Branson MO for retirement life?

[blue dog Democrat]

I have been to Branson MO many times. However, if I was relocating I would look at areas north of Branson and south of Springfield. Ozark and Nixa come to mind.

For a more rural feel I would look to areas south west of Springfield..............Aurora area for example. Also east of Springfield.

[rickynvicki]

Originally Posted by Arrby

The Branson area is full of retirees, including my own parents. The 2010 census says that nearly 20% of the population is 65 or older. There must be something about it that they like.

Pros: More entertainment and dine-out options at hand than any small town in the USA. Many people there get season passes to Silver Dollar City and take in one of their live stage shows every couple of weeks. Quite decent hospital in town. Fishing, hunting, hiking, golf, water sports are all right there. Many active churches. Lots of shopping in town or just 40 minutes away in south Springfield. Affordable real estate. Low property taxes. The huge number of condos should make it easy to find a furnished place to live.

Cons: Traffic is often impossible as you approach downtown along the "strip". While there are often back ways around traffic tie-ups, sometimes the place you need to be will be time consuming to get to. Very high turnover in the population as people move in and out of the area constantly. The core town - i.e. people who live there year around - is much smaller than it appears and you may find it necessary to go to Springfield for some of your doctors and other services. I have not checked lately, but short term rentals historically have been expensive relative to the price of real estate due to the large number of seasonal workers.

Maybe: Not everyone (me, mostly) likes the climate.

We have lived in the Taney county area for years. We have some of the best Dr. and Hospital around. The people that move in and out alot are usually not friendly but the locals are. The cost of living seems high compared to other places but if you get outside city limits it seems a little cheaper. Best of luck to you.