Most Popular Retirement Areas Study Results (beach, weather, moving, communities)
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West: 1. Prescott, Ariz.; 2. Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Ariz.; 3. Port Angeles, Wash.
...formula gives the highest scores to markets that already have high concentrations of people who are 65 or older -- and that consistently attract additional seniors from other parts of the country."
Sebring, Fla wins. (Personally, I have never heard of Sebring but do not know what towns fall in its metropolitan or micropolitan areas.) At the bottom of this article, you can use the database to select a state and find out how each metro and micro area ranked as the most popular retirement area in each state.
"The study’s objective was to identify the nation’s most popular retirement areas. It gave the highest marks to communities where the population of seniors (65 or older) is already substantial and is growing rapidly. Covered 604 metropolitan and micropolitan areas with total populations of 50,000 or greater." If you want to see the criteria used to make the ranking decisions:
Sebring, Fla wins. (Personally, I have never heard of Sebring but do not know what towns fall in its metropolitan or micropolitan areas.)
You must not be a race car fan because that is (or at least was) its main claim to fame.
I used to drive through Sebring when I was going to school and driving back and forth from Miami to Gainesville. As poor college students, we'd take Route 27 to avoid the Florida Turnpike fees. Sebring is about equidistant between Tampa on the west coast and Vero Beach on the east. I think it is about 90-100 miles from each.
You must not be a race car fan because that is (or at least was) its main claim to fame.
I used to drive through Sebring when I was going to school and driving back and forth from Miami to Gainesville. As poor college students, we'd take Route 27 to avoid the Florida Turnpike fees. Sebring is about equidistant between Tampa on the west coast and Vero Beach on the east. I think it is about 90-100 miles from each.
The name rang a bell but I could not recall why nor could I place (in my mind) where in the state it was located so I wasn't even sure it was the Sebring name I vaguely recalled. Don't watch racing on TV. I have a friend who lives in Vero Beach so, thanks.
Interesting list. On the one hand I thought it was more useful that a lot of the lists, since it talks about specific communities rather than states in general. On the other hand, some of the results had me raising an eyebrow. I'll have to read up on how they determined some of this info.
Virginia, for example, had surprising results, in that the communities considered most popular were not towns I generally associate with retirees (with a few exceptions, like Roanoke). Danville is a popular place to retire? Really? A surprising number of the cities that were "popular" seemed to be in the low income/poverty areas, and often in areas that are generally considered less desirable than others--coincidence, or interesting observation on the part of the list makers? Not sure how to interpret it. Meanwhile, the areas more traditionally associated with retirees, such as Virginia Beach and Charlottesville, had negative scores. Williamsburg wasn't even considered, and it has a huge retiree population.
So some surprising findings, and something to ponder--is it really all about which towns are most popular for retirees, or a reflection that seniors are a big percentage of the population because here are no jobs there?
I checked out SC. The highest ranking was Georgetown. If one was to give the SC coast an enema, Georgetown is where one would stick the tube. Georgetown is not a very nice place.
Interesting list. On the one hand I thought it was more useful that a lot of the lists, since it talks about specific communities rather than states in general. On the other hand, some of the results had me raising an eyebrow. I'll have to read up on how they determined some of this info.
Virginia, for example, had surprising results, in that the communities considered most popular were not towns I generally associate with retirees (with a few exceptions, like Roanoke). Danville is a popular place to retire? Really? A surprising number of the cities that were "popular" seemed to be in the low income/poverty areas, and often in areas that are generally considered less desirable than others--coincidence, or interesting observation on the part of the list makers? Not sure how to interpret it. Meanwhile, the areas more traditionally associated with retirees, such as Virginia Beach and Charlottesville, had negative scores. Williamsburg wasn't even considered, and it has a huge retiree population.
So some surprising findings, and something to ponder--is it really all about which towns are most popular for retirees, or a reflection that seniors are a big percentage of the population because here are no jobs there?
Don't forget they are Micropolitan/Metropolitan areas so they incorporate more than one town and also they are talking 65 and older, not all retirees on the move.
For example, my town would be lumped in with Knoxville (not even in my county) and I'm not yet 65 so my moving around wouldn't count yet.
I live in MN and have never heard anyone say they were retiring to either of these places. When it's cold in Minneapolis it's much colder in both these spots. Crazy list.
No, it isn't. This list is completely different from any other that I have ever seen, in that it makes absolutely no attempt to rate the desirability of a location for retirement. It doesn't factor in cost of living, or weather, or availability of medical care, or any other such thing.
By contrast, it uses Census Bureau statistics only to see where it is that seniors 65 and over cluster, whether the results make sense to us or not in terms of our own judgment as to where we would want to retire and why. It is simply a study of how people have voted with their feet, or voted by not using their feet and staying put for retirement. It is a pure demographic study.
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No, this list is actually quite different.
