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I never understand all the threads about "Where should I move when I retire"?. Does this mean that they have been living in a place they hate for all these years and now they are finally free to move where they want?
No, it just means that their dream location doesn't offer opportunities in their chosen careers for the 35-40 years that they need to earn a living prior to retiring.
My wife and I were living in Dallas TX. We did not like it there, so we set out on a mission to find another city to move to. We had to pass up on a few cities because they were too small to offer career opportunities for me.
Not everyone is a teacher, or a nurse, or a minister, or whatever. For example, not too many choices if you are an astronaut. You'd better like the east coast of FL or the south coast of TX.
I think also as we age priories and things you enjoy change. I don't mind where I live a few blocks from the beach, entertainment etc. it was awesome when I was younger, now that I'm older the crowds,noisy and cost of living bother me which I didn't care or noticed at a ounger age.
I'm planning to move to a more rural area in the mountains but still close enough to big city for if I get bored. I have visited numerous times for longer periods and different seasons and love it. If once I move there I get tired or bored about the place, I will move again. I feel free to travel and try out living in different places.
As soon as we knew for certain exactly what year I was going to retire, we began looking for a place to retire. Every 3 years we were transferred to a new year, and at each location, we spent most of our vacation time meeting with realtors and searching for the perfect location.
It can take a lot of effort to find the best match.
I didn't wind up in CT by choice--we moved because my [ex]husband got a job here. I found a job in academia at a state institution and we settled in, had another kid and happened to buy a house in a town with a decent school system.
Fast forward 27 years.... Hubs and I divorced--HE"S now in Dallas. Kid #2 is in the Air Force on the west coast and kid #1 (28 yrs old) is in failure-to-launch mode and is living with (and OFF) me until she finds her dream job. I've made no friends outside of work so there is really nothing to keep me here (except maybe my hairdresser )
I'm 66 this year and will be retiring at the end of July next year and by then I'll be 67. I rent so I have no equity and I have little in my savings account at the bank. With any luck I will have enough of a pension to get by--but not enough to live comfortably in this state. I have grown to hate the weather in NE (short summers, no spring and cold wet HUMID winters) and the fact that it gets dark by 4:30 PM in the dregs of winter. Even though I live in a coastal state it takes me 1.5 hours to get to a decent beach.
This is NOT my dream location. The only thing I would miss is the close proximity to Boston, Providence and New York City.
I am toying with either relocating back to my home town (a depressed area on the shores of Lake Erie outside of Buffalo) where I still have family and have reconnected with a few people OR moving to the St. Petersburg area where I know no one but could "reinvent" myself and shoot for a lifestyle I've only dreamed of . If I had the $$$ I'd be a snowbird.
So there you have it. Consider yourself blessed to be at the right place at the right time with the right people.
Some of us aren't so lucky.....
I think a lot of us are like you. Moved for work and then get to be retirement age. A few connections where you are and possible renewed connections back in your hometown area etc. but, of course, it's often difficult to go home again. I think that's where the advantage of some sort of retirement community comes in where regardless of the location most people there are looking to connect with similar people because they are all retired etc. That's the situation I'm exploring right now.
I never understand all the threads about "Where should I move when I retire"?. Does this mean that they have been living in a place they hate for all these years and now they are finally free to move where they want ? I understand wanting to be closer to your kids who have moved away, but other than that, why didn't you move sooner ? At 65 I occasionally ponder the concept of retirement, but I plan to stay right where I am. My friends are here, my doctor is here, I know all the local merchants by their first name, I know where everything is and I have a home that I enjoy. Moving to a place where I don't know a soul and perhaps have never been, simply based on a "Best places to retire" article seems so silly to me. "Grow where you are planted" works for me.
Exactly! -- Having grown up in the cold and snow, I decided many years ago (45) that the warmth of Florida sounded much more appealing ... so we moved! For the same reasons you mentioned, we see no point in moving after retirement. ..... However, grandkids are another matter (which led us to move from the relative warmth of Central Florida, to the 'frozen tundra of the North Florida Panhandle - about 5-years ago).
Frankly, lists and other "tips" someone decides to publish for the benefit of complete strangers don't do much for me. I guess I know my own mind...I don't rely on others to dream up my choices for me. I know what I value in a place to live, what I can afford to spend while living there, what support resources are available, and I listen to myself.
No way would I want to live someplace that is overbuilt, overcrowded, mass-produced boring design, no seasons, full of entertainments trying to seem luxurious, populated by people who all seem to be interested in the same things, with big box chain stores all carrying the same stuff.
