Jump to content

What are Arizona's Economic driving factors?


MJLO

Recommended Posts

prescott? i read something a couple of years ago that lamented prescott's lack of job growth or industry (the scenery and historic nature of the town having been cited as the main draws). the type of place everybody would love to live, but no real economy. has that changed because of a single factor? i love prescott.

i like yuma, too! it's a comical sort of place. ate at a diner there (brownie's?) that was so unassumingly white trash (and the better for it) that it reminded me of home.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 57
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Hell yeah! I love Brownie's! I always go there when I'm in Yuma, for whatever odd reason.

I like Yuma too because it's really quirky (ever been to the Downtown area?), but I just wonder why the hell anyone would choose to live there year-round. But, there's now over 100,000 people who do.

Prescott doesn't have a strong economic base. It's growing mainly because of retirees, or maybe just people that don't have to work. When I was last there, I was amazed at how much money seems to be floating around town. There are some enormous homes on the northwestern outskirts. A lot of them rivaled what you might see in Sedona. It is a very desirable climate though, the surrounding area is beautiful and I love their Downtown area (also a good brewpub there).

I'm not even going to get into Prescott Valley: all of that ridiculous sprawl.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hell yeah! I love Brownie's! I always go there when I'm in Yuma, for whatever odd reason.

I like Yuma too because it's really quirky (ever been to the Downtown area?), but I just wonder why the hell anyone would choose to live there year-round. But, there's now over 100,000 people who do.

we ended up in yuma again this weekend, by way of san bernardino / barstow / lake havasu city / yuma / tucson. ridiculous, pointless driving - i agree that it's a strange place to decide to live - if i were going to live in the colorado river area, i guess i'd pick blythe over yuma. yuma's downtown is neat - a lot of history that seems to be in the process of being rediscovered by locals.

the whole colorado river corridor is hot as hell, as you've mentioned. lake havasu city was g-a-y. tacky, ugly, surreal in revealing the lengths people will go to to trash a place in order to have a good time...in a gatlinburg, tennessee sort of way. sunday at 9 a.m., it was unbelievably crowded with idiots who either love to be there or idiots like us who were curious and got suckered in for the first time. never again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lots of people seem to be predicting a slow down very soon, especially since the real estate bubble is starting to fall apart.

I know that's why the governor and many legislatures didn't want the tax cuts that ended up in the budget.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is the governor in a race right now? I think so, but it's amazing how i've heard nothing about it. But i'm not up on AZ politics so i'm not sure. That could have a slight impact on the economy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

Would you all consider Phoenix a financial services giant? I've been thinking it for as long as i've been studying the transforming and emerging Arizona economy. Phoenix is a mecca for call centers and support staff. This is a service economy, and it's on fire. There are no major corporations centered in Arizona, however hundreds of major corporations harbor a major presence here. Does anyone everthing that we may be home to a fortune 50 company?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Birmingham has a big medical economy?? I guess they had to find some way to diversify after steel collapsed.

Until recently Tucson had the only medical school in the state, and I think that spawned a lot of our healthcare growth. We're still underserved and there's room for growth, but I think it's that way across the country. The only issue I have with these jobs is that I foresee a saturation down the road especially since, for these careers, you have to go to school for the license and they typically don't have any other career options if there were, hypothetically at this point, no jobs. I worry that "I can make easy money as a nurse" will become the next "I can make easy money as a web developer".

But, yeah, at least it's not a mine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Birmingham has a big medical economy?? I guess they had to find some way to diversify after steel collapsed.

Until recently Tucson had the only medical school in the state, and I think that spawned a lot of our healthcare growth. We're still underserved and there's room for growth, but I think it's that way across the country. The only issue I have with these jobs is that I foresee a saturation down the road especially since, for these careers, you have to go to school for the license and they typically don't have any other career options if there were, hypothetically at this point, no jobs. I worry that "I can make easy money as a nurse" will become the next "I can make easy money as a web developer".

But, yeah, at least it's not a mine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd say Tucson would be much easier to grow as a bio medical corridor before PHoenix, because so much of the infrastructure, and brain capitol are already there. The thing that would hurt it, is the residents disdain for urban developments in the core that inevetably come with that kind of thing. I think it's so odd that Tucsonans are so anti growth, in a city that hasn't seen much in the way of it's core in a long while.

Perhaps that's why Phoenix is growing so much more quick, because of the communities tendencies to be so liberal and permissive with growth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thing that would hurt it, is the residents disdain for urban developments in the core that inevetably come with that kind of thing. I think it's so odd that Tucsonans are so anti growth, in a city that hasn't seen much in the way of it's core in a long while.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

So Michigan's largest Bank is Moving to Dallas, you may or may not have heard of it, Comerica. They have a presence in the Phoenix area, I don't know about Tucson. I want to know why Dallas. Should AZ try and make plays for companies like Comerica that are relocating? It's one of the 25 largest banks in the country, AZ doesn't have any local ones not to mention any notable corporate presence. With as business friendly as it is here, and with as much economic potential, why don't we see anything like this ? Phoenix is the call center capitol of the country. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why Dallas? Light rail!

No, Dallas is a pretty nice city. I was there last week for the first time and was blown away with how cool it was. Very walkable and urban in many sections. Otherwise, they've done a good job and making the city very attractive to at least drive through.

Also, the housing prices in Texas never really went up so the cost of living is still fairly low. My sister said to me (in regards to Austin, which is growing quite rapidly), "Some townhouses are even going for $200k", as if I was supposed to be shocked. I just laughed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why Dallas? Light rail!

No, Dallas is a pretty nice city. I was there last week for the first time and was blown away with how cool it was. Very walkable and urban in many sections. Otherwise, they've done a good job and making the city very attractive to at least drive through.

Also, the housing prices in Texas never really went up so the cost of living is still fairly low. My sister said to me (in regards to Austin, which is growing quite rapidly), "Some townhouses are even going for $200k", as if I was supposed to be shocked. I just laughed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well that whole Comerica thing is only a small move 200 high level employees or something. The majority of their workforce would remain. I was just using it as an example. I'd love to see some high level companies set up shop here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Per capita income falters in AZ

It was an interesting arguement i was having a couple days ago. Per capita income per state. A friend of mine was trying to make the case that my home state ( Michigan) was in basically the bottom of the barrel for everything economic. So when we looked at hard numbers it did kind of suprise me that Arizona ranked towards the bottom of the list in per capita household income. I knew it was in the bottom half, but I didn't realize how far. The article answers my question as for why. I would have thought that Metro Phoenix, with all its amenities would bring the state up, but it ranks lower itself. One point that makes sense to me is the overwhelming number of people here who don't work. So they don't have an income, but they bring the state average down. But quite a few of those people are multi multi millionares. So it has to create a somewhat skewed perception.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 9 months later...

this seemed like a good place to ask this question,

I just read an article about how population growth has slowed into Arizona. With the subprime crisis. Do you think that this area, an economic powerhouse. Fueled by growth, will go into recession? I have long thought the Phoenix area almost impervious to economic cycles because the economy is on fire out here

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

The republic had a great story monday, or it might have been sunday. I will have to find the link. Anyway, they talked about the economic factors here, and basiclly, all we have done is relyed on growth to keep things going. They have until the market caught fire, over inflated and unsustainble. We are finially seeing the market correct itself. but we have to move in other directions besides construction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

We need more corporate headquarters in the valley. There are almost no fortune 500 copanies here. Alot of big regional presences. But can we not capitalize on the valleys great weather, and stability, with darn near immunity from natural disasters? Could we do what Atlanta did in the 80's and basically pay companies to relocate here and not pay taxes for decades?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.