Best Places to Retire study - Page 2

Spanky · 08-24-2007, 10:03 PM

That's _ . _ . / _ _ _ / _ _ _ / . _ . . (COOL)

Gotadimple · 08-24-2007, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dog

Hmmmm....would require having a sizable portfolio to retire in the towns/cities mentioned for Washington state.

Well, not as large a portfolio as one would need to retire in Medina, Hunts Point, or Broadmoor.

Relatively speaking, of course.

-- Rita

GoodSense · 08-24-2007, 10:56 PM

The only city in my state that I've heard of is actually quite close to the central city, except that it only has a population of 400 or so.

I suspect this is a list of "Best Tiny Towns for Retirement."

Spanky · 08-25-2007, 12:28 AM

4 of the top 5 cities in Minnesota are located over 130 miles from the metropolitan area (Minneapolis /St .Paul). Three of them are within 20 miles apart (from each other) in the lake resort area. I guess if you like fishing and quietness, these small towns are fine.

Orchidflower · 08-25-2007, 04:21 AM

I think alot of these studies consider anything within a 2 hour driving range from a major metropolitan area CLOSE. Not. Maybe they think that retirees just love to spend all their time in the car.
Checked out Washington State spots...cough, cough...can we say pricey?
A few of the places seemed like good suggestions, tho.
And they didn't lie about these small cities/villages being retiree hotspots. If you look at the percentage of retirees in these cities, most of them are retiree spots with over a third of the population being...retirees.

theloneranger · 08-25-2007, 05:35 AM

Some weird Rx's.
Montrose, MS listed as place to worry about whether your neighbor's yard is better kept?

This is barely a wide spot in the road, with one C store and no more than six houses.

Moemg · 08-25-2007, 07:58 AM

There are retirees and there are retirees .If your a young active retiree in your 50's early 60's it will drive you nuts to live in a retirement area that is mainly older retirees who's main discusion is their health and bowel habits and the health of their neighbors .Trust me been there done that !

**Gumby** · 08-25-2007, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchidflower

I hopes this helps someone out there. It did me...especially the section on Best Places to Retire.
Your Move: Make it Count. - The Top 5 Lists

Then go to: epodunk.com. This will give you the area of the State the city is in, the demographics on age of residents, singles vs. marrieds, housing, educational level of residents and so forth.

Between this Best Places to Retire and finding the city on epodunk.com, you can get a pretty halfway decent idea of the demographics and if the city you are looking up is really for you. Personally, I found this Best Places to Retire pretty helpful, so am passing it on to the board. Hopefully, it assists someone else in their search for Mecca.

Orchidflower

Any of the lists that go by county are of limited utility in certain states. For instance, Delaware has only three counties and Rhode Island has five, so every part of the state makes the list. And for a place like Connecticut, where I live, the eight counties are entirely meaningless. Everything depends on which of the 169 cities, towns or boroughs in which you live. We have incredibly rich suburbs next to incredibly poor cities, and all in the same county.

**Want2retire** · 08-25-2007, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby

Any of the lists that go by county are of limited utility in certain states. For instance, Delaware has only three counties and Rhode Island has five, so every part of the state makes the list. And for a place like Connecticut, where I live, the eight counties are entirely meaningless. Everything depends on which of the 169 cities, towns or boroughs in which you live. We have incredibly rich suburbs next to incredibly poor cities, and all in the same county.

The proximity of incredibly poor cities to a tentative retirement location in an incredibly rich suburb, might make the latter considerably less desirable to some people for a number of reasons.

I can see that the situation in Connecticut is very different than in other states, as far as counties go. I was under the impression that CT didn't even have counties at all - - will have to read about that online!

Spanky · 08-25-2007, 11:22 AM

What are the criteria used to rank the top 5 counties?

I also clicked on their "school and Statistics" link and found that many schools with over 50% of the students falls below basic category in reading and math skills.

Tiger · 08-25-2007, 11:24 AM

I've only heard of one town on the list from NY. Of the 4 states I am considering moving to out of 20 towns I've heard of 2.

waltwill8 · 08-25-2007, 02:43 PM

I checked the list for Minnesota, where I live. One of the towns was Hendricks. Not a bad town, but if you moved to the other side of the lake, about a mile, you would be in South Dakota (no income tax!)

I think the lists were computer generated from some unstated criteria that may or may not be important to you.

**Gumby** · 08-25-2007, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire

The proximity of incredibly poor cities to a tentative retirement location in an incredibly rich suburb, might make the latter considerably less desirable to some people for a number of reasons.

I can see that the situation in Connecticut is very different than in other states, as far as counties go. I was under the impression that CT didn't even have counties at all - - will have to read about that online!

In Connecticut, the counties are vestigal. County government was abolished in the 1960's -- now there is just the state government and that of your own town or city.

