Sierra Vista, AZ is a vibrant city located on the border of Mexico and Arizona. It is known for its abundance of attractions that make it an ideal destination for travelers. Outdoor adventurers can explore nature trails, hiking, camping, bird-watching, fishing, and more in the nearby Huachuca Mountains. Shopping fans can enjoy many retail stores and restaurants in the downtown area or take advantage of the unique art galleries and museums located around town. Additionally, there are several cultural events such as festivals and concerts taking place throughout the year.
Overall, Sierra Vista has a positive reputation among visitors and locals alike. People have praised it for its easy access to outdoor activities like mountain biking and horseback riding, its wide selection of traditional Mexican cuisine, its warm climate year-round, and its welcoming atmosphere. Those who have lived in Sierra Vista often rave about how safe they feel in the city and how much proximity they have to nearby cities like Tucson or El Paso. With so many things to do and see here, it's no wonder why Sierra Vista is a popular destination for vacationers from all over the world.
based on 30 ReviewsGet to know Sierra Vista with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Sierra Vista
Couldn't wait to leave - 10/18/2012
I live in Sierra Vista for 13 months and after 6 months started looking for ways to get out. While a lot of post on SV concern taxes, I didn't find them to be outrages. What I hated about Sierra Vista was the lack of activities for single people in their mid-50's. If your single or not an active duty Sierra Vista offers nothing. Almost all restaurants are national chains that are bland in taste and atmosphere. Starting Labor Day prices take a huge jump do to the "Snowbirds" that winterize in the area. Traffic becomes bad for the size and you might as well plan for long lines everywhere you go.
Forget about local medical care, you will have to go to Tuscon for anything more serious than a hang nail. Locals tell you to stay away from the local hospital.
I was told when I move there I would either love or hate Sierra Vista and as I stated I couldn't wait to
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Beautiful View - 7/13/2012
It has not topped a 100 which is very good for AZ. It is so beautiful, and nice
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If you have children read this....... - 5/15/2011
All in all Sierra Vista looked to be perfect place to live despite closeness to Mexico and slightly higher property taxes. It has very low violent crime, cheap houses, amazing views, perfect weather yet seasonal changes and all the large city businesses in a smaller town. We had already reserved hotels for trip there ourselves until we discovered the dirty secret they don't want you to know.
Who is they? City officials, city businesses, realtors, landlords, and residents who live in denial and need to suck others in to comfort themselves.
Where did WE discover dirty secret? On United States government website and then went to families support website and onto the vast public knowledge available online.
So WHAT is the dirty little secret? Childhood Leukemia ! The government admits the rate to be more than 3 times normal and this is despite negating several victims from study such as girl who was diagnosed 2 weeks after moving from there so the gov't said she doesn't
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taxes, utilities, etc. - 5/13/2011
So it seems many "claim" higher taxes in Sierra Vista yet upon checking the facts don't back that up. HOWEVER, one tax that I have found to actually be higher is property tax. The odd thing is it is set by the county and I am confused as to why a $200k house in Sierra Vista has $200+ higher tax than seem priced house in other cities in the same county.
Anyone know why?
I have researched over 20 homes in Sierra Vista in the $170-250k range based on present listing price, sale within last 2 years, or tax appraisal value which looked accurate and all but 2 had higher property tax per $10,000 in value than other cities in same county and 2 other counties I was looking at in Arizona (Yavapai & Mohave).
It is more than houses simply being appraised higher. The tax per appraised value is actually higher by about
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Sierra Vista is beautiful, but buy property there - 9/22/2009
Sierra Vista is beautiful and there is so much natural beauty there... but the taxes are not reasonable for services provided or proportionate with other similar sized communities in the rest of the country.
The property taxes and local zoning make property ownership a bit difficult there.
First planning and zoning seems to have vague guidelines that change depending on who you present paperwork to.
We ended up hiring a hispanic man to turn in the paperwork we had attemted to turn in 3 different times, and it passed when he presented it. That never really sat well with us.
Planning and zoning hand out new building permits pretty freely, in spite of the water issues, so not much in the way of considering growth regulation seems to be going on.
Roads within the city limits, and taxed as such, do not recieve any kind of maintenance.
All in all, there are a lot of great people on City Council and in the
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High Desert - 9/4/2009
Sierra Vista has a great climate. Sitting at 4500 ft elev, it typically has temps 10-15 cooler than Tucson. It does get below freezing, but only snows 0.5-1.0" once or twice a year and melts the same day. Windy in the spring, hot and dry in the early summer, hot and humid in the late summer, fall is perfect. Extremes never last more than 6-8 weeks, so weather here is very palatable. Great for retirement if you can handle the peak of summer heat and dry
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Weather - 8/14/2008
Can anyone tell me how often there are dust storms? How often does it rain in the summer? The weather forecast always indicates thunderstorms. How is the humidity in the summer? Thank you.
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Nothing To Do? Pshaw!!! - 10/15/2007
I have lived in Sierra Vista for over 25 years, and I think is funny when people say that there is nothing to do.There are two movie theatres,a small mall, and several chain restaurants-Applebee's,Chili's,El Paso,Outback. There is a small indoor mall,Target,Wal-Mart,Blockbuster,Hastings,Lowes,Home Depot and many other retail stores.There is one library,small Community Center,City Park with fairly large indoor swimming pool with tube slide,wave machine and beach entrance.There are many annual events, like:Art in the Park,Cars in the Park,Oktoberfest,US Army Soldier Show,Homeshow,National Riding and Rodeo competitions,4th of July,Cinco de Mayo,small parades and Street Dance to name a few.There are shows and plays at the High School by Alma Delores Dance studio,Limelight Productions, and traveling shows.You can also go catch a football or basketball game at the high school(Go Colts!).Nearby towns are Bisbee(30min,historic,artsy, bohemian),Tombstone(15 min,gun fight shows),Douglas(45
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A visitor's view - 6/5/2007
My wife and I recently visited Sierra Vista to evaluate it as a possible retirement site. What initially interested me was some climate analysis I did to try to find the best climate that would be nearly snow-free in winter but not too hot in the summer. I think this city has about the best climate you can find except for expensive coastal areas which are moderated by the ocean.
There is a lot we like about SV: small enough to avoid traffic, crowding, and other big city problems but big enough to have essential services and stores. We saw that the town appeared prosperous and growing but the cost of living and housing struck us as low. We really found only one drawback - it is remote and isolated and there isn't alot of interest around the area apart from the outdoors and nature themes. Our family does not live nearby and the distance to a popular airport is a drawback. However, if we were from the Phoenix area, SV would be attractive as a place to retire and escape the
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John from Long Island, NY - 7/22/2006
Am interested in feedback concerning the quality of life, property taxes, crime, etc, in Sierra Vista. Am considering relocating there. thanks
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