Las Vegas Popular for Senior Moves

The inmigration to Southern California of people from the Pacific Rim, the Middle East and Central America during this decade has been so explosive that we’ve neglected statistics on movement within the United States.

The Del Webb Corp., Phoenix-based pioneer in the business of housing for the active retired and senior citizens, has been carefully charting the growth of retiree migration within the nation.

From 1960 to 1970, retirees departing from their respective states amounted to 15% of the population and from 1970 to 1980 departures had increased by 50%.

Researchers expect that by 1990, retirees having moved out of their resident states will number 4 million, representing the largest migration of seniors ever in American history.

Which states have the most active movers, the most restless souls or the most adventurous seniors? Why do they leave their longtime homes?

Webb’s demographic studies show that the hottest spots of retiree migration are two East Coast states--New York and New Jersey and at this point we’ll resist any wiseacre guesses as to why New Yorkers or Jerseyites would want to leave there.

But about 20% of those 60 and older move out of those respective states annually. Far fewer retirees leave the sunny states of California and Florida. Nine per cent of that age group has been leaving the Golden State and only 6% moves out of the Sunshine State.

Don Tuffs, Webb’s director of marketing, says seniors and retirees are attracted obviously to sunnier climes and to places in the sun where housing is still “affordable.”

To a great degree, that would exclude Southern California at this point but the same high-price factor is also the reason, he believes, that many “equity-rich” Californians--having sold their long-occupied homes for excellent prices--are cashing in on the fates of economy.

He notes that at Webb’s two Sun City projects in Arizona, about 25% of the newcomer buyers are from California.

At its newly opened Sun City Summerlin, in Las Vegas, there is an added attraction to retirees and seniors who want to move away--there is no personal income tax in Nevada.

Droves of retirees are coming to Las Vegas which now has the fastest growing adult population in the U.S. Its major draw is among seniors from elsewhere in Nevada, from California and Arizona.

From 1980 to 1985, Nevada’s 65-and-older population grew by 41% while its age-50 and over population grew faster than any other segment of its population. One in every 6 residents--or 118,000 persons--in that gambling and entertainment capital today is over 50.

And if the researchers are on target, the new wave of westward movement will continue into the next century.

Prepared for that, last week Webb opened the aforementioned development, Sun City Summerlin in Las Vegas, covering 2,000 acres and planned to accommodate a population of 10,000 upon build-out in the immediate years ahead.

Webb’s original active adult community, opened in 1960, is near Phoenix and has a population now of 46,000. Sun City West, also near Phoenix, opened in 1978, with a present population of 18,000 and expecting to reach the 25,000 mark by 1993. Sun City Vistoso, near Tucson, opened in 1986, with a population of 800 now and counting.

In the past, Bill Stout, our caustic TV colleague, has cited that intangible annual lure--the Rose Bowl parade and game watched by millions--as a magnet for cold and shivering easterners to pack up and head west.

By his magical count, at least 10,000 of them do head west while millions think about it.