Every Chicagoan has a number. The number of winters left before they do something about it.
Goswick Ranch is a private gated community in Arizona's Bradshaw Mountains — 75 miles north of Phoenix, 27 miles from Prescott. It's not a resort. There's no clubhouse, no golf course, no lifestyle director. There are 25–35 private lots with a 9-acre minimum, horses and livestock permitted, a gated private road, and a $216-a-year HOA.
Property taxes on most parcels run under $500 a year. Arizona's income tax is 2.5% flat.
You can live here full-time, part-time, or hold it as an investment. There is no occupancy requirement.
| Location | E Poland Road, Mayer, AZ 86333 |
| Elevation | 4,400–6,000 ft |
| Lot minimum | 9 acres (CC&R covenant; county minimum is 2 acres) |
| HOA fee | $216/year |
| Gate | Gated; private road network |
| Management | Self-managed by volunteer board — no management company |
| Allowed | Horses, cattle, livestock, site-built homes (1,500 sq ft min) |
| Item | Chicago / Cook County (est.) | Goswick Ranch / Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Annual property taxes | Cook County median ~$7,000/yr | ~$476/yr median |
| Annual HOA or condo fees | Chicago condo HOAs often $3,600–$9,600/yr | $216/year |
| State income tax | Illinois: 4.95% flat | 2.5% flat (AZ) |
| Social Security taxation | IL does not tax SS income | AZ does not tax SS income |
| Estate tax | Illinois estate tax applies above $4M | No Arizona estate tax |
Numbers are estimates for general comparison. Consult a licensed real estate agent, tax advisor, and attorney before making any purchase decision.
That's what the actuarial tables say for Chicago. Five months where you're shoveling, salting, gripping the wheel on the Eisenhower, managing your heating bill, and waiting for the grey to lift.
At 4,400–6,000 feet in Arizona's Bradshaw Mountains, Goswick Ranch has real seasons — spring wildflowers, summer in the 80s, fall oak color, occasional winter snow — without the five-month grind. January daytime highs are typically in the 40s–50s°F with clear blue skies.
Phoenix is 75 miles south if you need the warmth. Goswick Ranch is where you live.
A lot of Midwest families came to Chicago from somewhere with land. Grandparents from Illinois farm country, Indiana, Iowa — people who knew what 9 acres meant, what a well was, what it felt like to own something real and have room to run animals on it.
Goswick Ranch doesn't require a farming background. But if you have one, or if your family did, it won't feel foreign. The community permits horses, cattle, goats, and agricultural use of the land. Lot minimums are 9 acres by covenant. Private well, propane, your own septic.
Explicitly permitted. Hundreds of miles of Prescott National Forest equestrian trails are accessible from the Poland Road corridor.
Permitted per Yavapai County's Allowed Animal Chart. Cattle, goats, and other large livestock welcome.
Land may be used for agricultural purposes under RCU-2A zoning.
Up to 8 per lot (no roosters).
Chicago to Goswick Ranch is approximately 1,650 miles — a 2–3 day road trip. Suggested route: I-55 S from Chicago to St. Louis → I-44 W through Oklahoma City → I-40 W through Amarillo and Albuquerque → I-17 S at Flagstaff → SR 69 E at Cordes Junction. Many buyers make this into a 2-week trip with Sedona and the Grand Canyon corridor along the way.
O'Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW) both offer nonstop service to Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX). Flight time is approximately 3.5 hours. Multiple daily departures. From PHX: I-17 North to Exit 262 (SR 69 East), approximately 12 miles to Mayer.
Prescott, AZ (27 miles from the ranch) is the recommended base — historic Courthouse Plaza, walkable, good restaurants. The drive from Prescott to Goswick Ranch on SR 69 takes about 35 minutes.
Contact the board to ask questions before you make the trip.
Illinois income tax is 4.95%; Arizona's is 2.5% flat. Cook County median property taxes are ~$7,000/yr vs. ~$476/yr at Goswick Ranch. Combined annual savings can exceed $5,000–$8,000/year depending on income. Over a 20-year retirement, that compounds significantly. Consult a tax advisor for your specific situation.
Yes. Goswick Ranch has no occupancy requirement. Owners may live seasonally, part-time, or hold the property as an investment while maintaining an Illinois or Midwest primary residence.
Approximately 1,650 miles — typically a 2 to 3 day road trip via I-55 S to I-44 W to I-40 W (the old Route 66 corridor), then I-17 S to SR 69 E. Phoenix Sky Harbor is 74 miles from the community — 3.5 hours nonstop from O'Hare or Midway.
Median property taxes are approximately $476/year on improved parcels. Some vacant land parcels have shown annual property taxes as low as $5/year. Compare to Cook County, Illinois where the median property tax is approximately $7,000/year.
No. Arizona does not tax Social Security income. Illinois also exempts Social Security, but Arizona's broader income tax rate of 2.5% flat is lower than Illinois' 4.95% on all other retirement income.
Listings context, HOA financials, lot details, CC&R summary.
Utilities, water quality, livestock rules, and the day-to-day picture.
Trails, horses, National Forest access.
History of Goswick Ranch.
Questions or to arrange a visit.
Questions about the community, the numbers, or planning a visit — the Goswick Ranch Board of Directors provides direct, timely responses.