Asheville, NC vs. Salida, CO (beach, weather, moving, friendly)

[travllvr]

We live in south Florida and want to get a second property in a four-season location that could evolve into a retirement home eventually. We love Colorado, having lived there before, and Salida appeals to us because it's low-key, the kayaking/hiking/snowboarding/outdoor activities are great, it's way more affordable than Summit County, and there are four seasons (the Banana Belt of CO). At the same time, Asheville, NC, is appealing because of its relative proximity to Florida as well as the fact that there's an urban heartbeat and culture which Salida may not have. Affordability and access to nature, snow, and mild summers, and clear starry nights are really important to us. What are the pros and cons of each place?

[livecontent]

I see this all the time in Colorado. People who want to retire to a small mountain town. Yes, it can be a good place to live, but is a good place in retirement years.

You may be a young active retiree but eventually you will become an old retiree with diminished physical abilities and the multiple illnesses that will occur with aging.

So, then you have to see multiple physicians and specialists. They are not in small mountain towns in abundance, if at all. You will have severe problems in finding many or any specialist in certain practices. You will have to have testing done with sophisticated expensive medical equipment that are not cost effective in small mountain towns. You will have to travel large distances, over difficult and sometimes impassable mountain roads to get to medical services, clinics and hospitals, more than you do now--believe me, you will be seeking medical care, more often.

Also, you will not be near a first class trauma center, so any serious illness becomes even more threatening because time to get you to these center is the prime issue for care. Ambulances take time and may not be able to get to you because of weather. Oh, you will say, they may have helicopters---that will take time to you, back to the facility, if and if, they can fly and land in severe mountain weather. It is just a fact--rapid response to traumatic medical emergencies is non-existent in small mountain communities.

Now, you say you can drive and have no problem with distances. That is today; but when you are older, you may not be able to drive or should drive, and if you are sick??? What you will find will be no public transit or senior call and ride services. Yes, you say, you are young, active, healthy and take care of yourself--well, if sudden disease and illness does not get you; age will.

There is another big issue that young retirees do not think about is the availability of health insurance in rural areas, especially as you go into Medicare. You will find much less and more expensive options for insurance. HMOs, PPOs and Medicare Advantage Plans are not economical for rural less populated areas. I will bet that you have not reached the years where you have looked at Medicare. It does not matter what insurance will be in the future; less options will be available in less populated areas and you will pay more. Oh, if you are lucky or unlucky enough to have the option of VA medical care--then there is no option--it does not exist.

You have said you have lived in Colorado. People do not realize how remote and distance many of these cities are to the high tech medical care that is common and necessary today. They do not know that mountain driving can be more difficult than the same distance in other states. They do not know that many areas of Colorado are considered frontier areas with no doctors.

I have been to Salida; it is nice and attractive, but I would not live there. I have not been to Asheville, NC but I am sure it has much better medical options. So, I would choose Asheville because it will serve your needs, not only now, but in the future.

Salida can only help you now in your early vibrant years; then you will have to do what others have done, in that situation, sell and move to a city, for medical services.

I am only talking about medical care because I assume you know all the other restrictions and problems of living in mountain communities and there are many challenges.

Livecontent

[knoxgarden]

I fully agree that good medical facilities and how long it takes to get to them should be a serious consideration. Not so much for major stuff, but for monthly maintenance.
That's what increases dramatically as you get older. It's hearing those fateful words from the doctor: "I don't think it's really serious, but let's just check ..." and I'm off to specialists and tests and then my knee starts bothering me or the Sciatica kicks up and it's off to the chiropractor or orthopedist. Driving and sitting for long times can be not only annoying but painful.
You need to be near not just a good primary care doctor but all those specialists and have them covered under Medicare.
You check on the Medicare site by zip code to see what's nearby an area you're considering.

[StealthRabbit]

Be sure to also consider your health / breathing ability at elevation. While I love CO (Home for 25+ years) my mom had to leave due difficulty of breathing at altitude. I like Salida, but... as mentioned, I think it would be great for early retiree, but would create potential hassles with aging. Transportation costs may torpedo such places as viable options. You have to drive for lots of services, and a trip to the Springs may be quite expensive at $5/gal. I get 52 mpg in my Passat, but I think twice before moving to the boonies. I did a spreadsheet and was hoping to settle in WY, but... the low property appreciation, time on market, medical / airport trips, grocery costs, out weighed the savings of the places I wanted. If I really wanted a place I would give it a try (renting) for awhile. I would be more inclined to live in the Springs, if Colo. But Asheville is quite nice too.

