Picture of view from behind at women dressed in emerald-green short dresses and hats.

Meet the residents of Sun City—where aging is actually fun

In this Arizona community, retirees attend prom, join cheer squads, and shoot pool. In short, as one resident says, ‘This is not God’s waiting room.’

The Sun City Poms stride in formation at a holiday parade in nearby Litchfield Park in 2021. The squad presently ranges in age from 61 to 90. “It feels great to be together, put on our costumes, and perform,” says member Kathy Villa.



Since then, Brinson, 40, has gone every year to photograph Sun City’s residents, some of whom have become her close friends. Observing the enthusiasm people have for the many activities there, the self-described perfectionist says she learned something about herself: “I realized that I don’t have to be great, or even good, at something. I can just like the way it feels.” She’s taken up hobbies such as watercolor painting.

Opened in 1960, Sun City bills itself as the Original Fun City, designed for residents 55 and older. While retirement communities have proliferated across the country to cater to growing numbers of graying baby boomers, Sun City remains one of the largest. Its 14 square miles of palm tree–lined streets feature

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