A decent "places to retire" list

[braumeister]

Just came across this recent Forbes list, and thought it was pretty good. I have a few quibbles based on my own travels, but overall this is one of the best lists of its type I've seen.

Just Outside The City - In Photos: The Best 25 Suburbs For Retirement In 2015 - Forbes

To save you the trouble of clicking through them, here's the quick list. Each one is shown with a good set of pros and cons and a few stats.

• Aiken, South Carolina, Charming, historic town of 30,000 20 miles east of Augusta, Ga
• Apple Valley, Minnesota, Newer city of 50,000 on rolling countryside 16 miles south of Minneapolis/St. Paul
• Brentwood, Missouri, Close-in suburb of 8,000 six miles west of St. Louis.
• Broomfield, Colorado, Mile-high suburb of 59,000 sits 13 miles northwest of mile-high Denver
• Cary, North Carolina, Booming Research Triangle city of 151,000 nine miles west of Raleigh,
• Cibolo, Texas, Pleasant country town of 24,000 located 19 miles northwest of San Antonio
• Edmond, Oklahoma, Public-art-festooned city of 87,000 13 miles north of Oklahoma City
• Fitchburg, Wisconsin, Quaint close-in suburb of 26,000 just 5 miles south of state capital Madison
• Fort Thomas, Kentucky, Hilltop city of 16,000 across the Ohio River 5 miles south of Cincinnati
• Fruit Cove, Florida, Waterfront town of 16,000 along St. John's River 15 miles due south of Jacksonville
• Henderson, Nevada, Desert city of 271,000 16 miles southeast of Las Vegas
• La Vista, Nebraska, Instant town of 18,000 just 5 miles southwest of Omaha
• Leander, Texas, Fast-growing town of 32,000 sits 19 miles northwest of trendy Austin
• Madison, Mississippi, Growing city of 25,000 11 miles north of Jackson, the state capital
• Matthews, North Carolina, City of 29,000 on rolling terrain 9 miles southeast of Charlotte
• Munster, Indiana, City of 23,000 across the state line 22 miles southeast of Chicago
• Montgomery Village, Maryland, Farmland turned community of 40,000 21 miles northwest of Washington, D.C
• Noblesville, Indiana, Corn Belt suburb of 57,000 sits 19 miles northeast of Indianapolis
• Oak Grove, Oregon, Scenic close-in suburb of 17,000, just nine miles south of Portland
• Overland Park, Kansas, Osage Plain city of 181,000, located 12 miles southwest of Kansas City
• Plano, Texas, Built-up suburb of 274,000 is 18 miles north of Dallas
• Roswell, Georgia, Pleasant suburb of 94,000 19 miles north of Atlanta
• Tamarac, Florida, Sunny suburb of 63,000 on edge of Everglades 13 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale
• West Des Moines, Iowa, Town of 61,000, just seven miles west of Des Moines, the state capital
• West Jordan, Utah, Rapidly growing suburb of 110,000, situated 13 miles south of Salt Lake City

 

[steelyman]

I'm familiar with a couple of those and think they are good.

Locally, Cary is called "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees"

 

[dallas27]

I'm familiar with a couple of those and think they are good.

Locally, Cary is called "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees"

I prefer apex, down the road.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[steelyman]

Apex is good, too.

 

[Lisa99]

Agree with Henderson Nevada, we live there now.

Don't agree with Plano, Texas. Lived there for 20+ years before moving to Nevada.

 

[Walt34]

• Montgomery Village, Maryland, Farmland turned community of 40,000 21 miles northwest of Washington, D.C

No way! Pure insanity!

Higher than normal crime rate, high property taxes, perpetually clogged nearby interstate (I-270) notorious for coming to a standstill for the slightest disturbance. When that happens every alternative instantly becomes clogged too. It will stay that way for hours.

We lived about 12 miles of there and traffic and taxes were the reason we moved to WV. I seriously doubt that whoever wrote that article spent a day there.

 

[Bamaman]

We see such lists of great places to live on the internet weekly. I seldom agree with many of the cities, however.

