Retirement

In 2009 Money magazine listed Louisville as one of the 25 best places to retire, citing the “huge bang you get for your buck—plus lots of other perks” as reasons to think about choosing the Derby City for your post-work home. It’s a city where roughly a third of the population is over 50, the typical three-bedroom home goes for $155,000, and the state income tax is 6 percent. In addition, it ranked high for the Louisville Loop, the not-yet-completed 100-mile series of paths and bikeways that will allow retirees easy access to many of the town’s parks and neighborhoods. Given its relatively mild temperatures, it’s also a place where residents usually don’t have to worry about digging themselves out after a good winter’s snow, and although late summers can get humid, the warm weather doesn’t impede people from getting out and enjoying activities such as golf and boating. The scenery in the other two seasons is such that an individual can’t help but want to head outdoors and make the most of the beautiful days; parks and neighborhood streets sparkle with the bright blossoms of dogwoods and redbud trees in the spring, and in autumn the riotous backdrop of turning leaves and church steeples begs for an easel and paints to capture the image on canvas.

The vibrant arts scene makes Louisville an attractive destination for retirees, along with the variety and quality of health care and services. Preventive care is a strong point, and there are renowned centers devoted to specialties in heart and lung problems, cancer treatment, and geriatrics. Aside from women’s treatment centers, there is also an assortment of adult day-care centers, nursing homes, and assisted living communities. And if volunteering is your thing, hospitals and shelters are always on the lookout for helping hands, as are places like the Brown Theatre, Iroquois Amphitheater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and the Kentucky Center for the Arts; when you volunteer to usher at one of these locations, it’s a great way to see the show for free.