Kingman is not that bad. - 4/4/2007

True Kingman does not have the big nightlife, or nightclubs to hang out and get plastered at. Our school systems are okay, and you should be helping your kids at home learn to be civilized and respectful. We are nice if you are nice, but if you are rude or demand things we will shut you out. It is hot here especially during the summers, but it gets cool during the winter. We are 2 1/2 hours from snow, 1 1'2 hours from Las Vegas, and if you want to go to a mall it is less than an hour away. There are also casinos and hour away. It is still a smaller town atmosphere, and yes house prices are rising. If you are planning on moving here you need to visit. There are a lot of houses for sale, new and used. Do some research. I like my neighborhood, it is quiet and I can let my child play outside. We do have a lot of block walls, but it is more for privacy than for security. In the desert do you really expect grass, do you realize how much water that would take?>

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Kingman's View from a Newcomer - 3/23/2007

I recently moved to Kingman from a large metropolis, namely Phoenix. For years, I could not wait to leave the Phoenix area with its growing number of people, traffic, high heat, crime rate, and ever-increasing horrible smog. For years, my husband and I traveled to different areas of both Arizona and other places in the Southwest to determine where we would like to live once our kids were out of high school. At first, I didn’t care for Kingman at all. My husband has family here who we visited often but I never cared for the City of Kingman and it certainly was not considered to be one of my favorite places to live. That was, however, until my husband convinced me to at least look at some property in Kingman. I began to see Kingman differently. Somehow I had not noticed the beautiful mountain ranges surrounding the city, and the wind that I never cared for, was the reason the air was so clean. The land was priced right so we bought and moved here almost 2 years ago. Even then, when we first moved here, I was concerned about leaving all the opportunities the big city life has to offer – not to mention some family members and close friends. After settling in though, here’s what I discovered: • I almost immediately fell in love with the small town atmosphere • The summer heat is never as bad as Phoenix; generally 10-12 degrees cooler • They actually have a winter – with an occasional day of snow! • I have made some wonderful new friends • Family and friends in Phoenix are only 3 hours away • Laughlin is 30 minutes away and we have: o attended two concerts there since moving here o taken a river boat ride from Laughlin to Lake Havasu o met friends and family there half a dozen times • There’s Vegas 2 hours away with the awesome Hoover Dam between here and there • There’s lots of great places to see: o The beautiful Hualapai Mountains to picnic, hike, or just view o Grand Canyon Caverns o West Rim of the Grand Canyon with the new glass skywalk o Lake Mead or Lake Havasu o Many historic buildings and landmarks o And so much more School incidents, crime, medical issues, and even the wind all exist in any town or city, no matter where you live. Kingman has an assortment of activities through the Community College, their Parks and Recreation Department, local sporting teams, and their’s always cool car shows and events. What one gives up in not have a professional sporting team here, or a large shopping mall is nothing

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Kingman Az - 1/28/2007

Thinking of moving to Kingman area If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. Mike.

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A great growing small town - 7/22/2006

Kingman is growing fast because everyone (esp. Californians) are catching on to a wonderful opportunity. Recently, I drove through Bishop,CA, way out in the middle of nowhere on the Eastern side of the Sierra. This town has been touted as sooo great because of the natural beauty. Yes, there are some boulder rock formations nearby used in the filming of many Hollywood Classics, and some nice mountains. But, the people, one and all, were rude and surly. The waitress at a local restaurant practically threw my burger at me. Now go to Kingman, pleasantly set up against a range of mountains, the Cerbats and Hualapais, and a few miles out of town some fabulous "old west" rock formations with plenty of boulders. Plenty of history too, with gold and silver mining towns dating back to the 1870's. Go to any of the restaurants or grocery stores, and the workers are kind, courteous, and service oriented one and all. In fact, everyone in town is generally friendly, and helpful. Granted, it is slow paced compared to, say, Las Vegas, but that is what you want in a smaller community. With the proximity to Vegas, a soon to be quicker 100 mile drive with the new Hoover Dam bypass slated for next year, 10 degree cooler temps., 1/4 housing prices, people are jamming in here at an alarming rate, a newly discovered gem!

