Sonoran Desert Oasis

Tucson
Arizona
Blessed with a wild variety of breathtaking landscapes, a sunny climate, and one of the hottest job markets in America, Tucson has
many different faces. Surrounded by pine-wooded mountains and
miles of open desert dotted with saguaro cactus, Tucson combines
the beauty of the Sonoran desert with the sophistication of a cosmopolitan city.

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Tucson is the major cultural

center of southern Arizona, with
all the intellectual and cultural
attractions of a growing city.
Professional theater, opera, and
dance companies enhance the
refined arts scene, and locals
find the citys social climate as
engaging as its natural setting.
Much of Tucsons energy
and flair springs from the
University of Arizona, the
largest educational institution
in the state. The tens of thousands of students that gather
here to study each year boost the
local economy and make Tucson a
fresh and energetic place to live.
Tucson lies in the climate zone
that receives more sunshine than any other area in the nation. The weather
is warm and dry most of the year, and Tucson residents can enjoy outdoor the recreation activities of Coronado National Forest and Saguaro
National Park even in winter. In the evenings, as the desert sun slips
behind the Tucson Mountains to the west, a vibrant nightlife stirs in the
cool air. Cultural events featuring local artists are on display in Tucsons
many museums, and nationally acclaimed performance groups regularly
treat residents to professional theater.

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Just one hour south of Tucson is the Mexican border with its cantinas,
craft shops, and rich cultural offerings. Tucsons proximity to the
border provides locals with the opportunity to live in a multis
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cultural environment. Many residents retain strong ties to
their Hispanic or Native American heritage, an influence
that shows in the architecture, customs, and overall cultural
flavor of the city. It is precisely this blend of ancient culture, modern sophistication, and the leisurely lifestyle of the
American West that makes Tucson so appealing.

Surrounded by pine-clad
mountains and open spaces
dotted with saguaro cacti,
Tucson combines the beauty
of the Sonoran desert with
the sophistication of a
large, cosmopolitan city.

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Tucson At-A-Glance
Population:

507,700 (Metropolitan area: 955,000)

Avg. July high:

Climate
The warm, dry weather widely
sought by retirees, tourists and outdoor enthusiasts is in plentiful supply in Tucson, the sunniest city in the
country. Though daytime summer
temperatures are high, humidity is
low, and the temperature drops
quickly at sunset to provide
cool, comfortable evenings.
With spring comes a dry
spell, typically lasting three
months. The temperatures begin
to rise out of the winter lows, and
many varieties of cacti burst into
colorful bloom until late May.
The dry spell is generally broken
during July, when 10 times the rain of
the three proceeding months falls.

Arts & Culture

Tucson is a cultural and intellectual mecca in the desert. With
the states only full-time professional opera and theater companies residing here, and a large
range of programs and exhibits,
residents have access to a wide
range of entertainment and cultural
opportunities.
The Tucson Museum of Art features traveling exhibits and a regular
presentation of outstanding Indian and
Spanish cultural artifacts of the Arizona
Territory. For unparalleled views of outer
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98

Avg. January low:

38

Avg. Annual Precipitation:

11 inches

Avg. Annual Snowfall:

0 inches

Closest Big City:

116 miles to Phoenix

Health Care:

15 hospitals with 2,220 beds

Cost of Living:

Equal to the national average

Housing Costs:

Median home price: $260,000

100

100

High
Low

80

80

60

60

40

40

20

20

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr May

Jun

Fully half the years precipitation falls in

the two warmest months, bringing welcome refreshment. The refreshing rain of
summer continues into October, lessening
as fall arrives with its beautiful sunsets.
Winters are exceptionally mild. Tucson
averages only 19 days with lows below 32
space, see the Pima Air and Space
Museum, Titan Missile Museum, and Kitt
Peak National Observatory.
The Tucson Symphony Orchestra hosts
international soloists as well as local composers. An opera company and three
dance companies provide a ballet and
opera season that runs through the winter.
Lovers of live theater will particularly
appreciate the Arizona Theater Companys
winter season. The company presents
modern and Shakespearean professional
drama and comedy in the Temple of
Music and Art.

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

degrees each year, and the annual snowfall

totals less than an inch.
With this kind of paradisiacal climate,
locals love to golf in the early morning
before a days work, and many recreation
activities are available all year round.

Tucson also has two zoos and a major

university. To complement the citys other
cultural offerings, the University of
Arizona sponsors UA Presents, a concert series every summer that showcases
some of the finest performing acts and
musicians in the world.
The Tucson Convention Center is a
large facility that draws people from all
over the world for national and international conferences of all kinds. Other
major cultural attractions include the
Tucson Arts District and the University
Artists Series.

Education
The public school system in Tucson is
held in high regard. Approximately 62,000
students are enrolled in public elementary
and high schools. There are currently 125
public schools in the district. Even with
such a large district Tucson schools maintain a low student-to-teacher ratio, assuring
pupils the individual attention they need to
excel.
As an alternative to public education,
there are dozens of private schools in
Tucson. This has proven a popular option
for many residents, and close to 5,000 students are currently enrolled.