Wags · 08-25-2007, 11:17 PM

I have never heard of the cities in TEXAS.

I am happy living in West Texas. Yes the mosquitos are big and nasty and I know that some parts of Texas are not that GREAT. But guess what for those of us that return it is a choice. As some of the posts say it is nice to have someone to talk with or in some cases a shoulder to cry on. Living in a place where you do not know anyone could be hard if one was to get sick, be in the hospital, lose their home, etc.., etc....
GOD BLESS

**Want2retire** · 08-26-2007, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wags

I have never heard of the cities in TEXAS.

I am happy living in West Texas. Yes the mosquitos are big and nasty and I know that some parts of Texas are not that GREAT. But guess what for those of us that return it is a choice.

I really enjoyed living in College Station some years ago. Texas is beautiful (for example, the wildflowers along the freeways near Austin are unforgettable!) and many/most Texans are great, salt of the earth, realistic and unassuming people that I can easily relate to. Sky high property taxes and the relentless, scorching summer heat are reasons why I probably will not retire there, but I can sure see why you like it there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wags

As some of the posts say it is nice to have someone to talk with or in some cases a shoulder to cry on. Living in a place where you do not know anyone could be hard if one was to get sick, be in the hospital, lose their home, etc.., etc....

It's nice to have "roots", and I wish I had them like you do. Never have, since life just hasn't worked out that way for me. Moving to a place where you do not know anyone, you really have to leave your complacency behind and exercise your skills in reaching out and making new friends. I have moved to locations where I knew no one many times, even after I was 50. Although I am normally an introvert, I know that shyness is a luxury I cannot afford when I am new in a community. Maybe I don't FEEL like being a "joiner" and spending a lot of time outside of my house, but it is necessary to be around people to get to know them.

I have experienced all the scenarios you fear - - being sick, in the hospital, losing my home, needing a shoulder to cry on, etc, while living in a community where I knew nobody. I was even pregnant with my only daughter in such a situation (my ex was in the Navy and on Westpac at the time, leaving me pregnant in a dubious part of San Diego two weeks after we got there). These experiences are not pleasant, but also (believe me) they are not the end of the world! Ultimately they bring you a certain self reliance and strength that you may not know you had. Also they are very temporary - - being in a new location for a few months, if you have made some effort you will have a few new friends so this is really an issue for the first few months after moving.

One of my great lifetime desires is to someday, live in a place where I have long time roots like "other people". I am nearly at that point in Louisiana, where I have lived for 11+ years, and where I have made herculean efforts to learn about the community and find my place here. While I really DO understand your feelings and why you say these things, I also do not feel constrained by the same issues.

I have only heard of one of the "towns" in Louisiana. Arabi is actually a neighborhood contiguous with the lower ninth ward of New Orleans, and though it was once nicer, the Arabi of recent years is not my idea of a very good neighborhood - - I would not choose to live there, anyway! Still, I think the list is fascinating and broadens one's thinking.

Orchidflower · 08-26-2007, 11:22 AM

I guess we all vote to kick this list I put up to the curb, eh? Bad choice to post it on my part. Please forgive me for having bad judgment. Mea culpa.

Orchidflower

Ed_The_Gypsy · 08-26-2007, 11:47 AM

Don't say that, Orchidflower. I learned a lot in this thread. Mostly it comes down to, be careful.

**Want2retire** · 08-26-2007, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchidflower

I guess we all vote to kick this list I put up to the curb, eh? Bad choice to post it on my part. Please forgive me for having bad judgment. Mea culpa.

Orchidflower

I thought it was very interesting!!! Thanks for posting it.

Any of us can go to CNN.com or other sources to get the conventional lists (Asheville NC, Naples FL, etc etc)(yawn!). To me, this list was much more interesting than that. We NEED to expand our horizons, y'know? Maybe I won't consider Arabi, but it got me to thinking out of the box and maybe somebody will find their dream location from this list. Thanks again.

happy2bretired · 08-26-2007, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchidflower

I guess we all vote to kick this list I put up to the curb, eh? Bad choice to post it on my part. Please forgive me for having bad judgment. Mea culpa.

Orchidflower

Orchidflower, I'm glad you posted it. It really gives a person an idea of what just numbers can produce (computer generated?) instead of real people. The list was very interesting.

Wags · 08-26-2007, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire

It's nice to have "roots", and I wish I had them like you do. Never have, since life just hasn't worked out that way for me. Moving to a place where you do not know anyone, you really have to leave your complacency behind and exercise your skills in reaching out and making new friends. I have moved to locations where I knew no one many times, even after I was 50. Although I am normally an introvert, I know that shyness is a luxury I cannot afford when I am new in a community. Maybe I don't FEEL like being a "joiner" and spending a lot of time outside of my house, but it is necessary to be around people to get to know them.