Difference being POWDER ... altitude and humidity and the 'dead of winter' prolonged temps + quite different people (But both quite friendly in their own way.) Salida is also quite a bit smaller, thus fewer choices for services and selling your place (If you end up having to.)

Definitely try them each out.

I might suggest Bend, OR (Housing prices are tumbling there, and it is really quite nice 'outdoorsy')

or Hood River, OR, or White Salmon, WA (If no income tax appeals to you) One hour to a great airport + superb wind surfing, good rivers, hiking... x-c skiing 20 min north, and downhill 20 min south. Beautiful beach 2 hrs west, Seattle (Puget Sound 2.5 hrs for sea kayaking, as you age )

or Bellingham, WA (close to Vancouver, BC, ultimate ski / camping in BC)

Spokane / Sandpoint / Kalispell are good choices if you don't mind another air connection.

Option B (and for me...)
Buy an income producing property that will cash flow enough to let you live where you want (within reason...for me... Not Vail, Jackson, Big Sky, Whistler) but maybe Kuala Lumpur

[travllvr]

You raise good points about proximity to medical facilities. What's the Denver area like as a place to retire?

[StealthRabbit]

I personally am not fond of Denver, (too crowded for me, busy / suburbia) but I would consider Loveland or Ft Collins in a heartbeat (Each have superb medical and senior services, and critical mass of nice people). But... further from snow adventures. (unless Snowy Range (WY) is open again). My friends who live in No Colo take their motorhomes skiing mid week + rent a place in Utah for a month.

Lyons or Golden is another option for smaller community and close to recreation, but still within EZ commute to airport / medical / culture.

I'll be venturing back to Colo in August to catch this event
http://www.sculptureinthepark.org/

[Minervah]

LiveContent, I never thought of that. It you bring up excellent points. I will definitely be thinking about these considerations as I look for a place to relocate.

[livecontent]

This issue of Rural Medical Care is a sad issue and maybe it is best not to say anything. There are so many nice rural and remote areas that one can live. Shall we base where to live on the chance of accident or illness; and of course the inevitable consequences of age???

In times past, medical care was not technical. The doctor had very little tricks in his medical bag. So, wherever you lived, your chances of survival from medical problems were not always dependent on place. But today, medical care is all sophisticated technical diagnosis and care. The Doctor does not come to you; you have to go to his temple of magic toys. Those temples are expensive and doctors cannot function without them. So, they are in larger populated areas; and he as the "priest" in these temples has to live close to them. That is where the money is made by doctors and where medical insurance is more necessary, so consequently less populated areas have less options.

What I am saying??? Yes, medical care is an important consideration that I must make for myself because I am a coward; and a servant to my maladies. However, it is just one more cause of the depopulation of Rural America.

Livecontent

[livecontent]

Now that I got that off my mind, the Denver area is a great place to retire. Denver is a very comfortable, clean and safe city. It has an extensive Park system and of course, excellent medical facilities. Since I suffer from many medical problems, the Denver area is ideal and it has an excellent expanding public transit system. Eventually, I will not be able to drive and having these options is very important to me. Yes, it does have Level 1 trauma hospitals. I also use the Veteran's Hospital which is now in the process of planning a new facility.

There is much to be said for living in the main city and the capital of a smaller populated state. You get the advantages of all the necessary amenities and yet the city is not so big. Also, Denver serves as the major regional center for the Rockies, this isolated area of the Western Great Plains; from Wyoming (the least populated State), to Western Kansas and Nebraska. Therefore it has to have more services than many cities of the same size.

However,if a city is not to your liking, there are a number of suburban towns and areas nearby that do attract many retirees. I live in Arvada. My aged parents, in their 80s, live farther out in West Arvada. They relocated from New York, decades ago following their children, and genuinely enjoy the weather and the culture. Each city and town has different qualities that are written about much on the Colorado forum.

The previous poster recommended Loveland and Fort Collins. Those cities are on multiple lists as a good place for retirees. If you were thinking about Salida, then perhaps you can still have some of what you want in the "Banana Belt" by choosing Pueblo or Canon City--attracts many retirees and is not so isolated as further up on the Arkansas. Colorado Springs is also very close to that area and is a very attractive area.

Livecontent

[travllvr]

Livecontent, I appreciate your insights and you have some very good points about what is likely a large contributing factor to the decline in rural population. Thanks for your take on retiring in Denver as well.

OK folks, talk to me about Asheville as a place to 1) raise older kids (like junior high/high school) and 2) retire. We are going on vacation there this year and have heard wonderful things. The only downside I am hearing so far is the bugs.