Changed retirement plans... (weather, friendly, community, state)

[xz2y]

With the meltdown in the stock market, I am downsizing my retirement next year. I want to work part-time in retirement, but will work with a budget of $2000/month for a single woman, not including part-time work, which might add about $500 net/month realistically. I am not fond of extremes in heat, humidity or cold. Where might a good place be to retire on this kind of income? I would rent a small apartment (about $700/month). Any suggestions?

[sweetana3]

I would suggest a place like Indianapolis. We have a set of wonderful senior apartments some new, some older but bigger, all over town. My husband is partial to a new building one block from Whole Foods, Target, the library, etc. It is market rate around $700 but also has income supported apartments due to their tax status. The other bigger apartment development is called Crestwood (4 huge sets of apartments on each side of town) and each has bus service each day so a car is used less often. Many have lived there decades. It gets good marks for service and community.

Indy has great medical facilities of all kinds, lots of activities for free or very low cost, many community groups, social groups, an active senior center(s) and OASIS for adult education.

You can also get a nice apartment most anywhere for that amount and could even live right downtown in Riley Towers although it would be a smaller unit.

Weather: It can be hot in the summer and cold in the winter but we have the whole four seasons and can grow good gardens in the summer. I think I would miss either summer or winter. Neither is as bad as it has been in upstate New York this year.

[younglisa7]

Originally Posted by xz2y

With the meltdown in the stock market, I am downsizing my retirement next year. I want to work part-time in retirement, but will work with a budget of $2000/month for a single woman, not including part-time work, which might add about $500 net/month realistically. I am not fond of extremes in heat, humidity or cold. Where might a good place be to retire on this kind of income? I would rent a small apartment (about $700/month). Any suggestions?

Tennessee is a great place. You might want to check into Crossville, Cookeville, Knoxville, Johnson City, and maybe Elizabethton. There are 4 seasons. The lower the elevation the hotter the summers. We are in the mountains so our summers are great but winters are a little colder.

TN also has no state income tax.

Good luck to you.

Lisa

[46Barb]

I'm in northern middle Tennessee and think it might be what you're looking for.

[xz2y]

These are good suggestions. I'll do some research. I think the cost of housing is the biggest issue, in addition to proximity to good health care facilities. I'm healthy now, but anything can happen...

[knoxgarden]

Do look at Knoxville. I'm very happy living there. A small city that's very easy to live in. Excellent medical services, lively downtown, no income tax, low housing costs. Property taxes freeze at age 65. Pretty place to live, too, with a mild climate. Lots of stuff to do with the University of Tennessee.
Other small towns with big state universities are good choices. Lexington, KY, Athens, GA, Evansville, IN, etc.
You need to visit places and see for yourself. My sister came to Knoxville recently for a visit and she kept saying it wasn't at all what she expected.

[Suzanne1945]

I have the second the Knoxville recommendation. I have friends in FL who have a townhouse in the Knox area and chose to have heart surgery in Knox rather than in FL. I think that speaks well of the medical facilities/staff. Several of our newly found TN friends praise the care they have received from the medical community in Knoxville.

[GLS]

Originally Posted by Suzanne1945

I have the second the Knoxville recommendation. I have friends in FL who have a townhouse in the Knox area and chose to have heart surgery in Knox rather than in FL. I think that speaks well of the medical facilities/staff. Several of our newly found TN friends praise the care they have received from the medical community in Knoxville.

Ditto. A number of years ago I worked on a consulting project to get Peninsula Hospital their accreditation. Excellent location, friendly people, competent and caring healthcare professionals.