|
November 28, 2020 — There is no shortage of best 100 places to retire or“10 best places to retire” and so on. Money Magazine/CNN has a list, AARP has their 10 best, and so do Forbes, Yahoo, US News, and a number of “retirement places” websites. Topretirements.com regularly publishes many such lists like https://www.topretirements.com/blog/10-best-of-the-best-places-to-retire-for-2021/
How good are the best places to retire lists?
Choosing the best place to retire should be about who you are and what you are looking for – rather than blinding following someone else’s list. Nevertheless, they can be useful as a starting point to help you identify places you might want to visit in your search process. Here is how we recommend using this best places to retire list:
Step 1- Do a self-assessment
Step 2 – Check out the best retirement towns that fit your criteria
There’s not much point in checking out small towns if you’ve already determined that you love those big city lights. Or if you abhore the idea of a gated over 55 community, don’t waste your time visiting conventional active adult communities. If you want to live in an community with a special focus – like an airpark, marina, equestrian center, astronomy oriention, tennis club, etc. – you will obviously need to narrow your search.
Step 3 – Sources for lists of the 100 best retirement towns
You can also consult one of the many widely available “Top 100 places” or “Best 10 places to retire” lists on the Internet. Here are links to the top 100 lists:
– Forbes 10 Best Places to Retire 2020
– Wall Street Journal -MarketWatch – “US News Best Places to Retire 2021”
– AARP 25 Best Places to Retire in U.S.
<
“Best Places Books”
This is a list of the books we have found helpful in locating top communities. All are available at either your local bookstore or Amazon.
– “America’s Best 100 Places to Retire” – Elizabeth Armstrong
– America’s Best Low-Tax Retirement Towns
– “The New Retirement” by Jan Cullinane
Top 10 places to retire at Topretirements.com
These are the top 10 from a recent Topretirements list:
– Asheville, North Carolina
– Sarasota, Florida
– Venice, Florida
– Austin, Texas
– Prescott Arizona
– Beaufort South Carolina
– Naples, Florida
– Fort Myers, Florida
– San Diego California
– San Antonio, TX
Step 4: Get out and visit and form your own opinions
Many people decide to retire in a place they know from experience. Being comfortable with a community and even knowing some people who live there might just be the factor that makes a place “best” for your retirement. So don’t be a slave to these lists – get out and visit the places that make your initial cut. Every time you visit a community you learn more, and put yourself on the road to a good decision.
Find reviews of 1000 great retirement towns and 2900 active communities
State retirement guides
|
