Is Atlanta a destination location for retirees? (Gainesville, Dawson: sales, condo)

[Johnny Danes]

If so, why?

Does Atlanta have the amenities that one would want later in life?

[lorilove]

Yes, depending on what you are looking for as a retiree. If you want to downsize and live close in to the city in a Condo with access to the arts/entertainment with easy access to the airport - ATL is a great choice

Healthcare here is top notch and when you are ready for a retirement home there are several nice places. There are various tax breaks for seniors although I am not up to date on all of them.

If you want to live out in the suburbs there are a growing number of communities that cater to seniors with ranch homes etc.

If you are a golfer or boater, Florida is still the better choice

[Mattie]

That's a question we are asking ourselves right now. Two more years of college, and then we can sell and move on. But, where? We spent three years in South Florida, and I have no desire to go back. It isn't that easy to downsize in the northern suburbs where we currently are, although that would be our preference.

[staywarm2]

The Atlanta area has 2 Sun City locations for age 55+--Sun City Peachtree and Sun City Lake Oconee. SC Oconee is a pretty good ride into Atlanta. If you want a true city feel, you'll need to move to a high rise in Midtown. There are a number of retirment communities in the suburbs of Atlanta. Several of these communities have golf courses. You can boat on Lake Lanier or Lake Altoona.

Many people are now retiring to the Atlanta area because their kids (and grandkids) live here for their jobs. The weather is decent, with a relatively mild winter--not Florida, but not bad. The cost of living is good and the tax structure for seniors is favorable. Atlanta is very beautiful, with so many trees. And the mountains are nearby in Helen, GA area, as well as the start of the Appalachian Trail in Dawson County.

http://www.activeadultliving.com/GA/georgia is a site where you can view the various retirement communities in GA.

[Johnny Danes]

Originally Posted by Mattie

That's a question we are asking ourselves right now. Two more years of college, and then we can sell and move on. But, where? We spent three years in South Florida, and I have no desire to go back. It isn't that easy to downsize in the northern suburbs where we currently are, although that would be our preference.

Have you considered Atlanta or did you just happen to see this thread?


I am only 38y/o but I am looking for a "final" place to call home. I've moved around since the 90's and I am tired of it. It's hard on making long term friendships with people when I've moved so much for work.

I am ready to work on the next 25-30 years of my career and I want a place to "call home"....for the long haul.

[cwkimbro]

Well the big why.... is the state has low taxes for retirees. They get a huge break on income taxes here and pay very little, if any at all.

Our property taxes are fairly low, in comparison to places with no incomes taxes for everyone, so financially it is an ideal place to retire and own your own home.

The real question is if you like this type of area or not.


Of course, the Georgia GOP is slowly starting to threaten to change from a income tax system to a sales tax system. If that happens, a good bit of the tax savings for retirees will be eroded into a larger sales tax.

[OhioNative]

Lots of retirees in the Gainesville area and mountain areas north.

[Mattie]

Originally Posted by Johnny Danes

Have you considered Atlanta or did you just happen to see this thread?


I am only 38y/o but I am looking for a "final" place to call home. I've moved around since the 90's and I am tired of it. It's hard on making long term friendships with people when I've moved so much for work.

I am ready to work on the next 25-30 years of my career and I want a place to "call home"....for the long haul.

We're in the Atlanta area now, and are happy here. I don't know if we would be happy in a Del Webb type place, as we like having some property and dogs. What we don't like is a too big, multi level house. Newer smaller ranches on an acre or so don't seem to exist. There are plenty of 1970s ranches, but we also don't want to deal with another renovation job. As I mentioned, we've got a couple of years to decide.

[Johnny Danes]

Originally Posted by Mattie

We're in the Atlanta area now, and are happy here. I don't know if we would be happy in a Del Webb type place, as we like having some property and dogs. What we don't like is a too big, multi level house. Newer smaller ranches on an acre or so don't seem to exist. There are plenty of 1970s ranches, but we also don't want to deal with another renovation job. As I mentioned, we've got a couple of years to decide.

Got it. Thanks for sharing.

A small ranch on a acre would be nice. Not to big and not to small. Big enough to enjoy without to many heartaches.

[ATLTJL]

I'm much more aware of people choosing the North Georgia mountain area for retirement than Atlanta metro. Most retirees tend to not enjoy the hassle of living in a city like Atlanta, but I suppose there is a group of retirees that still wants to be relatively close to arts, culture, restaurants, etc.

I'm not aware of any medical facility in metro Atlanta that is well known for geriatric care, which is generally something that retirees are interested in being close to.

Of course, I guess a lot of it depends on what age you retire. For people who retire at 55, I think Atlanta may be a lot more desirable as they are still mobile. For people age around 75+ who are really starting to slow down, I think Atlanta would probably be more trouble than it's worth unless they just want to be close to family.