Best Places To Live in Retirement? Our View

[ShokWaveRider]

It just occurred to me that all of us ER'd folk may have opinions as to where are the best places to live in Retirement in the USA and/or Canada. Please limit your input to these locations. This is obviously based on one's own opinions, but that is OK. Personally I would classify the cost of housing and weather as my top 2 items, in that order. Those with heart problems may not. As we have not chosen a final place to settle yet, I will comment on my last residence. I would love to hear your personal experiences, and YES recommendations are OK. If the place you live is in fact that place, or if you know a place you have visited that you are longing to move to, when you retire or when you get the opportunity, if already retired.

Our most recent abode.

Location: South Orange County California, Mission Viejo 92692 and Rancho Santa Margarita, 92688 (within 1 mile of each other)

Length of Stay: 15 years combined

Cost Of Housing: Silly, unless your home is paid for and you have at least $5k per month of after tax income and a paid for home, it is prohibitive. Average Price of a CONDO is $450k where we were. The price of our 4 be 3 bath when sold helped us to ER.

Weather: Excellent

Cost Of Living: High in general, OK when I was working earning $200k PA. But on $36k pa, not too good. THose with working spouses may be OK.

Health Care: Good and plentifull but expensive.

Please feel free to add what items you like. But those are my top items. In basically the order or merit. Again I consider housing cost and weather as my 2 biggies.

SWR