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You have been, very much, and I thank you and the others,
What parts of Kentucky would you condsider? The only part flat and fertile is the Bluegrass section, which looks to be about 25% of the state--the rest is mountainous, which might be tough in winter.
I'll take a look at the Kentucky forum, but I was curious if you had narrowed your focus on any particular area or county?
The only part of KY that is mountainous is the eastern part. The town I showed you as an example is where the blue grass area of central KY meets the mountains. It's a very beautiful area.
The western part of the state is warmer and rather flat but that means the summers will be warmer as well but there are beautiful towns throughout the state with low crime rates and low property taxes. Personally, I've researched the state quite a bit. The best areas for me are the surrounding smaller towns around Lexington or the south central part of the state. Nearly all parts of the state has fertile soil and it rains regularly throughout the state. Drought as we know it coming from CA is not an issue there.
If you need to be within 40 miles or so of a VA hospital I'd get a map of Kentucky and found out where all the VA hospitals are because I don't know other than Lexington. Draw a circle representing 40 miles around the city with the VA hospital and go from there.
There are a handful of states (not very many) which have no state income tax at all; they are easily found by googling, or on the Kiplinger website. One thing to look at regarding state income taxes (besides whether a state has one) is the actual rate structure. A highly progressive rate structure will create a very light burden for those with low incomes.
There are also a handful of states (not very many) which have no sales tax at all. Ditto for finding them. Look for exemptions here too. For example, in California the sales taxes are high, but groceries are exempt.
As for property taxes, they are frequently determined, at least in part, by localities (cities and counties), rather than state-wide, so that makes your search much more complicated.
In general, if a state has no tax at all in one category, then the other categories will be on the high side, as the state has to get its money somewhere.
A low cost of living, which you are seeking, has to do with more than just the tax picture. You are looking also for an extremely low cost of housing (real estate). If a livable house on three acres is actually available anywhere in the United States for $75K, then it will be way out somewhere in the boonies in an economically depressed area of the state. In other words, supply and demand. It will be located where very few people want to live. If you want to live there (and it would certainly be a very long way from a VA facility), then you are truly in luck.
A dose of realism will no doubt be created as you conduct your search. For your sake, I hope I am wrong.
He can forget California. Not to mention the gas tax being raised.
Really? Turning this into a liberal bashing discussion? Taxes maybe higher in liberal areas, but they also have higher quality of living. You get what you pay for. Kansas conservative policies have destroyed the state economy, so conservative policies don't work out better.
Really? Turning this into a liberal bashing discussion? Taxes maybe higher in liberal areas, but they also have higher quality of living. You get what you pay for. Kansas conservative policies have destroyed the state economy, so conservative policies don't work out better.
yeah that 3.9% unemployment rate in Kansas is so terrible while Puerto Rico's 10.% unemployment rate from liberal policies is so wonderful and DC 6.4% is so much better than the 3.9% in Kansas
Personally, as someone that is looking to retire, I really don't care what the unemployment rate is. There are many towns that have a higher than average unemployment rate, and very low property taxes, yet the roads and towns are very well maintained and very clean. The important thing to me is having a low crime rate. A higher unemployment rate does not mean a town will have a high crime rate.
I've shown these pics before but this is Carlisle KY. It's 37 miles from Lexington. Crime rate is very low as well as property taxes. Homes are amazingly affordable. The town is lovely and very well maintained. It's also within 30 easy minutes of larger towns as well.
These towns are not for everyone of course if you like the hustle and bustle of a large city, but they are exactly what I want for retirement.
We all want different things. I don't expect anyone else to want what I want nor have the same priorities as I do.
Last edited by marino760; 10-18-2017 at 07:55 PM..
Personally, as someone that is looking to retire, I really don't care what the unemployment rate is. There are many towns that have a higher than average unemployment rate, and very low property taxes, yet the roads and towns are very well maintained and very clean. The important thing to me is having a low crime rate. A higher unemployment rate does not mean a town will have a high crime rate.
