11 Great Lake Towns for Retirement
Category: Active adult communities
January 18, 2024 — It is hard to imagine anything better than finding a great lake town for retirement. Waking up to the sound of lapping waves, taking a dip or a boat ride out to drop a few lines, or looking at the sunset mirrored on the lake – the beauty and lifestyle can be hard to beat. In this article we will profile 11 great lake towns for retirement, along with some outstanding active communities in or near those towns.
11 Great Lake Towns for retirement
Almost every part of the country has some wonderful lakes of every size and description. Some are in major cities like Chicago and Madison WI, while others are near tiny little towns. Many active adult and 55+ communities have taken advantage of these lakes to offer terrific opportunities for lakeside living. We used our new Community Explorer to find the lakeside communities in this article. As an example, looking at just Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, we came up with 138 communities that are either on or near a lake.
Pluses and Minuses of retiring on a lake
Retiring on a lake has some pretty obvious advantages. The scenery, recreation, relaxation, plus being a magnet for grandchildren – those are just a few. Versus living on the ocean, lakes are a lot safer and less expensive.
There are some downsides to living on the lake. Our members have warned that the noise from speedboats and screaming kids can be very annoying. Maintenance can be an issue, with docks needing a lot of attention. Many lakes are remote, so if you need a jug of milk or medical attention you could be looking at a long drive. Compared to living inland, a prime lakeside home is going to more expensive.
11 Wonderful Lake Towns for Retirement
Discovery Bay, CA. This planned community on the water is one of the biggest waterfront communities in the country, if not the largest. There are about 3,500+ homes with private docks and access to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Discovery Bay has grown and added Discovery Bay West, which features gated and non-gated “off-water” communities.
Mount Dora, FL. This beautiful old Florida town was popular with U.S. Presidents. It has a lovely downtown, a yacht club, and an endless array of activities, festivals, and community events. It is frequently named one of the best retirement towns. Lakes of Mount Dora is a large 55+ community on the lake.
Lake Chelan, Washington. Chelan is a charming town of 4,000 on the southern edge of Lake Chelan, one of the largest lakes in Washington. Its scenic Riverwalk is a highlight. The town has boutiques, restaurants, and theatres, all in a beautiful setting.
Lake Keowee, SC. The region is named for the huge man made lake near Clemson in western South Carolina. The area is sparsely populated but becoming a hot development spot for active adult/55+ communities, as well as an area for second homes.
Greensboro-Oconee. GA. Lake Oconee is the 2nd largest in Georgia, and is home to several very large active communities. The downtown is charming and busy. The lake was built in 1979 so it is a relatively young area. Harbor Club is a golf and marina community along 9 miles of Lake Oconee shoreline.
Coeur D’Alene, ID. This beautiful town is right on a gorgeous lake in northern Idaho’s panhandle, 30 miles east of Spokane (WA). The population is just over 50,000. Its location on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene attracts retirees and tourists because of its outstanding beauty and outdoor recreation. The population is growing very fast. Bellerive is a mixed use community of condominiums and retail that overlooks the lake.
Petoskey, Michigan. This exceptionally beautiful little town on Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan is in the northern part of the state. The downtown is very pretty, situated on hills overlooking the Bay. There are interesting shops and restaurants plus a nice park. It has a sizable population that comes for the sensational summer season. Bay Harbor is a large community on the lake with multiple neighborhoods with single family or condominium homes.
Tellico Lake. Lenoir City and Loudon are some of the little towns arrayed along and near giant Lake Tellico. Tellico Village is a very large active adult community on Lake Tellico that has every kind of amenity from championship golf to a marina. A plus of living here is being near Knoxville and Chattanooga. Residents enjoy an active lifestyle with boating, swimming, horseback riding, biking and walking throughout the hills and valleys of East Tennessee. Fairfield Glade is a nice community near Crossville has many lakes that offer waterside living as well.
Cornelius, NC and nearby Lake Norman was mentioned by Jan Cullinane as being a nice lake town for retirement. It is not far from Charlotte. Jan mentioned its reasonable home prices; nice weather; being close to a friendly, walkable city; and all the amenities a lake has to offer. Sisters Cove is a waterfront community on the lake. It was a winner in the National Association of Home Builders for Best Detached Homes in 2018.
Cheat Lake is a beautiful 13 mile long reservoir in a small town of the same name near Morgantown, West Virginia and the southwestern border of Pennsylvania. West Virginia is a friendly place for retirement, and Morgantown is the home of the Mountaineers of the University of West Virginia. About 8,000 folks live on or near the lake and experience its quiet charm. Cheat Lake has 3 marinas located towards the river end of the reservoir.
Table Rock Lake is one of the popular draws for the nearby town of Branson, Missouri. There are several commercial marinas along the lake, and Table Rock State Park is located on the east side of Table Rock Dam. Branson, popular with tourists, is of course an interesting attraction in its own right. Known as “Family Friendly” Las Vegas, it features 100 live shows in over 50 theatres, plus museums and amusement parks.
Bottom Line
Living on a lake can offer a wonderful, relaxing lifestyle. It is usually much less expensive option than trying to live near a beach.
Comments and Suggestions. How about some more great lakes that it would be wonderful to retire on? Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below.
For more information:
20 Great Retirement Towns on a Lake
Great Mountain Towns for Retirement
Great College Towns for Retirement
Affordable Places to Retire on the Waterfront
5 Big Reasons Why Small Towns Are Great Places to Retire
10 Great Walkable Towns for Retirement
Comments on "11 Great Lake Towns for Retirement"
LS says:
My son's family moved into a home on a small lake last year. While there are no speedboats to contend with, there is another annoyance. There are plenty of ducks and geese. While they are nice to look at, the geese can be aggressive and noisy. But the bigger problem is the excrement that they leave behind. It can be everywhere and you have to watch where you are stepping. However, the biggest problems are the flies that breed in the excrement. The flies are so abundant that, at times, you can't be outside and they also find a way inside to make your life miserable there too. I don't know if this is a problem on the larger lakes, but it can be on the smaller lakes where ducks and geese congregate.
Bill Bamber; Edmonton Ab. says:
Would live in 1000 Islands in a Heart Beat from Spring to Fall then take I75 South to Lake Worth!!
Yolande says:
LS thank you so much for this tidbit. I want to live at the ocean some where in the SE. However I was entertaining lake communities. What you mentioned is so very true! The geese are a huge problem in many communities even with small ponds. I lived in Denver CO in the mid 2000s. I went to a park & never went back after that experience. If they have chicks the males are super aggressive whether you're walking past or not. They're very territorial birds & about as friendly as wild Turkeys. I live in an area of the desert where there are no lakes.
We have a river but it's been drying up for weeks. I hear them flying over head but thankfully are not on our property. Ducks either especially since we have a pool. I hear the geese are protected, which explains the massive flocks every where. They're like Sea Gulls they're aggressive, huge & every where. I've seen Sea Gulls in Denver! Nature is beautiful but not if it becomes a pestilence. Sounds like I should stick to the ocean, hard to find affordability there but lakes may not be the thing for me unless it is larger & alligator free. That's my biggest concern - alligators.
Jennifer says:
Yolande, please do not judge all lakes by the fact that ducks and geese are occupying some of them. Not all lakes have this problem. My aunt had a lovely lake home in Southern Indiana, spring-fed, one of the country's cleanest, and not overrun with waterfowl.