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Thinking about Kingman - 7/21/2006

I am not a resident nor have I ever lived in Kingman but I'm considering moving there if I'm offered a job. I'll be finishing grad school in Indiana soon so I'm glad I found this website to help me make a more informed choice about relocating. My main criteria is the price of housing compared to my future salary because I don't want to spend all my money on a expensive mortgage. The median housing price ($245,000)is higher than the national average ($209,000) and much greater than what it is here ($80,000, that's not a typo). Housing prices may be cheaper than California but not everyone is from California. I was also shocked that some residents call the average July temperature of 105 degrees "mild". Where were these people raised, the Sahara Desert? Is there any indication housing prices will drop soon? I know I've got to adapt to the climate and I did live in Texas for four years so I can probably survive. I know somebody will say, "If it's too expensive for you, don't live here." Unfortunately, this part of the country is lacking jobs for college educated types in some fields so I don't have much of a choice after 3 and half months of looking for work. None of my four other siblings live in Indiana so I'm not trying to claim this place is paradise by comparison.

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I've lived here for 40 years - 7/12/2006

Yes Kingman is growing. That's what cities are supposed to do. Yes, housing went up LAST year (2005) with every other city's housing growth. But this is NOT an expensive place to live. You can buy a nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath home for around $190,000. Try that in California? Or even Phoenix!

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Housing Prices are going up - 7/4/2006

I have lived here for 14+ years. I loved it when we first moved here, but now, things are changing. The city size has doubled, maybe even tripled. Housing prices have done the same thing. It has made Kingman an expensive place to live.

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There are greener pastures! - 6/9/2006

The housing is ridiculously overpriced for what you get! It's the desert and unless you purchase property that's already been manicured it's just rock, cactus, and brush. The houses all look the same, yards are small and you can't even rent a decent place for less than $900 a month. I don't like it!

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Perspective from resident - 5/28/2006

I've lived in Kingman for 25 years, The city is located in a valley surrounded by mountains. The Hualapai (Wa la pie) Mountains just outside the city limits rises 8000 ft and has a wonderful county park (2200 acres). The Hualapais offer a cool retreat in the summer where one can hike, picnic, camp, or even rent one of the rustic cabins built in the 30's by the CCC program. Over the past couple of years there has been a major boom. The city's old town area (dating back to the late 1800's) has struggled, while the hilltop area has seen major retail and housing growth. Industry has slowly expanded at the airport which has regional commuter flights to Phoenix and Prescott, Arizona. There is also a Amtrak station offering rail travel east and west on the Southwest Chief. Employment options have improved dramatically over the past 25 years. Major employers are the hospital (repeatly recognized for high quality), the schools (5/6 elementary, 2 junior high, 1 high school), the county government (Kingman is county seat for the 5th largest county in the country - land wise), and private companies such as national kitchen cabinet makers, fiberglass manufacturers, etc.. Climate - best months March, April, May, October, November. Summer months of June, July, August can be very warm - although 7-10 degrees cooler than Phoenix or Las Vegas. The winter months of Dec. and Jan. can be cold - up to 6/7 degrees cooler than Phoenix but comparable to Las Vegas. Kingman is high desert and one can grow a wide variety of fruit and nut trees, deciduous and evergreen bushes, as well as succulents and cacti. The people are friendly - although can be catty and petty as any small town. The city government has done a great job offering services. Centennial Park is the largest ciy park - softball fields, basketball, handball, tennis courts, olympic-size swimming pool, jogging course, etc.. The library, although always too small does a good job. There is a small community college with university courses offered by Northern Arizona University. Shopping hasn't hit the upper range yet. National retailers include Super Walmart, Super Kmart, Home Depot, Dollar Store, etc. There are several good little local Mexican, Chinese, Italian restaurants. National eateries - Chili's, Cracker Barrel, and the full range of fast foods - MacD's, Wendy's, Carls, etc.. These observations are offered to help offers considering visiting or moving to our town. You may feel free to email me

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dont move there - 4/20/2006

My family and I moved there and we hated it. HOT, dirty, dusty, no culture, no nightlife, no nothing. Schools are the worse my children have ever been too. Homes are surrounded by brick and block walls and there is no grass or greenery. People are mean. I couldn't find a job and I am very educated and experienced. I was a legal secretary and a paralegal and couldn't find any work. Housing is very expensive. Few nice apartments. But if you like lots of sun and noone to bug you, move there; don't if your civilized.

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relocating-need info! - 4/18/2006

I will be relocating to Kingman next summer and want any info on the area. Thanks!

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Lovely Community - 11/15/2005

Kingman is a lovely family oriented community. Real Estate seems to be on the rise, but there are still affordable homes for sale. Its proximity to Las Vegas makes it a plus. The weather is moderate. The people are very friendly and helpful. Kingman seems like a very nice place to live.

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