5 Under-Appreciated Towns for Retirement

As a new retiree, I find Huntsville, AL a unique and surprising find. Huntsville is populated with some very intelligent people with high degrees of education. Most of the population is from somewhere else (which makes Huntsville a nice melting pot). The health care system is top notch and easily accessible. The scenery is stunning. The weather is a temperate four seasons (perfect in my mind). The community is very progressive in many ways. I love it here. Be sure and check it out.

I live on the West Coast. Everything I read is about the East Coast Area - what about the west? Is Nebraska or Arizona the only retirement communities in the west??

We really liked what we saw in Ruidoso, NM and the surrounding area but we were warned that the rapid growth is outpacing the availability of fresh water and is causing traffic delays. This is certainly something to research before falling for Ruidoso's many charms.

It would have been nice if you had included the city statistics as you always seem to have done in the past?

City, State
Population
Median Income
Median Home Cost
Mortgage
Amenities
and other pertinent information including the town website URL.

Editor's note: Most if not all of this data/info is available on the individual city reviews for each. Click on the City name, which is a link to that review for that.

Gulfport - really? Remember Katrina? Seriously all gulf locations are subject to annual horrific weather, as the climate changes things are reportedly going to get worse. Exercise caution because it will be easy to fall in love with the location.

Lincoln - Now what are you going to do? No ocean, no mountains, Mmmm...I hope you like museums. However, if you like quiet surroundings, good people and are content with just being somewhere it might work for you.

Now, let's look out west. My pick is Nevada, depending on where you are, it can be a friendly tax location. Steer clear of Las Vegas and look to the north. There is still crime to deal with but you can avoid it and afford a home on some land if you like.

Just recently we decided to retire to Palm Coast, Florida. On the east coast of FL. It had everything we were looking for and is the best bang for the buck on the eastern seaboard, when it comes to beachfront property. And the things we didn't want too close, are still within a hour or two drive.

thanks for the great reports. now that i am starting to look for retirement communities i have many concerns. the top concern is health care and what kind of housing and costs follow when health starts to fail. do you have any info to share? thanks again, jh

Any retirement homes on the coast of Oregon and Washington?

Darlene,

It may just be because the population center of the US is in Missouri, not Utah or Nevada. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and would love to hear about more options from Colorado to the West coast because there is no way I'm moving back to my roots East of the Mississippi. But we're not where most people live.

We've truly enjoyed your report of under-rated places to retirement. Many of these destinations were on our "possibles list". We visited the top five on our list and then spent several weeks visiting our two top before making a final decision. A few intersections with your report and our list:
Mt. Dora, FL -- A cute and laid-back little town. For us it was too dependent on nearby Orlando for major services and activities. Mt. Dora had the feeling of being a retirement destination of our parents, that is, a town that time has forgotten.
St. Petersburg, FL -- Definitely not the St. Pete of our parents generation. This city (underline 'city' with the implied traffic congestion and bountiful services & activities) cannot be taken as one lump as it has numerous diverse neighborhoods, varying greatly in housing prices and crime rates.
Gulfport, FL -- Sometimes called the Key West of Central Florida -- it isn't. Gulfport's downtown is tiny and not at all active. Gulfport is quickly becoming yet another neighborhood of it's encroaching big brother, St. Pete.
Thanks for your report.

I think I found the best place to retire - St. Marys, Georgia. When traveling to Florida we stopped for the better gas prices. Exit 1 off 95 is St. Marys. It is the perfect place between Jacksonville and Savannah so close to big city shopping, hospitals, dining but it's a small town. We love it!

I'm with the others regarding recommended retirement spots in the Western coastal states. It seems that the west coast states are more expensive, especially housing. However, there are many of us out here who will not leave so we need more recommendations for this side of the country. Thanks for any input.

Which communities do the single retirettes like?

Kim - correct. I've lived in CA all my working life and now that I'm retired I can't afford to live here anymore - but still like the west so I'm looking at Utah, Nevada. You have to dig around here to see talk of west coast topics however.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Birmingham, Alabama area. I helped my daughter move into her first apartment in preparation for starting her new job. She settled in the Homewood area. The shopping was wonderful, and the weather was much less humid than here in Florida. And I did not know this, but BMH is a big medical city with many hospitals and a major university (U of AL) that has a medical school. And as the natives say, BMH is large enough to have a variety of things to do, but still small enough to give you a hometown feel.

You bring up some interesting locations. When it comes to retirement I am looking at many points you cover but also, taxes and crime as initial screening factors.

Ruidoso, NM. We spent a week there a couple years ago, checking it out for retirement. Although it was an interesting area we did have some concerns:

- Water. There wasn't much there, there's very little rain during the year, and with the growth the area is experiencing, I expect it to be a major problem soon.
- Dryness/Height. Although the high desert has its own beauty, the extremely low humidity and dry air gave my wife frequent nosebleeds; something that's never happened anywhere else.
- Things to do. There are some, the Hubbard Museum of the American West and the mythos surrounding Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War are interesting in the short term; not sure they would be sufficient for a lengthy retirement.
- Vicinity to Santa Fe/Albuquerque. These are fascinating historical and culturally interesting towns, but an hour or so away. Why not live closer?
- Taxes. NM isn't that great for a military/Federal retiree; there are several states that treat you much better.

These are just our general impressions; we intend to go back for several visits over the next few years, but Ruidoso doesn't suit us for a long-term retirement.

Any comments about Eugene, Oregon and vicinity; Boise, Idaho and vicinity, or some of the small towns around Portland, Oregon?

You can't beat the Carson Valley of NV. Gardnerville/Minden offer reasonable taxes, weather, 4 seasons with Lake Tahoe, major ski areas,
Hot August Nights, Street Vibrations, casinos if you want, clean fresh air.
Drawbacks: Too many GD Californians!

We love retirement in Grand Haven, MI. Found an awesome condo community on a golf course, even though we don't play golf. Beach (Lake Michigan) 1.5 miles away. Our jobs had us working in Augusta, GA for the past 7 years and the heat, humidity, snakes, fire ants and scorpions were enough for us "outdoor" folks. We always thought we'd move back to New England. This is even a better place. Four seasons and cost of living in western Michigan is less expensive, too.