I have experienced all the scenarios you fear - - being sick, in the hospital, losing my home, needing a shoulder to cry on, etc, while living in a community where I knew nobody. I was even pregnant with my only daughter in such a situation (my ex was in the Navy and on Westpac at the time, leaving me pregnant in a dubious part of San Diego two weeks after we got there). These experiences are not pleasant, but also (believe me) they are not the end of the world! Ultimately they bring you a certain self reliance and strength that you may not know you had. Also they are very temporary - - being in a new location for a few months, if you have made some effort you will have a few new friends so this is really an issue for the first few months after moving.

One of my great lifetime desires is to someday, live in a place where I have long time roots like "other people". I am nearly at that point in Louisiana, where I have lived for 11+ years, and where I have made herculean efforts to learn about the community and find my place here. While I really DO understand your feelings and why you say these things, I also do not feel constrained by the same issues.

---------------------------- --------------------------------- ----------
I left Texas in the late 70's and I entered the military and then (after I left the military) I worked for the government. During almost 27 years plus of service I traveled and lived all over the world. Thus it was hard to really have a place to call home. The things that I brought up were all based on my experiences from being away from home/TEXAS, and my family, and never having a place of our own.

In early 2006 I retired at the age of 48. We moved from NJ to TX for the purpose of taking care of my parents and grandmother. Unfortunately my mother died the da

08-25-2007, 02:43 PM	#32
waltwill8 Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: S.W. Minnesota Posts: 86	Silly list I checked the list for Minnesota, where I live. One of the towns was Hendricks. Not a bad town, but if you moved to the other side of the lake, about a mile, you would be in South Dakota (no income tax!) I think the lists were computer generated from some unstated criteria that may or may not be important to you.

08-25-2007, 11:17 PM	#34
Wags Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 961	Best Place to Retire Study I have never heard of the cities in TEXAS. I am happy living in West Texas. Yes the mosquitos are big and nasty and I know that some parts of Texas are not that GREAT. But guess what for those of us that return it is a choice. As some of the posts say it is nice to have someone to talk with or in some cases a shoulder to cry on. Living in a place where you do not know anyone could be hard if one was to get sick, be in the hospital, lose their home, etc.., etc.... GOD BLESS

08-26-2007, 11:47 AM	#37
Ed_The_Gypsy Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,889	Don't say that, Orchidflower. I learned a lot in this thread. Mostly it comes down to, be careful. __________________ "Ain't got no money for no old-age pension; I'm so broke, I can't pay attention!"

08-24-2007, 10:03 PM	#21
Spanky Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 2,800	That's _ . _ . / _ _ _ / _ _ _ / . _ . . (COOL)

08-24-2007, 10:56 PM	#23
GoodSense Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 361	The only city in my state that I've heard of is actually quite close to the central city, except that it only has a population of 400 or so. I suspect this is a list of "Best Tiny Towns for Retirement."

08-25-2007, 12:28 AM	#24
Spanky Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 2,800	4 of the top 5 cities in Minnesota are located over 130 miles from the metropolitan area (Minneapolis /St .Paul). Three of them are within 20 miles apart (from each other) in the lake resort area. I guess if you like fishing and quietness, these small towns are fine.

08-25-2007, 04:21 AM	#25
Orchidflower Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Il-Ia. border Posts: 1,027	I think alot of these studies consider anything within a 2 hour driving range from a major metropolitan area CLOSE. Not. Maybe they think that retirees just love to spend all their time in the car. Checked out Washington State spots...cough, cough...can we say pricey? A few of the places seemed like good suggestions, tho. And they didn't lie about these small cities/villages being retiree hotspots. If you look at the percentage of retirees in these cities, most of them are retiree spots with over a third of the population being...retirees.

08-25-2007, 05:35 AM	#26
theloneranger Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 65	Some weird Rx's. Montrose, MS listed as place to worry about whether your neighbor's yard is better kept? This is barely a wide spot in the road, with one C store and no more than six houses.

08-25-2007, 07:58 AM	#27
Moemg Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Sarasota,fl. Posts: 3,264	There are retirees and there are retirees .If your a young active retiree in your 50's early 60's it will drive you nuts to live in a retirement area that is mainly older retirees who's main discusion is their health and bowel habits and the health of their neighbors .Trust me been there done that !

08-25-2007, 11:22 AM	#30
Spanky Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 2,800	What are the criteria used to rank the top 5 counties? I also clicked on their "school and Statistics" link and found that many schools with over 50% of the students falls below basic category in reading and math skills.

08-25-2007, 11:24 AM	#31
Tiger Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 392	I've only heard of one town on the list from NY. Of the 4 states I am considering moving to out of 20 towns I've heard of 2.

08-26-2007, 11:22 AM	#36
Orchidflower Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Il-Ia. border Posts: 1,027	I guess we all vote to kick this list I put up to the curb, eh? Bad choice to post it on my part. Please forgive me for having bad judgment. Mea culpa. Orchidflower