy commercial land in nearly impossible. There's very little to be had, and what's available is super high. Lots of doctor's offices, yet health care here can be terrible. If you compare the wages to the home values, it's totally out of balance. A 1400 square foot home can go for $235,000 here, and it's not anything special. Rentals run around $1,000 a month. Most homeowners here are 2nd home owners/vaction homes. The pollen in the spring makes everyone sick. The summer has terrible traffic throughout the mountains. And the winters can be cold, lots of snow and ice. On the plus side, it's a relatively safe community. Sure, we have some crime, but nothing like the big cities. We have a casino on the Reservation, 2 multiplex theatres, and lots of little mom & pop resturants. No big chains. In the last few years, we've had JC Penney, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Sears move in. The summer weather is fantastic, with highs in the low 80's. The fall is beautiful when all the aspens and oaks change color. And if you like to ski, the ski resort is one of the best in the state. It would be a great place to visit or have a vacation home in. But keep in mind the low wages and high housing if you plan to move here permanently.[read more...]