New Best Places Analysis

[ShokWaveRider]

Tell me more about the Lake Chapala area. I hear it has weather compared to Honalulu. Do you own/rent on the lake or is a few block away ok? Full-time resident?

The weather seems perfect there.

 

[JoeWras]

So, Florida is #1 on the list. I wonder if they are thinking Pensacola, Miami or Key West.

Heck, add Orlando and JAX to that list. All 5 are very distinct.

 

[gerntz]

Wallethub has published their version of a best places to retire list. Their criteria are affordability, quality of life, and health care.

First and second are Florida and Colorado. The last places are New Jersey and Kentucky.

The article lists their criteria in detail, and some are rather suspect to me. I'm not sure why I would care what share of 65 and older volunteer or have inadequate sleep? Also their tax friendliness rating is for state and local, but the results seem weird (CA is more tax friendly than FL or TX?).

It is clearly aimed at 65+, so YMMV for ER.

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-to-retire/18592/

Love CO, but doubt those with lung and heart related issues would enjoy it there.

 

[Music Lover]

Most such articles that I have read, contain a nod to "living near family" as a factor to consider. Too bad they can't quantify "states where most of your family reside."

My comment was poorly thought out. Obviously, it's impossible to accurately determine what the most important requirements for a retirement location are for all people.

Maybe I should be giving my friends and family heck for not choosing to live somewhere warmer and "forcing" me to stay here...

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We have lived in Florida for over 10 years now since we retired. Before that we lived in SoCAL (15 years) Denver (3 Years), Calgary (3 Years and Toronto (3 Years). I think overall Florida offers the best compromise between Standard of Living, COL, Healthcare, Taxes, Weather and Natural Disasters.

With Respect to the Natural disasters, just make sure you buy a Concrete Home (Not Stick, remember the Big Bad Wolf), keep any thick palms trimmed with a Hurricane cut starting in September, Make sure you are above 10' in Elevation Minimum, and make sure you have a 130mph Plus Roof and Impact Glass windows. Pay a little extra for good home insurance. This is actually a small price to pay for the items mentioned above.

Every year or so we revisit what we think is "our" best place to live, we have no family and are tied to no place in particular. This year I am reviewing SW Florida, Arizona, Nevada and Lake Chapala Mexico.

 

[harley]

Well, here's something else to throw into the pot - Rhode Island, Connecticut and Illinois are the 'worst possible states to live in' (but Louisiana and Mississippi aren't much better). According to the article, Gallup asked people if they were happy with where they lived, and put together the ratings based on percentage that were unhappy. It's a Daily Mail story, thus poorly written, but the statistics are interesting.

 

[W2R]

Well, here's something else to throw into the pot - Rhode Island, Connecticut and Illinois are the 'worst possible states to live in' (but Louisiana and Mississippi aren't much better). According to the article, Gallup asked people if they were happy with where they lived, and put together the ratings based on percentage that were unhappy. It's a Daily Mail story, thus poorly written, but the statistics are interesting.

I have heard that Connecticut is lovely, if you can afford to live there.

I love living where we do in Louisiana, but I admit there is a lot of variety in Louisiana and there are parts of the state that would not appeal to me much. I lived in Meridian, Mississippi back in the 1970's and it seemed perfectly fine to me at that time.

It said the best states were Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Texas. I lived in Texas and it is one of my favorite states. Well, to be fair to REWahoo, it is fine if you don't mind fire ants, brown recluse spiders, rattlesnakes, arsenic in the water supply, Aggies and teasips, high school football insanity, wild thunderstorms, the hottest, dryest, most miserable summers known to mankind, sky high property/school taxes, armadillos in the road that will mess up your tires if you hit them, lyme disease, brain-eating amoebas (oh wait! We have that here too) and much more.

 

[Car-Guy]

This is one list that I wish we were on the absolute bottom. Sorry, but I just don't want anymore folks moving here. It's to crowded already.

 

[W2R]

This is one list that I wish we were on the absolute bottom. Sorry, but I just don't want anymore folks moving here. It's to crowded already.

Hey, I did my best!

