AZ Central recently compiled a collection of new retirement rankings, including one from personal finance firm SmartAsset, which confirmed what you probably already guessed: Arizona remains the second-most popular state in the nation for retirees over 60, falling just behind Florida.

2015 Census data revealed that Arizona’s population grew by 27,576 retirees. The data showed that not only are retiring boomers still drawn to the state but that retirement, in general, is changing.

The once cookie-cutter, down-sized home next to a golf-course is morphing. More and more, retirees are buying luxury homes in active adult communities, modern condos near trendy hot spots, or single-story outposts that cater to the outdoor lifestyle.

The 55+ Community of Verde Groves

Mesa topped the list for U.S. cities with the newest retirees over 60, drawing 3,442 for the year. With communities such as resort-style Sunland Springs Village or the more intimate community of Verde Groves, the city has plenty of options for retirees.

Also on the list was No. 4 Phoenix with 1,470 new retirees, No. 5 Chandler with 1,458, No. 7 Peoria with 1,310 and No. 8 Gilbert with 1,002.

Specific to a study by Zumper, the No. 1 spot to retire based on their criteria (crime, weather, demographics and health-care statistics) was Tucson. 

Phoenix began the trend of retiring in Arizona in the 1960s with the first active adult community, Del Webb’s Sun City. That neighborhood set the standard for how retirees would live in a self-contained community in the state. Since then, Phoenix and the surrounding cities have expanded their options to include multiple 55-plus communities that run the gamut from minimalist to luxurious.