You can find exceptions, I'm sure, but in general, higher unemployment correlates with poverty, and more poverty correlates with more crime. Not everyone town will follow this pattern, but podunk towns in the country with low unemployment are almost always going to be more violent and dangerous than wealthy suburbs with low unemployment. Take it from a lifelong Tennessean who has also lived in wealthy suburbs of normal America.
Not the prettiest, but checks all the boxes. Op would have to have really good timing or luck to find similar when it's actually time to move though, and yes it's one of the least humid areas of the southeast, think Asheville NC weather.
No state income tax + dry heat + VA hospital = Cheyenne and Sheridan Wyoming, Spokane Washington, El Paso and Amarillo, Texas, and Hot Springs South Dakota (though seems as though the services are moving up to Rapid City.)
If I were you I'd look up (on the main City-Data website) various towns within an hour's drive of each one of those small cities, and you'll find your unicorn. If it were me, I'd pick the area around Sheridan - it's GORGEOUS! But West Texas might have an overall lower cost of living - looks to me as though in the Amarillo area you can get a mobile home on a small acreage in your price range right now.
Last edited by 601halfdozen0theother; 10-18-2017 at 11:59 PM..
No state income tax + dry heat + VA hospital = Cheyenne and Sheridan Wyoming, Spokane Washington, El Paso and Amarillo, Texas, and Hot Springs South Dakota (though seems as though the services are moving up to Rapid City.)
If I were you I'd look up (on the main City-Data website) various towns within an hour's drive of each one of those small cities, and you'll find your unicorn. If it were me, I'd pick the area around Sheridan - it's GORGEOUS! But West Texas might have an overall lower cost of living - looks to me as though in the Amarillo area you can get a mobile home on a small acreage in your price range right now.
Sorry, but the real estate market in Cheyenne area is already well past the OP's $75K budget for housing, let alone a "3-acre" parcel where one can keep livestock. A modest sized mobile/modular house on a sales lot is over that budget and you'd still need an out in the country land parcel for the livestock requirements as City of Cheyenne bans livestock. Indeed, they had a huge zoning fight over allowing City residents to keep chickens, recently allowing a few hens ... no roosters ... to be kept within City limits. A 3-acre parcel outside of City limits with utilities in place might typically be a $50,000+ property, and that would likely be in a HOA controlled subdivision where livestock is not allowed. Many folk assume that the "equine allowed" properties means LIVESTOCK is allowed ... t'ain't so. Horses are specified as OK, but goats are livestock and not allowed in those equine subdivisions.
Rural parcels out in the county areas allowing livestock would more likely be 35-40 acres, HOA controlled subdivisions, and current prices running around $2,500 - $3,000 per acre ... and up. That's for the dryland ... does not include utilities such as water/septic.
Within the Cheyenne area, there are subdivisions of 5-acre parcels that are "equine allowed" properties. Usually, 4 horses per parcel. But that's not GOATS, which are LIVESTOCK.
The Cheyenne T-E has broken down the advertising for residential properties into price ranges. The category "under $125,000" ... hasn't had a listing in a couple of years. The Cheyenne area has now grown to closer to 60,000 population.
As far as Sheridan goes, a $75,000 budget for rural livestock acreage and livable housing isn't much more than a down payment these days.
While the tax burdens of Wyoming may be among the lowest in the USA ... living on the cheap here isn't.
PS: while the OP mentions that they don't wan't a high humidity climate ... Wyoming winters at altitude (Cheyenne is at 6,000' elevation) last 5-6 months and can be a big factor for people to deal with. The winters here are not everybody's "cup of tea" and I've seen many folk not want to deal with them ... not unusual to see the "gone in 2 years" folk come through here. If you haven't experienced a Wyoming winter, it's best to come visit for awhile before making any decision about moving to the area. As well, the winds/gusts here for months on end can be quite daunting for folk to live with.
Last edited by sunsprit; 10-19-2017 at 05:20 AM..
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yeah that 3.9% unemployment rate in Kansas is so terrible while Puerto Rico's 10.% unemployment rate from liberal policies is so wonderful
and DC 6.4% is so much better than the 3.9% in Kansas
