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Turning the retirement quandary on its head, instead of wondering, "What place do I want?" ask, "What place wants me?" There are surely many towns that want people to move there but I can't figure out how to do an effective search to find these places. I'm open to your suggestions and ideas for both 1) how to do an effective search, and 2) places that want newcomers.
I'm open to your suggestions and ideas for both 1) how to do an effective search, and 2) places that want newcomers.
Just newcomers, or specifically retired newcomers?
Plenty of places would love people to relocate there, but they want them for jobs and/or to increase the tax base.
Any senior based community welcomes senior newcomers.
Fiscally secure retirees are a plus to any locality because:
They don't add kids to the schools, but still pay real estate taxes.
They often volunteer.
They usually obey the laws.
They don't drive as much (no commuting) so don't wear out the roads.
Most have disposable income that young families don't have.
They vote.
They usually have pride in their home, keep it up.
A place does not have thoughts, intentions, or desires. If you are planning to relocate, you might want to clarify your thinking before beginning the process.
Just newcomers, or specifically retired newcomers?
Plenty of places would love people to relocate there, but they want them for jobs and/or to increase the tax base. Any senior based community welcomes senior newcomers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rjm1cc
Probably any over 55 community that is still building.
Thank you both for your reply.
• Contributory newcomers, retired or not. We're in the enviable position of not having to "get a job" but willing to do so if it would make life better.
• We've considered senior-based communities and would prefer to avoid them for now. The problem is, they're senior based! Presently, age-segregated communities do not appeal to us.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dothetwist
Fiscally secure retirees are a plus to any locality because:
They don't add kids to the schools, but still pay real estate taxes.
They often volunteer.
They usually obey the laws.
They don't drive as much (no commuting) so don't wear out the roads.
Most have disposable income that young families don't have.
They vote.
They usually have pride in their home, keep it up.
Thanks for your reply. Your observations are very true. (But there are places where the old-timers don't understand this. These are the places I want to avoid.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes
Small towns all across the USA.
Rural populations have been declining for decades.
The problems are lack of: medical, grocery, internet, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrkliny
A place does not have thoughts, intentions, or desires. If you are planning to relocate, you might want to clarify your thinking before beginning the process.
Thank you both for your reply.
• It would be interesting to see if there's a minimum number of people required to keep a small town alive. Is it 100? 1000? 10,000? Maybe it depends on proximity to the next small town? But your observation is true — rural populations have been consistently declining. Rural is probably not for me, but neither is the big city. So I guess my range is large town to small city.
• Places have the thoughts, intentions, and desires of their principle occupants. Accordingly, there are places that are welcoming to newcomers as well as those that aren't — and that's often unclear until you're there!
There are places that are actively seeking newcomers. Resources or databases that list them are sure to be available online but I can't think up the right terms, words, and phrases to search on. Any ideas for terms to search on?
• It would be interesting to see if there's a minimum number of people required to keep a small town alive. Is it 100? 1000? 10,000? Maybe it depends on proximity to the next small town? But your observation is true — rural populations have been consistently declining. Rural is probably not for me, but neither is the big city. So I guess my range is large town to small city.
• Places have the thoughts, intentions, and desires of their principle occupants. Accordingly, there are places that are welcoming to newcomers as well as those that aren't — and that's often unclear until you're there!
There are places that are actively seeking newcomers. Resources or databases that list them are sure to be available online but I can't think up the right terms, words, and phrases to search on. Any ideas for terms to search on?
My grandmother spent 30+ years living in a town of ~800 people. They had one grocery store, one town doctor, a post office, a couple policemen, 3 churches, one gas station, two banks and half a dozen restaurants. Oh, and one stop light. It was enough for her needs.
About 30 minutes away was a larger town of about 9,000 people that had a hospital, much more shopping and restaurants, thanks to a small private university located there.
It was also only 45 minutes away from an even larger city, of approximately 50,000 people - although she almost never went there.
I personally felt her town of 800 was a depressing place to be (a third of the population lived in poverty conditions), but it was her home and she loved it there.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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When my parents moved to the Sequim, WA area 14 years ago, it was starting to get other retirees in large numbers, most from California. With the natural beauty, slow pace, and oddly sunny weather it had a lot of appeal. Home prices were, and still are well below the Seattle area (Sequim median even now just over $200k). While Seattle gets 46" of rain, Sequim gets only 16". The median age there now is 59, and the flood of retirees has continued so the services have grown too better serve them.
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I'm open to your suggestions and ideas for both 1) how to do an effective search, and 2) places that want newcomers.
It was enough for her needs. 
