What makes an excellent place to retire? This is a tricky question, and the answers are as numerous as there are retirees. Some love winter sports, while others feel invigorated by golf in the sun. However, the most common elements include the quality of life and cost of living. Other reasons are:
- Quality of Healthcare
- Tax rates
- Comprehensive contentment of residents
- Housing costs
With these aspects, here are seven of the best places to retire.
1. Sarasota, Florida
Population: 786,000
Population aged over 60: 39%
Average monthly rent: $1,150
Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,480
Average home price: $237,260
Sarasota’s white sandy beaches such as Siesta Key and Lido Key attract many retirees to the area. The city ranks high in the well-being of residents who say they have an amazing, supportive community and great social relationships. With its moderate housing cost, retirees can enjoy retirement on the Florida beaches on a budget. For those planning to work part-time in retirement, Florida does not have a state income tax.
2. Fort Myers, Florida
Average population: 87103
Population aged over 65: 22%
Average monthly rent: $1,035
Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,265
Average home price: $219,200
Fort Myers is considered the best city to retire. The town is along the southwestern river of Caloosahatchee in Florida. The city began getting famous after Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison built their winter homes there. And after Edison planted royal palms along McGregor Boulevard, they nicknamed it “City of Palms,” and it’s an exquisite sight to behold. For the water lovers, hotspots such as Sanibel Island, Cape Coral, and Fort Myers Beach are less than an hour away.
3. Catalina Foothills, Arizona
Average population: 53,507
Average population aged over 50: 54.5%
Average home price: $349,974
Average monthly rent: $980
Catalina Foothills is set against the Santa Catalina Mountains’ backdrop north of Tucson. It is a picturesque and traditional destination for retirees with lots of sunset spots, spas, and golf courses. With a great diversity of landscape with a mix of canyons, deserts, and mountains, Catalina Foothills offers the residents various outdoor experiences. You can visit the Tucson Botanical Garden. And if you would love to experience the natural beauty of the area, head to the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, which attracts over a million tourists yearly.
4. Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Average population: 463,180
Average population over 60: 33%
Average monthly rent: $1,126
Average monthly mortgage cost: $ 1,440
Port Saint Lucie, located on the Atlantic coast of Florida, is very desirable and has reasonable living costs. In a Gallup survey, the city scored highly on the happiness metric, mostly because the residents reported the absence of stress in economic life. Besides the white sandy beaches, you can comb the Boardwalk Trail at the Hillmoor Lake Park and marshes containing fresh water at Savannas Preserve State Park. And if you’re a sports enthusiast, head to the Clover Park for the New York Mets spring training.
5. Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Average population: 59,123
Average population over 65: 18%
Average monthly rent: $957
Average home price: $196,025
Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,286
Located in south-central Pennsylvania, Lancaster is a dream retirement town for those who love variety. It bundles a lively downtown, suburbs, and farmland into one. You can also explore the Amish communities where people live without public electricity and get around on horse and buggy. The downtown area features monthly music and art festivals. The city also boasts of a winter mountain resort, a notable dog park, hiking trails, tractor pulls, and corn mazes.
6. Palm Desert City, California
Average population: 53,440
Average population over 50: 54.2%
Average home price: $334,400
Average monthly rent: $1,604
Average monthly mortgage: $1,286
If you love perfect weather and are passionate about arts, then Palm Desert City is the place to be. The city is in the Coachella Valley area and boasts of the Sun City Palm Desert, a 55-plus gated community home to over 9000 residents. It offers lots of activities and classes such as cycling, yoga and water aerobics, the famous mountain Vista Golf Club, and over 1000 acres of land designed with jogging trails, waterfalls, and bocce courts. Palm Desert has 263 days of sunshine every year.
7. Asheville, North Carolina
Average population: 92,870
Average home price: $248,500
Average monthly rent: $850
Average monthly mortgage: $1,286
Asheville is surrounded by western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. It is a land of breathtaking views and cool mountain air and is often referred to as Land of the Sky. If you are creative and are enthusiastic about the arts, then you’ll love the city. Asheville is jam-packed with historic architecture, art galleries, museums, and pretty artists’ studios constructed from repurposed factories such as those found in the colorful River Arts District. Also, they are over 100 local craft breweries. If you fancy serenity, you will enjoy excellent hiking trails at the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests and the Great Smoky Mountains national park.
If you’ve already achieved your nest egg target and are ready to move for retirement, consider these seven places, choose one that suits your budget and dreams, and then contact a long-distance moving company such as Texas long distance movers or wherever you live to help you with the moving process. Moving can be a huge undertaking, especially as you get older, however, spending your later years in a beautiful place will be worth the move. Moving can be a great adventure and you should experience it at least once in your lifetime.
