Cochise County's Snowbird Season: Impact On Local Economy

Snowbirds

We all know that in Arizona when the leaves start changing, so do the license plates. Come winter, snowbirds are flocking to southern Arizona, but why? Arizona's warm weather, lack of frost, and haunted historical landmarks are a few of the reasons visitors choose this area. Here's some good news though, the average snowbird stays in Cochise County for less than a month!

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Demographics and average stay time

During the winter months Arizona sees a 10-15% population spike during any given year.
As many people can probably guess, most visitors are retired or near retired. The average age of a snowbird in Cochise County is 62 years old according to a Cochise County Tourism Study.
88% of winter tourists in Cochise County only stay for one month or less.
Only 4.7% of Cochise County's winter tourists stay 3 or more months. This means that 95% of people who visit in the winter are not technically snowbirds.

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Why Cochise County?

Cochise County is home to a variety of historical landmarks, national parks, and tourist attraction. Places like Tombstone, Bisbee, and the Coronado national monument attract dozens of visitors across the world. Arizona is also the only place in the world where you can see hummingbirds year-round! A lot of Arizona's winter tourists are bird watchers looking to follow these airborne animals as they migrate.

FUN FACT- People aren't the only snowbirds in Cochise County!

People aren't the only ones picking Cochise County as their winter get away destination. Over 50 different species of birds migrate to Arizona every winter. And according to Cochise Stronghold, southern Arizona is the #1 bird watching destination!

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The Snowbird Effect

No matter how we feel about them, or their driving, snowbirds have a positive impact on Arizona's economy. According to an article posted by LinkedIn, the increased population in winter months is shown to increase jobs in hospitality, retail, and healthcare. This creates local job opportunities and increases the economic output of the community. Not only that, but they also bring in money! Most tourists are here to spend, and that increases the counties income. According to a Cochise County Tourism Study, "$56 million of regional purchases were made by out-of-region visitors, contributing to a total economic output of $79 million for Cochise County."

While this is overall a good thing, it can also cause a strain on resources like water, increase housing prices, and clog up the transportation systems.

So, what do you think!? Should snowbirds stay, or should they go?

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