Choosing A Good Place to Retire

[W2R]

A study I saw many years ago showed that people who hang around the area where they lived and worked all of their lives tend to die within an average of 18 months. People who up and move across the country (such as New York to Florida, or Ohio to Arizona) tend to live a lot longer than if they stayed put.

There are several reasons for this but the one that makes the most sense is, simply, the activity and stimulation that go along with a major move and adapting to a new area tend to occupy one's mind constructively and this leads to a more positive outlook and better overall health.

Many retirees who stay in the area where they worked for 30 years or so tend to dwell on how much they miss the comraderie of the work environment and suchlike and that takes a toll on both psychological and physiological well-being.

Not me. When I retire in a couple of years, I'M OUTTA HERE!

Me too! Moving can be an adventure, and can lead to a better quality of life. Low crime, low cost of living, a peaceful, walkable community, and no hurricanes will all contribute to a better quality of life for me. Interesting point about the increased length of life. I didn't realize that.

 

[Tiger]

That list once attracted me. I spent some time in the NM places, and no thanks. However Reno really is the "Biggest Little City in the World", and is definitely a contender. If my kids ever left here I woujld be strongly tempted to head down there.
Ha

Ha,

What didn't you like about NM and what towns did you visit? Also what are the places you have under consideration?

 

[Tiger]

Tiger, I am very interested to look at the web sites you've collected. I think this info will be beneficial for others as well.

Here ya go.

Sperling's BestPlaces
The Best Retirement Cities and Towns in the U.S. - Home prices, demographics, environment, crime, etc.
Best Places to Live: Compare the Best Cities & Small Towns for You!
Side-by-Side City Comparison
Stats about all US cities - relocation info, maps, race, income, photos, education, crime, weather, houses, etc.
Real Estate Search and Real Estate Tools at Moving.com
Stats about all US cities - relocation info, maps, race, income, photos, education, crime, weather, houses, etc.
Cost of Living - Cost of Living Calculator from CNNMoney
ePodunk - Profiling 46,000 cities, villages, towns, townships and podunks across America
City-Data.com Forum: Relocation, Moving, Local City Discussions

 

[Moemg]

That's a tough one, M. It will be tough to give up Florida during the 7 good weather months, it's just so beautiful here and the only place you can really enjoy true subtropical living. And two sets of kids are distant for us. We're trying to figure out if RVing makes sense for us half-time or so (vagabonding, settling a couple months near each kid place), maybe combined with a major Florida downsizing.

I'm also thinking about that or becoming a reverse snow bird . I really miss the winter so I've been thinking maybe the way to go is to trade my house for a house near my daughter for the month of Nov.& Dec..

 

[REWahoo]

A study I saw many years ago showed that people who hang around the area where they lived and worked all of their lives tend to die within an average of 18 months. People who up and move across the country (such as New York to Florida, or Ohio to Arizona) tend to live a lot longer than if they stayed put.

Interesting. Can you provide some additional information to allow us to verify this?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Originally Posted by want2xplore
A study I saw many years ago showed that people who hang around the area where they lived and worked all of their lives tend to die within an average of 18 months. People who up and move across the country (such as New York to Florida, or Ohio to Arizona) tend to live a lot longer than if they stayed put.


If that is the case, isn't it logical that people who are ill, or sedentary, or depressed or otherwise have a shorter life expectancy might be less inclined to make a major life move, compared to those 60-65 year old who are active, robust, healthy, etc.?

I'm real skeptical of the cause-and-effect side of that kind of research. But, as someone who has moved several times over my career, I do find the moves invigorating and rejuvenating. I miss the friends, but quickly make new ones and enjoy the excitement of getting to know a whole new world.

 

[SteveR]

We are moving 4 hours away to still be near the kids and grandkids. If it were up to me I would sell the house and invest the proceeds and live in the MH for a few years to see where I really want to live. Our compromise plan is to sell the house and move far enough south to get out of the worst of winter. The downside is summers will be 5-10 degrees hotter but our plan is to not be there during the worst of it.

Out here most major cities are at least 500 miles apart with hundreds of miles of "not much" in between. After a while you stop measuring the miles and just think of it in hours. 7 hours to Las Vegas, 6 hours to Reno, 8 hours to Denver, etc. Once we move Las Vegas is only a couple of hours away so that will be our new shopping and medical area. We don't gamble so we see Vegas as just another big city, only more well lit.

 

[megacorp-firee]

A study I saw many years ago showed that people who hang around the area where they lived and worked all of their lives tend to die within an average of 18 months. People who up and move across the country (such as New York to Florida, or Ohio to Arizona) tend to live a lot longer than if they stayed put.

There are several reasons for this but the one that makes the most sense is, simply, the activity and stimulation that go along with a major move and adapting to a new area tend to occupy one's mind constructively and this leads to a more positive outlook and better overall health.

Many retirees who stay in the area where they worked for 30 years or so tend to dwell on how much they miss the comraderie of the work environment and suchlike and that takes a toll on both psychological and physiological well-being.

