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Keeping freezing temperatures to a minimum, take a look at Oklahoma City, OK and its suburbs. The temps will hit the freezing point a few nights a year, but that's about it. A quick zilow search on rentals found a few rentals below $500. I'm sure more rent focused websites will find you more. Good luck. Oklahoma is OK :-)
If you're coming back to the states, then I think I'd consider major urban cities (away from the coasts which are generally more expensive) with decent mass transit and walkability, because otherwise public transportation is going to be sparse, walking is going to get you nowhere and car ownership is going to be expensive at that budget if you're anywhere except for a major city and social services are likely going to be almost non-existent and hard to get to. It's also going to be really difficult to find a room in a shared space outside off a major city. Plus, you're coming from living abroad for a while so I assume there isn't a lot of accumulated stuff where you need all that much space.
I would thus consider targeting an unhip but not outright dangerous neighborhood in a larger city that has some kind of workable transit system and in a city and state that has a plethora of social services, and to your note about healthcare, major hospitals within the city. I think one way I'd go about doing this is to see if there are multiple rooms and apartments listings in your price range in various major cities like in Chicago for instance and using Craiglist's housing listings as an example. If you see a number of fairly recent postings of places that don't look scammy that are in your price range and in neighborhoods that aren't just pure chaos and dereliction, then that should go on the list of potential places. Once you have a list, then look for what kind of subsidies, social services, and senior services are available in that city that you can use. It is possible that you may not be able to use those immediately as you may have to establish residency first and there may be waiting lists to go on, but if at least on the housing side you can make it, then you can hold on for a bit paying market rates before hopefully finding some additional help.
In terms of additional income / work, I think you should probably consider exploring various possibilities. A lot of the cities in the blue states have decent minimum wage and people hiring even in pretty simple service jobs which can be alright as long as you're physically able to stand and stay awake and have full mobility. Since you are coming in from abroad, is it possible that you've picked up another language? Can you hone those abilities especially before you get back here? I'm wondering if that can be an avenue towards in person or remote work whether as an interpreter or a tutor/instructor which could be better paying and less physically strenuous. At the very least it can maybe be a way to meet people or be a bonus on resumes for some sectors. Can you also save up some money by tutoring English in the place you're at now before coming back to the states?
Anyhow, best of luck to you! Hope everything works out.
The problem in my head now, is that the cities that have a "plethora of social servces", at least the ones that immediately come to mind are expensive and the subject of reports of a lot of liberal instigated violence. Often violence against older white males: Seattle, Portland, So. Cal. S.F. come to mind immediately. I'm sure there are others but those are the ones I've visited that come to mind.
[quote=ejisme;64416576]Keeping freezing temperatures to a minimum, take a look at Oklahoma City, OK and its suburbs. The temps will hit the freezing point a few nights a year, but that's about it. A quick zilow search on rentals found a few rentals below $500. I'm sure more rent focused websites will find you more. Good luck. Oklahoma is OK :-)
yeah ok, but from Oycrumbler's reply, it's doubtful O.C. will have much in the way of social services.
And I'm guessing, not sure, not very good public transport. But yeah it's cheaper than a lot of places, but no that much cheaper. It USED To be cheaper but that was before the pandemic. Tulsa mighr maybe be better, I visited there once and I liked it. You know there really isn't any good city in the USA for me now. I think I may have to bite the bullet and search for cities that have a lot of low income housing for older and low income.
I checked Craigs list for apartments in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and the lowest I found was $350/mo
I'm wondering what tropical country you're currently in. I'm currently in Malaysia and I know they've changed the requirements for retirees.
Sorry but I will die where I am before I go back to snow and ice. I came from that and have no wish to return. Bad enough I have to live like a pauper, not going to freeze to death on top of it.
The problem in my head now, is that the cities that have a "plethora of social servces", at least the ones that immediately come to mind are expensive and the subject of reports of a lot of liberal instigated violence. Often violence against older white males: Seattle, Portland, So. Cal. S.F. come to mind immediately. I'm sure there are others but those are the ones I've visited that come to mind.
That's good fodder for clicks that generally isn't borne out in actual crime statistics or lived experience from people actually currently living in those areas. This plays out even in these forums. I used to frequent the NYC forums as I live there, but it's been taken over by a lot of people who do not live in NYC constantly talking about crimes in a way that has only a very tenuous grasp on reality.
You're requirement to not be where it can get cold could be difficult though as some of the Midwestern and interior Northeast cities are where affordable cost of living and decent social services and mass transit can be found. Those West Coast cities you mentioned are unfortunately quite expensive and so just that period of establishing residency may result in a pretty severe burn rate of whatever savings you have.
That being said, those places are also potentially places where if your time abroad has come with pretty rigorous study of the native language, then that could be of great employment use.
Keeping freezing temperatures to a minimum, take a look at Oklahoma City, OK and its suburbs. The temps will hit the freezing point a few nights a year, but that's about it. A quick zilow search on rentals found a few rentals below $500. I'm sure more rent focused websites will find you more. Good luck. Oklahoma is OK :-)
yeah ok, but from Oycrumbler's reply, it's doubtful O.C. will have much in the way of social services.