Recreation
Surrounded by rugged, pine-clad mountains, red rock canyons, and deserts full of
distinctive saguaro cacti, Tucson is a recreational paradise. Theres plenty of room to
run, bike, and in-line skate along the citys
miles of trails, greenways and 100 parks.
With nearly three-dozen golf courses,
innumerable swimming pools, and many
more tennis courts than can be counted,
the City of Tucson has made it a point to
provide ample recreational facilities to its
residents. Hiking and camping possibilities
stretch out from town in every direction
The University of Arizona itself provides numerous opportunities to watch
Division I sporting events. For nearly two
decades, the universitys softball team has
reached the Womens College World
Series, and its mens basketball program
has advanced to the Mens NCAA
Championships nearly two-dozen times.
The universitys mens baseball team, along
with womens and mens golf and tennis
teams are well-known players in the world
of intercollegiate sports.
Tucson has been host to the USA Open
Volleyball Tournament and a major
Division I college bowl game, the
Insight.com Bowl.
Outside Tucson, the Coronado National
Tucson, AZ

Forest offers many beautiful hikes among

the cacti and chaparral. Saguaro National
Park, Spencer Canyon, and Rose Canyon
are also very close to Tucson. They offer
camping, rock climbing, and fishing, and
are open all year in the mild climate.
Locals can enjoy these beautiful landscapes anytime and watch the deserts subtle changes from season to season.
There are amusement parks such as Old
Tucson Studios, one of the most popular
attractions in southern Arizona. The town
was built in 1939 for the movie Arizona,
and to date there have been over 300 productions filmed here. Gunslingers swagger
down the streets, and monthly shows,
exhibits and concerts are presented. Tour
programs, incentive groups, and organizations can use the Western-themed park
and movie lot for picnics, parties, cookouts, and meetings.
With the Mexican border less than an
hour away, border hopping is a popular
pastime. The border town of Nogales welcomes visitors from Tucson with its local
color and delicious Mexican food. Tucson
is the cultural center of southern Arizona,
and whether its summer or winter, there is
always something exciting to do in this
charming city.

Tucson is also home to 10 vocational

and technical schools and four colleges.
Chaparral College awards several associates degrees, as well as bachelors degrees
in business administration. The largest and
most prominent of Tucsons institutions is
the University of Arizona main campus.
With thousands of faculty and graduate
assistants, the University of Arizona
enrolls well over 30,000 in its programs in
hundreds of undergraduate, masters, and
doctoral programs. Its lovely 351-acre
urban campus reflects the schools endowment of $107 million.
The university provides the Tucson
community with innumerable intellectual
and cultural rewards, as well as a highly
educated workforce. The University of
Arizona recently ranked in the top ten best
public colleges, as well as in the top twenty
best research universities in the nation.

In the Old Tucson

Studios amusement park,
gunslingers swagger down
the dusty streets of an imitation Old West town.
Page 3

above the national average. However, the

vast majority of the crimes committed are
nonviolent offenses, and only about 10%
of crimes are considered violent. In any
event, crime rates have declined in recent
years.

Housing and Cost

of Living
The cost of living index
for Tucson is equal to the
national average. Housing and
other goods and services are all
reasonably priced. Child care
costs are actually slightly higher
than national average costs. Parents
pay an average of $6,000 annually,
for a four-year-old child in an accredited center. However, the city does
have a half-dozen governmentsubsidized Head Start programs, and Arizona Child Care
Resource and Referral is available to help parents find quality, affordable care.
The cost of a single family
home in Tucson varies with location. Home prices have risen significantly in the last few years, and the
current median home price is
$260,000. In northern Tucson, however, you can easily spend more than
$350,000 for a comfortable threebedroom home. In the southern
and eastern areas of town prices
are closer to the $200,000 range.
Condominiums, even in the
more expensive areas, can have
very reasonable prices. Rent averages $675 per month.

Crime and Safety

As can be expected in a city with a
large university, Tucsons crime rate is

Tucsons police force is largely bilingual,

and has made efforts to reach out to the
citys diverse populace through community
policing techniques and open house programs. Anti-drug programs and
Neighborhood Watch programs are another positive step encouraged by local law
enforcement.

Health Care
Tucson has one of the highest per-capita numbers of hospital beds of anywhere
in the country. The leading medical facilities include University Medical Center, a
University-affiliated teaching hospital
named by a major national magazine as
one of the best hospitals in the country,
particularly for cancer treatment. The
facility is also known for its heart transplant center.
Meanwhile, the Tucson Medical Center
is well known for its allergies and arthritis
clinics, and the University of Arizona
Medical School, Tucson, has a health care
base that is well positioned to serve the
growing community well into the future.
Senior care is abundant in Tucson, with a
huge number of assisted, independent,
and congregate care centers available. In
fact, Tucson offers the second highest
number of senior homes in the state, next
to Phoenix. Two-dozen senior centers
offer the elderly assistance with everything
from meals to transportation.

Earning A Living
Tucsons job market continues to
expand, and most qualified individuals will
be able to find a job in their chosen field
in the metropolitan area. The low cost of
living, attractive business climate, and

beautiful weather continue to bring people

to the area, and business is booming.
Average household incomes are in the top
half of the country, with families bringing
in more than $55,000 per year.
Another boon to the areas job market
has been the increase of manufacturing
and trade due to the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA). High tech
manufacturing has more than doubled in
the past decade. Big manufacturers include

Tucsons health care

resources are outstanding.
The city has one of the
highest numbers of hospital
beds per capita in the
country, and University
Medical Center has been
named as one of the best
hospitals in the nation.
AlliedSignal, Weiser Lock, 3M, BurrBrown, Environmental Air Products, Inc.,
Krueger Industries, Inc. and Raytheon
Missile Systems Company.
The University of Arizona remains the
largest employer in the city, with DavisMonthan AFB coming in second. The
tourism industry employs one out of ten
residents, and the industry has boomed in
recent years providing nearly $2 billion to
the local economy. Service and retail sectors jobs make up more than one-third of
the employment base in Tucson.

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Photos Courtesy of: Sonora Desert Museum. Page 1 photo courtesy of David Beau and MTCVB

Tucson, AZ