ByWilliam P. Barrett,
Senior Contributor.
D
ania Novack lived for nearly four decades in pricey Hawaii, publishing a local food magazine and raising two now-adult children. But after the 2023 Maui wildfires and a drawn-out, contentious and expensive divorce, she decided to return to the mainland for a more affordable retirement. With friends and family still in the Aloha State, she knew she’d visit often. So Novack started looking for a place with reasonable flight connections, a certain cultural vibe and a lower cost of living than, say, Southern California, where she grew up. Novack, now 65, took a road trip through Colorado, Oregon and Washington State and concluded, “I don’t like cold weather.” Instead, she opted for a desert climate. She visited a friend who had moved to Green Valley, Arizona, in the foothills of the Santa Rita mountains, 20 miles south of Tucson and just 70 miles north of Mexico and was sold. “There’s access to nature and culture,” she gushes. “I absolutely love Green Valley.”
The scenic unincorporated area, made up of 130 mostly age-restricted (i.e. retirement) developments, is one of 25 locales honored on Forbes’ Best Places To Retire In 2026 list, which identifies U.S. spots offering a high quality of life at a comparatively affordable price. Since 2020, the median price of single-family homes nationwide has risen 50% to $409,000, according to the National Association of Realtors. But in Green Valley, it’s just $282,000. After going to numerous open houses, Novack paid barely half of that, in cash, for a just-refurbished one-story, one-bedroom adobe-style condominium home, with 558 square feet, a walk-in shower, and an open kitchen that suits her lifestyle. (By contrast, in Maui County, Hawaii, the median condominium sells for $630,000 and the median price of a single-family home is $999,000.) For a monthly fee of $410, the homeowners association takes care of the exterior and grounds around Novack’s property and provides pools and other recreational facilities.