 

[Walt34]

I love living where we do in Louisiana, but I admit there is a lot of variety in Louisiana and there are parts of the state that would not appeal to me much.

I would guess that the same is true of every state. There are certainly parts of WV that I wouldn't want to live in. Why, I've even heard rumors that there are parts of New Jersey that are very nice! It's just that you can't see them from I-95.

 

[Car-Guy]

Why, I've even heard rumors that there are parts of New Jersey that are very nice!

Clearly this should be posted in the "It's Funny Joke Thursday" thread.

Although I always liked Atlantic City, from the Boardwalk perspective.

 

[Car-Guy]

Hey, I did my best!

Thanks for trying!

 

[Dawg52]

I lived in Meridian, Mississippi back in the 1970's and it seemed perfectly fine to me at that time.


.

My little town. Looks a lot different than the 70's. More restaurants and hotels. Meridian seems to be a popular overnight stopping off point for travelers. Hotels stay at near capacity most of the year. And the downtown has been undergoing a revitalization the last few years. Hard to get around with streets closed due to construction. But should look a lot better in a few years.

Unlikely I will ever see Meridian on a retirement destination list. It's fine for me tho. My friends are here so i doubt I ever leave. Nice having a vacation condo near the beach as I wouldn't want to stay here 365 days a year.

 

[W2R]

My little town. Looks a lot different than the 70's. More restaurants and hotels. Meridian seems to be a popular overnight stopping off point for travelers. Hotels stay at near capacity most of the year. And the downtown has been undergoing a revitalization the last few years. Hard to get around with streets closed due to construction. But should look a lot better in a few years.

Unlikely I will ever see Meridian on a retirement destination list. It's fine for me tho. My friends are here so i doubt I ever leave. Nice having a vacation condo near the beach as I wouldn't want to stay here 365 days a year.

I can't imagine the downtown being revitalized! When I was there it was pretty old and probably had looked the same for many years. It was a pretty quiet place back then and all those new hotels and restaurants would be quite a change.

 

[W2R]

I would guess that the same is true of every state. There are certainly parts of WV that I wouldn't want to live in. Why, I've even heard rumors that there are parts of New Jersey that are very nice! It's just that you can't see them from I-95.

I went to New Jersey several times on work trips, and saw some extremely nice, quiet, pretty areas. Later I discovered that the houses there cost millions, and then the property taxes often seem high as well. But if someone can afford to live there (I can't), there are some really nice parts of that state.

 

[Dawg52]

I can't imagine the downtown being revitalized! When I was there it was pretty old and probably had looked the same for many years. It was a pretty quiet place back then and all those new hotels and restaurants would be quite a change.

Remember the old Threefoot Building? Tallest building in town. It has been unoccupied for the last 20 years or so. I thought for sure it would be torn down. But it's being turned into a Marriott Courtyard Hotel. Just beginning the renovation. Several other buildings have converted into apartments and condos. A new 'MS Arts and Entertainment Center' is under construction and s/b opened in the Spring. Mississippi State Univ turned one building into a business school. And an old opera house within the building was totally renovated. The opera house hadn't been used since 1927 other than for storage. See below.

Center Overview - MSU Riley Center

Sorry for hijacking thread. Just following up with WTR.

 

[W2R]

Remember the old Threefoot Building? Tallest building in town. It has been unoccupied for the last 20 years or so. I thought for sure it would be torn down. But it's being turned into a Marriott Courtyard Hotel. Just beginning the renovation. Several other buildings have converted into apartments and condos. A new 'MS Arts and Entertainment Center' is under construction and s/b opened in the Spring. Mississippi State Univ turned one building into a business school. And an old opera house within the building was totally renovated. The opera house hadn't been used since 1927 other than for storage. See below.

Center Overview - MSU Riley Center

Sorry for hijacking thread. Just following up with WTR.

All I can say is, WOW!! Looks like they are doing a good job with the Riley Center. I love that they are renovating the old opera house instead of building a new one. Looks like times are changing in Meridian, but at least those doing the updates are trying to respect the historical aspects of Meridian too.