Not me. When I retire in a couple of years, I'M OUTTA HERE!

Applying Occam's razor
"All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best",
I would say that the reason for this is that people who are in poor health cannot move across the room, much less across the country. They are in health care facilities, hospitals, hospices, their own homes and are not mobile. Hence the mortality rate is higher.
People who are in good health can move across the country or around the world and they have a tendency to live longer because they were in better health to begin with.
Therefore, by all means move when you get to FIRE ... it means you are in good enough health to enjoy more years of it.

This has made my day ... as I am about 14,000 miles from home right now.

 

[haha]

A study I saw many years ago showed that people who hang around the area where they lived and worked all of their lives tend to die within an average of 18 months. People who up and move across the country (such as New York to Florida, or Ohio to Arizona) tend to live a lot longer than if they stayed put.

There are several reasons for this but the one that makes the most sense is, simply, the activity and stimulation that go along with a major move and adapting to a new area tend to occupy one's mind constructively and this leads to a more positive outlook and better overall health.

This is basically impossible. Average life expectancy is too long for many people to be dying within 18 months of retirement, and most people do indeed stay put.

And when you get to imagining the most likely "reasons" for this impossible result you come up with one that would be expected from a senior community development marketing department.

Try this one instead- it takes a certain amount of health and confidence in your health to pull up roots and take off. If you have terminal cancer are you likely to move to Florida?

Ha

 

[Ronstar]

How many here have two homes? It would be the best of both worlds to have a vacation/2nd home somewhere warm in the winter and your primary home in the N.E/midwest with family and friends. Is this difficult to do logistically, having to take care of 2 homes, especially when your not there for extended periods of time?

Have a house in Illinois and condo in Az. Logistically, the condo was a little difficult at first with deliveries, setting up furniture, setting up accounts, etc. Now everything is set up and I have a service to check in twice a month when I'm not there. I'm in a HOA that takes care of the outside. I dont get any mail there. Everything is running smooth now - just wish I could spend more time there.

 

[W2R]

This has made my day ... as I am about 14,000 miles from home right now.

If you don't mind my asking about where are you, and why? I have noticed from your references to your local time that you are on the other side of the earth, somewhere. Are you vacationing in Asia? I guess I should read the travel section of this message board, and then I'd probably know. Oh well. Anyway, take lots of photos and have a great time.

 

[W2R]

Have a house in Illinois and condo in Az. Logistically, the condo was a little difficult at first with deliveries, setting up furniture, setting up accounts, etc. Now everything is set up and I have a service to check in twice a month when I'm not there. I'm in a HOA that takes care of the outside. I dont get any mail there. Everything is running smooth now - just wish I could spend more time there.

Sounds great! When do get a chance to go to Arizona, is it difficult to care for your house in Illinois?

I guess that in the winter you could shut off the water and empty the pipes in the house and in the summer you could hire someone to keep the yard mowed. And then in any season, you could shut off utilities and stop the mail, but I have no idea what other issues might arise.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i think i'll be on a reverse migration, retiring out of florida. having lived here since 1974, i've already done my time served. so i can leave now. i lived here to be with family, most of whom have died. so many friends have either died or left it's like living in a ghost town. most likely even my brother will leave the state after his kids are done with school.

i've been more concerned about people than place (though fortunately my people lived in some pretty gr8 places). i hardly ever even considered living away from family (i'm such a momma's boy) and besides college i've never quite left home. now it doesn't seem to matter where i'll be. i just know i don't want to be here.

i think i will make a good retired vagabond, at least for a while. in my current state of mind, i can't imagine finding any particular town possessing qualities that will make up for the lives that i have lost. but who knows, maybe i'll meet someone along the way who will make me feel at home.

 

[megacorp-firee]

If you don't mind my asking about where are you, and why? I have noticed from your references to your local time that you are on the other side of the earth, somewhere. Are you vacationing in Asia? I guess I should read the travel section of this message board, and then I'd probably know. Oh well. Anyway, take lots of photos and have a great time.

Yep, been traveling Asia for a while now... Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, SuChow, Hong Kong, Kunming, Lijang, Taiwan, Japan, ...etc.. Will be back in spring. I had to get outta the snow for one winter just because I'm RETIRED! and can do it.

 

[Goonie]

Sounds great! When do get a chance to go to Arizona, is it difficult to care for your house in Illinois?

I guess that in the winter you could shut off the water and empty the pipes in the house and in the summer you could hire someone to keep the yard mowed. And then in any season, you could shut off utilities and stop the mail, but I have no idea what other issues might arise.

W2R, I know this was directed to Ronstar, but when we go away for any length of time, our neighbors look after things here. One of our neighbors has our house and car keys, does a daily house check, clears away snow in the winter, and takes in the mail & newspaper. If we go on a bus trip, he picks up our car where we catch the bus, and then he takes it back there on the day we return. One of the other neighbor's kids cuts our grass as needed, and still another neighbor waters the gardens and flowers. Of course we reciprocate the kindness!

