Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
November 9, 2022 -- Even though the Sunshine State typically adds 900 new residents every day, it still has plenty of detractors. You have probably run into many of them, often at a party where people are discussing retirement locations. "I hate the bugs, the humidity, the hurricanes, the sprawl, and the traffic"; that's a pretty good summary of the usual complaints. So if you are one of those who wants to avoid a Florida retirement, where else should you consider?
One of Florida's obvious attractions is the warm winters it provides. For those who have to have that climate requirement, geography creates some limitations. Fortunately there are some possibilities, which we will discuss here, along with some of tradeoffs and comparisons with Florida.
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Published on November 8, 2022
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
August 31, 2022 -- There is one list that no state wants to be on - the one that names the worst states for retirement. A new list came out last week from bankrate.com, and it immediately got a lot of attention. While their list isn't bad, it really misses the most important thing - lists like this don't make sense because they don't take into account that everyone's retirement criteria are unique. Any attempt to generalize means coming up with the wrong answers for a lot of people. In this article, we will list the worst 5 states on the bankrate list, as well as the top 5 from Topretirements' most recent Worst Places to Retire list. But more important than that, we will also outline what could be the worst states for retirement for people in very different situations (well off retirees vs. those on a tight budget, homeowners vs. renters, those with a focus on well-being or strong political opinions, as well as folks with climatic and recreational requirements).
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Published on August 31, 2022
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
August 3, 2022 -- Since the pandemic began a housing boom has churned markets across the country. Big cities have lost out, and smaller ones with better quality of life and cheaper housing prices have gained. The Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Emerging Housing Markets Index is a list of the top metro areas for a strong local economy, appealing lifestyle amenities, and an appreciating housing market in this year's second quarter. This index comes as home prices have fallen in most parts of the country for the past few months, finally succumbing to higher mortgage rates and an overheated housing market.
Although the study was mostly oriented toward young working people looking for a better lifestyle, an easier commute, and lower real estate prices, many of the markets that came out on top are quite suitable for baby boomers and people of retirement age. That is not only because these housing markets bode well for the future, but mainly because many of them, such as Billings, Montana, offer exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities. The index's top-ranked market for the quarter was Elkhart, IN with its 206,000 people. After that came Burlington, NC; Johnson City, TN; Fort Wayne, IN; and Billings, MT. Indiana had two cities in the top 10, as did North Carolina.
Here are the WSJ's top 10 Emerging Housing Markets:
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Published on August 2, 2022
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Note: Were you looking for our "5 Medicare Mistakes You Don't Want to Make" article? Use the link in the previous sentence or go the "Blog" in the navigation at top.
July 19, 2022 -- This is the time of year when life doesn't get much better than living on a lake. With the loons calling, gentle waves lapping at the dock, and the sun setting during dinner on your screened in porch, life is good. Retiring on a lake has so many lifestyle advantages including fishing, boating, and swimming. Not to mention that your kids and grandkids will only be too eager to come for a visit.
Here are 10 great lake towns for retirement. We picked them not only because they are on beautiful lakes, but because many also have an interesting town nearby. We look forward to your suggestions on other "best" lake towns for retirement.
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Published on July 19, 2022
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
May 17, 2022 — People pick places to retire for a lot of reasons. How pretty it is, closeness to family, climate, low taxes, having a college, access to recreation or the wilderness, etc. But another really excellent reason is finding one that offers the amenities that match your lifestyle desires. In this article we will explore 11 great places to retire with particularly outstanding amenities. Our apologies in advance to any town we might have overlooked, we know there are many additional contenders that should have been included. Please provide your suggestions in the Comments section below!
11 Great Towns for AmenitiesHere in no particular order is our list of 11 retirement towns that offer exceptional amenities to their residents. We have tried to provide diversity to the list in terms of geography, size, type of amenity, and whether we have highlighted them before. Our biggest problem – we had too many towns to mention!
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Published on May 17, 2022
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
May 3, 2022 -- You've worked hard to earn your retirement. So why not retire to a place where you are likely to be welcomed with open arms. To help with that we published a list of "10 Very Friendly Places to Retire" back in 2016, and it generated loads of comments and suggestions. Using this fantastic input from our Members (you can't beat the experience of real people!), here are even more great places to retire. We hope you will add to the list!
Cape Coral, FL. Here is what Linda had to say about this FL West Coast town: "I’d add Cape Coral, FL to your list. It’s not as isolated as Punta Gorda (about an hour up the coast). If we don’t have it in Cape Coral, there’s a good chance it’s available across the bridges to Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Naples, etc. There is a very active New Residents Club here which has been going on for 50 years. If I had the stamina, I could be doing something with these new-found friends every day!"
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Published on May 2, 2022
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
April 20, 2022 -- Highways are filling up with snowbirds headed north right now. Those trips provide the perfect excuse for exploring the many wonderful East Coast towns along the way. Here are 10 towns that we think are definitely worth a detour, either for a night in a B and B, or a leisurely lunch to break up the drive. In this installment we will concentrate on charming or interesting towns near the coast. But if your trip takes you along the western route, see our 2 part series on great retirement towns along that route through western Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia.
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Published on April 19, 2022
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
March 15, 2022 -- Everybody looking for a place to retire probably has a list of must-haves. Today we explore possibilities for a hypothetical couple that has the three priorities listed in our headline - sandy beaches, lots of culture, and hassle-free biking. They also have a fourth consideration, having a nearby airport with good connections. Both people in this couple had average working careers, and now collect the average (2021) Social Security benefit of $1,555 each month. Adding income from their retirement savings, they have a combined income of just over $4,500 per month.
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Published on March 14, 2022
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February , 2022 -- Depending where you live, you might be familiar with the concept of a Chautauqua community, those seasonal assemblies dedicated to four pillars: the arts, education, recreation, and religion. As such they offer the perfect snowbird retirement for people who love culture.
Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were part of an adult education and social movement in the United States that brought speakers, teachers, musicians, showmen, preachers, and specialists of the day to communities. Lakeside Chautauqua on the shores of Lake Erie was the first assembly in 1873, followed the next year by the Chautauqua Institute on western New York's Chautauqua Lake. Although at one point there were several hundred Chautauquas, these two are among the few independent Chautauquas that persist in the 21st century. The drawback to a Chautauqua retirement is that they are seasonal - after summer ends you need to find a place to live the rest of the year.
For culture loving people - you can't beat a Chautauqua retirement
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Published on February 27, 2022
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February 21, 2022 - Two demographics are more likely to move than any other. The group with the highest tendency to migrate is highest is young adults, who tend to move in search in jobs and fortune. At retirement age (commonly around 65), there is another big spike in migration. Although both groups have a propensity to move, the places where they move tend to be very different, according to Brookings.edu.
Studies of net migration show what areas of the country are experiencing the greatest population growth. But looking at the big picture alone does not tell the whole story about who is moving where. Census data shows that the top regional magnets for young adults (ages 25-34) are very different from regions that are attracting baby boomers (ages 55 and older).
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Published on February 20, 2022
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