Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You mean being domiciled in Alaska is cheaper than Arizona? Must be some reason other than the Permanent Fund. Taxes?
Good guesses, no doubt correct on both counts. Alaska has no state income tax, so retirement income gets a pass in Alaska that I assume it would not in Arizona. Alaska seniors also get a discount on their property tax of a primary residence by removing $150,000 in valuation.
Additionally, state government retirees get a COLA bump in pay for remaining residents, I'm aware, and disappointed, that some Alaskans scam this deal and actually live out of state for the vast majority of the year but it seems clear to me that Erik isn't one of them.
Exactly. It's funny looking back but the times I lived in Phoenix or Tucson and only owned old American high performance cars, I never had A/C and it really wasn't that big of a deal.
The OP could stand to list where they lived given that the towns all vary so much in make-up and weather.
I certainly understand someone wanting something else. I, personally, have fallen in love with the mountains and the sunsets. For me, allergies dictated where I ended up. I was miserable my last few years in Minnesota. I don't know why they got so bad later in life, but they did. I hope I never forget how wonderful it felt when I first visited and, all of a sudden I could breathe well. I still take allergy pills but it's nothing like what it was.
That really is a thing to watch out for.
Prescott can be brutal for that since it's located in overlapping ecologies of plants, but no doubt it depends on on one's personal allergies.
As a complete side note, how is the hospital there?
We have lived here 30+ years and I would be the first to admit, "Yes, the summers are brutally hot!"
What do we do about it? Stay inside during the hottest parts of the day. Drive a car with air conditioning.
We do not have a swimming pool in our yard and the neighbors have never invited us for a swim, but I know that a swim can cool you off for a period of time, if you have access to a pool. We chose not to have one due to costs and child/grandchild safety precautions. But thousands of people have them and enjoy them without problems.
I enjoy gardening, in the hot months, that means either early morning or late evening.
Just a quick comment on Prescott. It is a lovely community, however real estate prices have risen over the years as people move in with more home equity, from places like California or Chicagoland. Many people are moving to Prescott Valley, where the home prices are more reasonable. And yes, the Yavapai Regional Medical Center is a good hospital.
After spending 3 winters in Arizona, and some time in summer, I cannot recommend it for retirement. The taxes are not all that low and the summers are generally brutally hot. On top of that, this last winter has been very cold, almost a complete bust weatherwise. Its been cold all winter. Personally, imho, Texas would be better, or someplace like Ga, SC or even Alabama.
Plus recreation wise, there is a lot of desert and not much else. Theres almost no opportunities for boating or fishing. There's no beach obviously. So I cant recommend it. We're snow birds, and we'll be headed somewhere else next year.
If you take politics into consideration, it seems Az is going left.
So if you're doing reseach for where to retire, consider what I've written.
GA has a state income tax. There's a cap, now, on state taxes you can deduct on your fed. return.
Alabama? Nooooooo. Subtropical extremely hot and muggy. A hurricane/flood disaster area. Nowhere along the Gulf Coast is a good idea. Sure, every area has its threats. But most areas along the Gulf Coast are a sure fire bet: you'll have a natural disaster every few years, at least. Cost of evacuation, too. High insurance because it's a disaster area (HO and auto). Extreme far right politics (not conservative) to the point that violence is not unknown there related to it. There's a reason that industries locate there, but not headquarters of big companies that hire white collar employees. So it doesn't attract many educated or white collar workers.
Texas seems a good place to me. Northern Texas. Few natural disasters. Hot as blazes, but you get used to it. And winters are mild and short, but still you get to experience some sort of winter, with maybe an occasional small snow or ice. Rockin' economy. DFW airport, so easy access to fly just about anywhere. Public transportation. Doctors galore...some of the best of every specialty. COL not bad...lots of competition for your business for products & services.
I'm in the Gulf Coast and hope to return to north Texas in the next year. If I can sell this house.
If I had more money, I'd prefer the NW, like Washington or Oregon, or the NE, like Maine. But you don't retire in a more expensive place than the place you earned your salary in for decades, where it was based on a lower COL (lower wage scale).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
