In just two years, Phoenix has gone from being one of the top 20 places to retire to one of the bottom 20 in U.S. News’ prestigious annual rankings.

The metro tumbled to No. 140 on this year’s list, which includes a total of 150 cities nationwide. That’s down from No. 59 last year and No. 17 the year before. It’s the third straight drop for Phoenix — and the biggest one in recent years.

The reasons for Phoenix’s freefall weren’t explained in the report, which still mentioned Arizona as “one of the go-to spots for retirees,” but one partial factor is likely that U.S. News last year increased the size of its lists from 125 to 150 metros, saying that doing so better reflected the actual possibilities Americans have.

The change in status also could have something to do with rising housing costs in the Valley.

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By Jeff Giffords, –  Digital Editor, Phoenix Business Journal