Call them boomtowns — for boomers.
In certain spots across America, a very high percentage of the population is made up of baby boomers (defined as those born between 1948 and 1962), according to a recent analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by real estate rental site RENTCafe, which analyzed ZIP codes in cities with at least 100,000 residents.
No. 1 on that list: the 85266 zip code — which is an affluent section of Scottsdale, Ariz., where more than one in three residents is a baby boomer.
So why did this spot top the list? RENTCafe notes that Scottsdale in general offers “many social and medical assistance facilities, as well as plenty of entertainment spots.” Indeed, it’s got top-rated hospitals, restaurants and spas, as well as a plethora of outdoor activities including hiking and river rafting. At least as notable are the golf offerings, with personal finance site SmartAsset revealing that, per capita, Scottsdale is home to one of the highest concentrations of golf courses of any city in the United States.
As for why the 85266 ZIP code has such a high concentration of boomers, it may be because it’s pricey (PropertyShark data show that Scottsdale has Arizona’s third most expensive ZIP code with median home prices coming in at nearly $650,000), and in general boomers may be viewed as having more money than younger generations.
Scottsdale, located near Phoenix, is followed in the top-spots-for-boomers rankings by ZIP codes in Tucson, Ariz.; Amarillo, Texas; Pompano Beach, Fla.; and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In each of those ZIP codes, baby boomers make up about 30% of the population. Tucson is a big boomer retirement destination (three of its ZIP codes were in the top 10) likely because of the weather (it averages nearly 300 days of sunshine a year), the fact that it’s a college town and its relatively affordability.
As you can see, cities in Arizona and Florida dominate this list — and that’s because they clearly lead the rest of the states in terms of net inward migration of people over 60, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by SmartAsset. That’s thanks, at least in part, to low taxes and good weather, SmartAsset notes.
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