If you prefer a moderate climate check out Payson, AZ.
I lived in the East Valley for approximately 30 years. Mesa, Tempe, Chandler and then Queen Creek. I moved back home, which is in the White Mountains in a very small town. I was tired of the traffic, the heat and the increasing crime.
I recommend Payson because it’s just big enough to have all the shopping resources and some of the amenities of a larger city but not the horrendous traffic. From Payson you can travel for an hour and be in the desert or less than a half hour and be in the tall Pine’s fishing or picnicking at a beautiful lake.
Payson would be nice, but my husband works in North Phoenix, so... stuck here in Peoria.