And I'm guessing, not sure, not very good public transport. But yeah it's cheaper than a lot of places, but no that much cheaper. It USED To be cheaper but that was before the pandemic. Tulsa mighr maybe be better, I visited there once and I liked it. You know there really isn't any good city in the USA for me now. I think I may have to bite the bullet and search for cities that have a lot of low income housing for older and low income.
Oklahoma City has about 1.4 mil in population in its metro area, and has a mass transit system/bus system. Certainly not as robust as NYC, Washington DC, San Fran, Portland or Seattle, but likely a fairly decent and functional system for the size of town. It will have all the social services of any moderately large metro area. Again, not as robust as major metro areas.
I've been lurking on this thread for a while, have a few thoughts.
OP, you're in a tough spot and I feel for you. Most of the US has under built housing for 10+ years (for decades in many places) to the point that we're in a major housing crisis that impacts the vulnerable the most. It's not right. Wherever you land, if you have the time and ability, I would encourage you to join the local YIMBY group to advocate for more housing.
It seems, based on your criteria, that inland cities in the South are your best bet. Sounds like you're already concentrating your search there.
As different cities have been proposed on this thread, I've attempted to search for affordable apartments in these places. Unfortunately, there is very very little for under $500. To stay within your budget you may want to consider searching for 2 bedroom rentals for under $1000/month or 3 bedroom for under $1500/month. Yes, this means you need to deal with housemates, but it opens up *way* more options. You may need to take the initiative to become the master tenant and then look for subtenants to join with you.
One final idea. While I agree with the desirability of living w/o a vehicle in an area with good transit, you may want to weigh your options for living in a cheaper suburb. For example, if you can find a cheap enough house (split among housemates) with a garage/access to charging, you could buy a used Nissan Leaf for under $10k. Even with battery degradation it should still have around 50 miles of range, more than enough for running daily errands if you're not too far from the city. No gas, no oil changes, very little maintenance. Just something to consider.
I've been lurking on this thread for a while, have a few thoughts.
OP, you're in a tough spot and I feel for you. Most of the US has under built housing for 10+ years (for decades in many places) to the point that we're in a major housing crisis that impacts the vulnerable the most. It's not right. Wherever you land, if you have the time and ability, I would encourage you to join the local YIMBY group to advocate for more housing.
It seems, based on your criteria, that inland cities in the South are your best bet. Sounds like you're already concentrating your search there.
As different cities have been proposed on this thread, I've attempted to search for affordable apartments in these places. Unfortunately, there is very very little for under $500. To stay within your budget you may want to consider searching for 2 bedroom rentals for under $1000/month or 3 bedroom for under $1500/month. Yes, this means you need to deal with housemates, but it opens up *way* more options. You may need to take the initiative to become the master tenant and then look for subtenants to join with you.
One final idea. While I agree with the desirability of living w/o a vehicle in an area with good transit, you may want to weigh your options for living in a cheaper suburb. For example, if you can find a cheap enough house (split among housemates) with a garage/access to charging, you could buy a used Nissan Leaf for under $10k. Even with battery degradation it should still have around 50 miles of range, more than enough for running daily errands if you're not too far from the city. No gas, no oil changes, very little maintenance. Just something to consider.
I understand the suggestion of the South in terms of his complete opposition to the cold, but I think there are also good bets on the inland Northeast and Midwest when it comes the affordability. In those states sometimes there are high income taxes, but given what the OP's said, the kind of take home income he would have wouldn't be so strongly impacted by that. I think your suggestion of a cheap electric car (or maybe even an e-bike though that runs its own risk in old age and depending on the area) for if the area does not have transit or isn't very walkable is a very good one.
That's good fodder for clicks that generally isn't borne out in actual crime statistics or lived experience from people actually currently living in those areas. This plays out even in these forums. I used to frequent the NYC forums as I live there, but it's been taken over by a lot of people who do not live in NYC constantly talking about crimes in a way that has only a very tenuous grasp on reality.
You're requirement to not be where it can get cold could be difficult though as some of the Midwestern and interior Northeast cities are where affordable cost of living and decent social services and mass transit can be found. Those West Coast cities you mentioned are unfortunately quite expensive and so just that period of establishing residency may result in a pretty severe burn rate of whatever savings you have.
That being said, those places are also potentially places where if your time abroad has come with pretty rigorous study of the native language, then that could be of great employment use.
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Point taken. Yeah from a numbers standpoint, I'd go to someplace in Ohio, maybe Cleveland since it has good medical. But hey forgive me, I'm old, not gonna live in a place like that. The other thing is that nearly all the cities with good medical care are in freeze areas. S.F., Seattle as you have pointed out are out of my league financially in my present circumstances, so looking at the SE USA now, hoping to find a good city that is not outrageously expensive where I can find decent medical. The language here practically no one speaks it anyplace but a few areas of this country. Which is one reason I haven't bothered to learn it. What you say is good for SPanish and maybe others in certain circumscribed areas of certain cities. I have a profession I could work part time in, but I was having nightmares in my sleep returning to it and chest pains when I was in it. Started off great until the Fed. Gov't uked it up big time.
Thanks your replies.
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your reply is good, but
