10 best countries to retire - any been there?

[Shanky]

Some on this list, Malaysia, Portugal and Spain are far safer than the USA. Peru, Equador, Chile are pretty comparable to US. For what is worth, there are 86 Nations where you are less likely to be murdered than in the US>

 

[youbet]

there are 86 Nations where you are less likely to be murdered than in the US>

Than where in the USA?

 

[Koolau]

<SNIP>

For what is worth, there are 86 Nations where you are less likely to be murdered than in the US>

I'm sure when you said "you" you are speaking of the statistical "you" and not most of the folks on the forum who happen to live in the US.

As I've said before, statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal may be less significant than what they conceal. Wild guess: Subtract the 500 square miles of the most drug-active "turf" within the US and the US would suddenly look very safe indeed. Yes, I know that there are "turf" wars in other countries as well, but I would suggest (without any data) murder is more highly concentrated in the US AND it's centered mostly around the drug trade.

One way to put this all in context: How many folks do you know during your life time who have died in car accidents? If you are like me, I can think of half a dozen off the top of my head. I don't know a single person who has been murdered. Yet, the death rate (in the USA) by car accidents and murder are of the same order. It all depends on where you live.

Not attempting to throw a hand grenade into the discussion but the US is a BIG place. Given reasonable resources, I'm guessing most of us have settled into places that murder is a secondary or tertiary concern as opposed to car accidents. Just sayin', so YMMV.

 

[JakeinChina]

Yeah, I'll take my chances in a nice suburb in the U.S. compared to the streets of Lima Peru or Santiago Chile. Statistics and data are a good thing, but its all about how you interpret them.

 

[Aus_E_Expat]

That’s in NSW. We were talking about Queensland.

Western Queensland is now in its 7th year of drought. The monsoon rains have failed for 7 years in many places (that is climate change). Not all of Queensland is in drought but a large percentage is in drought.

It is mid winter in Brisbane now but the average daily maximum is 25 degrees Celsius. Great winter days but more rain is needed.

Something like 95% of NSW is in drought now but the drought is not as prolonged as in Queensland.

In the south of Western Australia they have been having above average rainfall.

Australia is a very big country with a lot of extremes.

Australia generally has great weather and environment, a safe and friendly place to be with universal (free) healthcare....but you have to pay high taxes and cost of living to enjoy the good life.

 

[Alan]

Australia has really gone to the dogs. Vienna just beat Melbourne to the top spot in the most liveable city in the world.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-45174600

The ten most liveable cities in 2018

1. Vienna, Austria

2. Melbourne, Australia

3. Osaka, Japan

4. Calgary, Canada

5. Sydney, Australia

6. Vancouver, Canada

7. Tokyo, Japan

8. Toronto, Canada

9. Copenhagen, Denmark

10. Adelaide, Australia

 

[explanade]

Sure, affluent city in affluent country.

As long as you don’t have to have a lot of sun.

 

[mrWinter]

I'm sure when you said "you" you are speaking of the statistical "you" and not most of the folks on the forum who happen to live in the US.

As I've said before, statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal may be less significant than what they conceal. Wild guess: Subtract the 500 square miles of the most drug-active "turf" within the US and the US would suddenly look very safe indeed. Yes, I know that there are "turf" wars in other countries as well, but I would suggest (without any data) murder is more highly concentrated in the US AND it's centered mostly around the drug trade.

One way to put this all in context: How many folks do you know during your life time who have died in car accidents? If you are like me, I can think of half a dozen off the top of my head. I don't know a single person who has been murdered. Yet, the death rate (in the USA) by car accidents and murder are of the same order. It all depends on where you live.

Not attempting to throw a hand grenade into the discussion but the US is a BIG place. Given reasonable resources, I'm guessing most of us have settled into places that murder is a secondary or tertiary concern as opposed to car accidents. Just sayin', so YMMV.

I thought this set of maps was interesting:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/crime-rates-by-county/

Not sure what I expected but I don't think that was it. Stay out of Memphis I guess. Also Chicago, where supposedly the rule of law is ending and anarchy is taking over, is apparently far better than most of South Carolina and much of the rest of the country.

This runs pretty contrary to the popular opinion of big cities being more dangerous though, rather on the contrary it looks.

Of course these are aggregations as well, there is much variance even by neighborhood especially in the cities.

 

[Aus_E_Expat]

Australia has really gone to the dogs. Vienna just beat Melbourne to the top spot in the most liveable city in the world.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-45174600

Yes, I read that too.

Not sure how Melbourne ends up consistently either first or second and ahead of Sydney. Melbourne has the worst weather of any Australian city (unbearably hot in summer and cold damp winters) and now apparently has crime issues (by Australian standards).

 

[Totoro]

Also, Auckland, Wellington (New Zealand) and a few smaller cities in Europe absent (Utrecht, Rotterdam are all on par with Vienna in my view).

 

[Nemo2]

Not sure how Melbourne ends up consistently either first or second and ahead of Sydney.

What, Oodnadatta didn't get a mention?

 

[explanade]

Yes, I read that too.

Not sure how Melbourne ends up consistently either first or second and ahead of Sydney. Melbourne has the worst weather of any Australian city (unbearably hot in summer and cold damp winters) and now apparently has crime issues (by Australian standards).

Speaking only as a visitor, it's certainly a lot easier to navigate the Melbourne CBD than the Sydney CBD. Maybe that will change once the tram lines are completed (when?).

But I also like a lot of the suburbs around the bay and even those further away, like Bondi. I haven't seen as many suburbs around Melbourne. Didn't think St. Kilda was as nice as Bondi.

 

[Alan]

Yes, I read that too.

Not sure how Melbourne ends up consistently either first or second and ahead of Sydney. Melbourne has the worst weather of any Australian city (unbearably hot in summer and cold damp winters) and now apparently has crime issues (by Australian standards).

DD's partner grew up in Adelaide and has lived and worked in Melbourne, Sydney, Vancouver, Seattle and Santa Monica, and told us that in his view Melbourne was the best city he had ever lived in. On the strength of that we spent 3 weeks in September 2014 (still winter) at St Kilda (on the coast but easy access via tram to the center which we rode many times). We loved it and we also spent the following month, October, in Hobart and liked that even better.

 

[Chuckanut]

Thank goodness they didn't mention those smaller cities just outside of Litttlerock Ak. Otherwise the place would be ruined.