Located at the edge of the Coronado National Forest in Arizona, Rio Rico is known for its peaceful mountain beauty and luxurious resorts and golf clubs.
Rio Rico offers pretty much the quintessential southwestern lifestyle
Located at the edge of the Coronado National Forest in Arizona, Rio Rico is known for its peaceful mountain beauty and luxurious resorts and golf clubs.
Rio Rico offers pretty much the quintessential southwestern lifestyle. The city is quiet and spread out over some of the most vast and beautiful terrain in the country, and the surrounding area is all ghost towns, birding havens and ample opportunity for outdoor escapades. There's a lot to do in Rio Rico, whether it's taking advantage of the city's spas and golf clubs or heading an hour north to Tucson for a more lively evening.
Moving to Rio Rico shouldn't be too hard on your schedule or on your wallet. Home values here are a bit below the average for Arizona. Finding a house rental or apartment complex could prove to be more challenging as most of the units are owner-occupied, but who said you weren't up for the challenge! There are some two-bedroom apartments for rent and condos for rent in the area -- you might just have to bide your time waiting for one to open up.
What You'll Need
Like moving anywhere, you're going to need all the basic paperwork for your landlord. Bring along your credit report, rental application, letter of employment, references, bank statements and whatever else you think will help boost your chances of scoring that dream home. Of course, nothing talks like money, so bringing your checkbook to lay down the cash upfront will always help you out in a pinch. When you're going to meet your landlord, show up in a timely manner and be friendly and polite -- it never hurts to exercise good manners in an apartment hunt, and it might end up winning you the place over someone else!
Rio Rico is a pretty small town, but you will experience a different kind of lifestyle depending on which area you choose to live in. Here's a quick breakdown of the different sections.
North Side: The north side of town is the closest to Tucson, which is a big draw for tourists and offers a flourishing art and history scene and lots of culture and heritage. Rio Ricans make the trek up here for their excellent festivals year-round.
Town center: Living in the center of town will put you near the shopping center and the town schools.
West Side: Living on the west side of town means you're nestled up against the bounty of Coronado National Forest, where residents love to golf, hike, bird watch and ride horses, among other outdoorsy activities. If you don't own a cowboy hat yet, don't even think about renting a home on this side of town.
