10 Great Undiscovered Beach Towns for Retirement
Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
April 12, 2023 — There are a whole lot of people who want to retire on or near a beach. The sea breezes, sandy beaches, open waters, and laid back little towns certainly have their appeal. Here are 10 great undiscovered beach towns that might be ideal for your retirement. Obviously with so many people interested in that lifestyle, there are relatively few bargains available. But here we have tried to avoid the most expensive places. A few are household names, others are definitely not.
10 undiscovered beach towns for retirement
Westerly, RI. Near the Connecticut border the town of Westerly includes Watch Hill, a watering hole for New York’s elite. Misquamicut State Beach is one of the finest public beaches anywhere in the country, and there is great surfing here. The downtown is especially beautiful with classic buildings, churches, and library.
Damariscotta, Maine. The coast of Maine has any number of great places to retire, from Cape Elizabeth near Portland all the way up to beautiful Bar Harbor. Located an hour north of Portland, Damariscotta is an old shipbuilding town popular for boating, fishing and for a thriving oyster and mussel industry. The old seaport town (it is on a river upstream from Boothbay Harbor) has an architecture style and charm that attracts many summer tourists. With an average age of 50, Damariscotta is a vibrant town of seafood restaurants, waterfront activity, community services, and galleries.
A great retirement gift!
Nags Head, NC. This small resort community on the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina has a population that swells to tens of thousands in summer. The ocean beaches are exceptional with huge, beautiful dunes and rolling waves. This is the area where the Wright Brothers were the first to successfully fly in a heavier than air machine. The average age is in the mid 40s, as many retirees choose this place to retire.
Port Isabel, TX is a resort town on a barrier island in extreme southern Texas, almost in Mexico. Surrounding towns include South Padre Island, Harlingen, and Laguna Vista. Port Isabel is a beach town and a popular resort, as well as being a retirement destination. Real estate prices are much lower than the national median.
The Clearwater FL Area has some great possibilities for beach towns like Dunedin (which has a rail trail), Clearwater Beach, and the smaller neighborhoods near St. Petersburg. The beaches here are beautiful white sand. The Tampa airport offers great connections to just about everywhere. Tampa and St. Petersburg offer amazing cultural opportunities, including the Salvador Dali Museum.
Grand Haven, MI is a waterfront community located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. It is one of Michigan’s favorite beach destinations with its lighthouses, a 2.5 mile boardwalk, sand dunes big enough to be the local ski area, and a State Park that offers camping. The beautiful sandy beaches have been host to national beach volleyball tournaments.
Orange Beach, AL is located on a barrier island along the Gulf Coast close to the west Florida border. Bustling in the summer and much quieter in the winter, The year round population is just over 6,000 and growing. Orange Beach is a booming tourist town. Fishing and golf-centric, Orange Beach also has beautiful bright-white beaches. The Wharf is a large shopping and entertainment venue.
Depoe Bay, OR is a small village of 1,400 on the northern coast of Oregon. It boasts the smallest harbor in the world, according to locals. The average age is almost 57 years old, so it is clear that is popular for retirees. This cute town on the coast is great for nature, beauty, and a quiet lifestyle.
Ocean Shores, WA sits on Point Brown Peninsula, bordered by the Pacific Ocean and Grays Harbor. Its six miles of beach and wildlife has made it a popular tourist destination. In the late 1920’s the area was a sprawling cattle ranch, but was later sold for a planned large California- style resort. Although the resort idea never materialized, plots were sold and roads were laid. Now Ocean Shores includes marinas, shops, hotels and a golf course. Read Rich’s description of How and why he chose Ocean Shores for retirement.
Biloxi, MS. This old town has miles and miles (26) of white sandy beaches and at least 7 major casinos, including the Hard Rock, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, and Beau Rivage. The city has many attractions besides these as well. Biloxi has a small town feel with low-key neighborhoods spreading out away from the water, and real estate is not that expensive.
Bottom line:
If you are interested in a great retirement lifestyle near the beach in an offbeat town, check these out. Obviously there are many downsides to retiring at the beach, so don’t jump right in without considering the obvious risks – hurricanes, insurance, rising coastal waters.
Comments? Are there other great beach towns we should have included? Please share your suggestions and thoughts in the Comments section below.
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Comments on "10 Great Undiscovered Beach Towns for Retirement"
AJ says:
Just a heads up. The abbreviation for Mississippi is MS, not MI, which is the abbreviation for Michigan.
Admin says:
Thanks AJ. Now corrected.
Admin says:
Bandon, Oregon is a great beach town. A little expensive, but charming and with some of America's best golf courses. Also, Old Saybrook, CT is lovely, and not as expensive as some other CT towns.