So you can see, this was/is a GREAT place to retire!

 

[Dawg52]

Fascinating! It came up with small towns in Missouri (where we plan to ER) and small towns in Pennsylvania, for us. Frank loves Pennsylvania, and it is a state we would consider if Missouri didn't work out for us. This search engine is worth trying! I think it is pretty good.

Yes, a very good site. I just book marked it.

 

[lightspeed]

I'm hoping to retire before our kids get to college, so I want don't want to be too rigid in my thinking about where to go. We're happy with the spot we are in from the raising kids point of view. We have strong public schools and an excellent family oriented community. Once they leave, we want to be within driving distance of at least one, if not both, of our 2 kids. Hopefully, one will be near big water and the other near big mountains.

 

[Meadbh]

Also, I have the opportunity to choose (within limits, anyway), which is something that was seldom available to me before.

Likewise. Been following the j*b opportunities throughout my career. ER will be my chance to choose a location.

 

[martyb]

7 out of the first 10 locations listed based on my inputs were in the state of Texas! Whaddaya know? I'm not an original Texan, but the wife is. I did live in and around Austin for 15 years, so I guess I'm an adopted Texican!!! 4 years, 11 months and 22 days!!!

 

[Ronstar]

Sounds great! When do get a chance to go to Arizona, is it difficult to care for your house in Illinois?

I guess that in the winter you could shut off the water and empty the pipes in the house and in the summer you could hire someone to keep the yard mowed. And then in any season, you could shut off utilities and stop the mail, but I have no idea what other issues might arise.

It is definitely tougher being away from our house in Illinois. Like you said - mainly utilities, mail, grass.

1. Turn off the water in winter & summer - I dont empty the pipes totally
2. Unplug water purifier and water softener - they dont work too well when the water is shut off.
3. Turn off the mail
4. Get the grass cut in the summer
5. Had the MIL housesit once for 2 weeks, but now she makes occasional stops.
6. Try not to buy anything that would be delivered by UPS while gone.
7. I havent solved plant/flower watering in the summer

I'm rarely gone more than a week. I dont know how people manage their houses while away for months at a time.

 

[W2R]

It is definitely tougher being away from our house in Illinois. Like you said - mainly utilities, mail, grass.

1. Turn off the water in winter & summer - I dont empty the pipes totally
2. Unplug water purifier and water softener - they dont work too well when the water is shut off.
3. Turn off the mail
4. Get the grass cut in the summer
5. Had the MIL housesit once for 2 weeks, but now she makes occasional stops.
6. Try not to buy anything that would be delivered by UPS while gone.
7. I havent solved plant/flower watering in the summer

I'm rarely gone more than a week. I dont know how people manage their houses while away for months at a time.

Thanks. I don't know, either. The reason I was so inquisitive is that I plan to ER in Missouri, which has a similar climate to Illinois. That will be in 22 months. I could afford to buy my ER house now, but taking care of it for the next two years presents some challenges so I think I'll wait.

 

[Goonie]

I dont know how people manage their houses while away for months at a time.

Thanks. I don't know, either.

We have a neighbor across the street that goes to her winter cottage in central FL just before Thanksgiving every fall, and returns home in mid-April. Her neighbor (the same one that watches our place when we're gone) watches her house and maintains things. He also gets the added benefit of having her garage to keep his truck and tractor in all winter! He does her lawn maintenance for her when she's home too.

A few years ago we were up in the Canadian Rockies on vacation, and I saw on the internet that out area had been hit by some fairly nasty storms. So I called my neighbor to see how everything was. He said "Did I call you?" I said "No." He said "Then everything's alright.....I'll call you if I need to. Now get off the d*mn phone, relax, and enjoy the rest of your vacation!" Click!

That's one of the nice things about having 'true blue' neighbors watching out for one another!

 

[mb]

How many here have two homes? It would be the best of both worlds to have a vacation/2nd home somewhere warm in the winter and your primary home in the N.E/midwest with family and friends. Is this difficult to do logistically, having to take care of 2 homes, especially when your not there for extended periods of time?

Have the benefits of mild winters, mild summers, close to DWs family and one day drive to my family with just one house in CA

Of course one house in CA frequently costs more than two houses elsewhere in the country

 

[W2R]

That's one of the nice things about having 'true blue' neighbors watching out for one another!

That's really nice. If someone is there who is willing to take care of everything for you while you are gone, whether neighbor, spouse, or other relatives, then basically there is no problem. However, I would not feel right about asking future neighbors to take care of a house for two years if I have never lived there. Oh well!

You can tell I was drooling over houses in SW Missouri online again, today. I will just have to be patient, since there will still be great houses there in a couple of years.

 

[Goonie]

However, I would not feel right about asking future neighbors to take care of a house for two years if I have never lived there. Oh well!

Very true! It would probably help if you and your neighbors knew each other!