These 7 Arizona cities were named the best hidden gems for snowbirds. Here's why

Michael Salerno, Arizona Republic
·3 min read

Snowbirds seeking an escape from freezing, snowy weather can find relief in Arizona.

And a handful of their options in the Grand Canyon State just ranked among the nation's best hidden gem cities for snowbirds.

Architectural Digest's study of 75 hidden gem cities for snowbirds included seven in Arizona, including the city with the most restaurants, the city with the most activities and the top two with the most affordable housing.

Overall, the places in the list represented destinations with pleasant winter weather, unique experiences and highly rated but lesser-known activities and dining.

New Orleans placed No. 1, getting the edge for its housing and lodging availability — though an Arizona city scored higher than the culinary mecca in the dining category.

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How Architectural Digest selected the best cities for snowbirds

Architectural Digest's methodology ranked the cities based on four key factors, including the number of establishments it defined as hidden gems. It defined a hidden gem as a place with four- to five-star ratings on Yelp with at least six but no more than 75 reviews.

It also looked at:

  • Housing and lodging availability: The number of homes for sale via Zillow and the number of lodging options including hotels, resorts, campgrounds, bed-and-breakfasts and hostels via Yelp.

  • Activities and dining: The dining scores were on the number of restaurants, bars, bakeries and breweries via Yelp. Activity scores were based on the number of beaches, parks, walking trails, botanical gardens, health retreats and lakes via Yelp, as well as the percentage of walking trails recorded on AllTrails that have high ratings and light traffic.

  • Weather: Based on the UV index and average daily temperatures in 2020-23 from December through February with data provided by World Weather Online.

  • Cost: Average cost of homes for sale via Zillow.

What Arizona cities are among the best for snowbirds?

Seven Arizona cities were among Architectural Digest's hidden gems for snowbirds:

  • No. 5: Gilbert.

  • No. 6: Sedona.

  • No. 7: Yuma.

  • No. 40: Bisbee.

  • No. 52: Ajo.

  • No. 56: Green Valley.

  • No. 63: Cottonwood.

Why were these Arizona cities selected?

Gilbert was recognized for its dining, with 150 highly rated, hidden gem restaurants and bars. That's more than even New Orleans, a city highly regarded worldwide for its food, which placed second with 107.

Sedona stood out as the top city for activities and lodging. Both have won the city a number of accolades in recent years; in the past year alone, Tripadvisor users named Sedona the No. 15 city in the U.S. to travel for 2023 and Adobe Grand Villas the nation's best small hotel.

Yuma ranked second, just behind Mobile, Alabama, for highly rated, low-traffic walking trails.

Ajo, despite ranking at or near the bottom for highly rated activities and restaurants, got plaudits for its affordability. It ranked No. 1 based on the average cost of homes for sale on Zillow, with an average of $161,000. The No. 2 most affordable was Bisbee — a city whose tourism is having a moment — with an average cost of $237,000.

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Reach the reporter at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Best Arizona cities for snowbirds, according to Architectural Digest