Sorry for the rant. That is often my first reaction to the "destinations to retire to" fodder.
I get what you're saying. Just like Millenials who think they have to flock to the "cool" cities like all the other lemming Millenials, some retirees feel they have to relocate to the typical retirement cities as shown in these lists.
I get what you're saying. Just like Millenials who think they have to flock to the "cool" cities like all the other lemming Millenials, some retirees feel they have to relocate to the typical retirement cities as shown in these lists.
Although there are advantages to retiring to a place that has a significant number of like-minded retirees.
I never understand all the threads about "Where should I move when I retire"?. Does this mean that they have been living in a place they hate for all these years and now they are finally free to move where they want ? I understand wanting to be closer to your kids who have moved away, but other than that, why didn't you move sooner ? At 65 I occasionally ponder the concept of retirement, but I plan to stay right where I am. My friends are here, my doctor is here, I know all the local merchants by their first name, I know where everything is and I have a home that I enjoy. Moving to a place where I don't know a soul and perhaps have never been, simply based on a "Best places to retire" article seems so silly to me. "Grow where you are planted" works for me.
Well, I don't think it's necessarily simple. You live where you can make a good living, usually. And hopefully you enjoy where you live too.
I used to live (and work) in NYC and I really and truly loved it. Until I didn't love it anymore. When I was ready to move on, I was lucky that the experience I had gained in NYC allowed me to find a great job in Southern New Hampshire, which I also love, for different reasons. I am extremely happy here now.
At this point, I am starting to consider retirement. I go back & forth with staying around where I am now, to maybe moving a bit farther out, or maybe to Maine. Since I won't be tied to a career, I have more wiggle room with how far away from my current area I can go. It's not that I don't like where I am, but maybe I can live on a bit less, or get more for my money by living farther out from the Merrimack Valley area. I don't know. But there are a lot of factors to consider and a big part of that is how my life will be different at retirement. It's not that I don't very much like where I live now, it's just that my needs, requirements and (probably) finances will be different.
I get what you're saying. Just like Millenials who think they have to flock to the "cool" cities like all the other lemming Millenials, some retirees feel they have to relocate to the typical retirement cities as shown in these lists.
I don't think of it as young people "flocking to the 'cool' cities like other lemmings" but rather moving to cities that have a wide range of amenities and things of interest and seeking a life where cultural activities and cultural offerings are many, plentiful, and wide-ranging......and where there are other people similarly interested in these things. Or to cities where athletic activities abound such as surfing, running, bicycling, etc.
And for some, where the politics match their values more.
One man's paradise is another man's hell. Some lists have CA as one of the worst places to retire, but several million retirees would disagree. Many of these lists are too focused on COL and ignore or downplay quality of life, scenery and climate.
The real question is: For whom
Not to keep carping on the same issue, but even COL is subjective and situational. For more affluent retirees, state/local income tax is especially important, since long-term capital gains are federally taxed at 15% (higher in come brackets/cases) so the difference between a 0% and say at 7% state/local income-tax marginal rate, can be huge. Housing costs, on the other hand, aren’t so important. For less affluent retirees, it’s all about housing costs, while taxes recede in importance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JustMike77
I never understand all the threads about "Where should I move when I retire"?. Does this mean that they have been living in a place they hate for all these years and now they are finally free to move where they want ?
As others have already said, this happened for example to those of us who grew up in a desirable place, but relocated to an undesirable place because of a very desirable job, and after decades of working there, are contemplating a change. Depending on one’s industry, some of the most remunerative and prestigious jobs are in places that are otherwise economically and culturally derelict.
Indeed, many of us feel “deployed” in the locale where we made our careers. We don’t have much in common with the locals, and yearn to eventually escape, to somewhere where we could find “our people”.
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. If I had the $$$ I'd be a snowbird.
At 65 I occasionally ponder the concept of retirement, but I plan to stay right where I am. My friends are here, my doctor is here, I know all the local merchants by their first name, I know where everything is and I have a home that I enjoy. Moving to a place where I don't know a soul and perhaps have never been, simply based on a "Best places to retire" article seems so silly to me. "Grow where you are planted" works for me.
Exactly! -- Having grown up in the cold and snow, I decided many years ago (45) that the warmth of Florida sounded much more appealing ... so we moved! For the same reasons you mentioned, we see no point in moving after retirement. ..... However, grandkids are another matter (which led us to move from the relative warmth of Central Florida, to the 'frozen tundra of the North Florida Panhandle - about 5-years ago).