I prefer living in a medium size city an hour outside a large, progressive city. And I don't want to mortgage the souls of my two grandchildren to pay excessive property taxes. And I don't want to pay $1,500 per square foot for a house--like we often see people talking about on this website. Give me a big recreational lake with great fishing. I also like being in the middle of the U.S.--within a day's driving distance of the ocean--and Chicago. And I long ago swore off living anywhere they don't have top quality pulled pork barbeque.

 

[razztazz]

Used to live in La vista Nebraska. Nice little town. I still live just across the river

 

[GreenER]

Glad to see there is nothing "decent" on the west coast. Being on one of those lists could endanger a good thing!

 

[aja8888]

I prefer apex, down the road.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

My BIL lives in Cary. Too much traffic and crazy street layouts. Hell to get out of town at rush hour.

 

[dallas27]

My BIL lives in Cary. Too much traffic and crazy street layouts. Hell to get out of town at rush hour.

I work from home. I haven't driven to work since 2000.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Telly]

Cibolo, Texas, Pleasant country town of 24,000 located 19 miles northwest of San Antonio

I've never been to Cibolo, but had passed the exit for it on I-35 many times. I assume it is just a vast wasteland of well-pulverized rubble now, since the Forbes-inspired earthquake that moved it from its original site northeast of San Antonio all the way to northwest of San Antonio. Roughly 20-25 miles away. Good going, Forbes -------------------

 

[Amethyst]

I don't consider the North Carolina Research Triangle area a good fit for us as retired people. Its "boomingness" comes from the large number of high-tech jobs, and is driving up housing prices and causing traffic congestion. Cary, in particular, resembles several MD counties close to D.C. - tons of cul-de-sac developments, with big houses on .3 acre lots.

OTOH, if you're into old-people communities, there are a great many in the area (we know, because a real estate agent immediately tried to interest us in them the moment she heard the word "retired") - and top-notch medical facilities, too.

Amethyst

 

[RunningBum]

I don't consider the North Carolina Research Triangle area a good fit for us as retired people. Its "boomingness" comes from the large number of high-tech jobs, and is driving up housing prices and causing traffic congestion. Cary, in particular, resembles several MD counties close to D.C. - tons of cul-de-sac developments, with big houses on .3 acre lots.

OTOH, if you're into old-people communities, there are a great many in the area (we know, because a real estate agent immediately tried to interest us in them the moment she heard the word "retired") - and top-notch medical facilities, too.

Amethyst

Agree. I moved away from Cary when I was preparing to retire because I just didn't like the boom town feel. Heavy traffic not only getting into RTP and Raleigh, but also around the many shopping areas that popped up.

Circumstances not of my choosing put me in the town between Leander and Austin for a few years and it wasn't much different. Leander was a bit further out than Cary was, but I think the new light rail might reach it and bring more development.

There was a lot to like about both places, but they weren't for me for retirement. If you wanted to be next to a larger city, they aren't bad choices.

 

[Amethyst]

Trouble is, a person still has to drive to shopping, doctor, etc.

Where I currently live, congestion has gotten so bad around the shopping/medical/pretty much anything, that even being retired and able to go out in the middle of a weekday isn't much of an advantage any more. The only time that is less congested is weekdays between about 10 a.m. and 11:30.

I foresee the Triangle going this route, although their boom is occurring much later, and they have a bit more room to work with...in our area, the city planning was done in the 1960's and the planners obviously couldn't conceive of the demand of the 2000s and beyond.

Amethyst

I work from home. I haven't driven to work since 2000.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[HFWR]

Agree with Henderson Nevada, we live there now.

Don't agree with Plano, Texas. Lived there for 20+ years before moving to Nevada.

Stepfordville...

 

[GTFan]

Don't agree with Roswell GA on that list - it's just north of the ATL and, while a nice area, is extremely congested. Way too much traffic for me.

 

[steelyman]

Let's say "in or around" The Triangle works. I have siblings/old friends "in or around" The Triad. We're like The Partridges - The "In Or Around" Family.

 

[unclemick]

Where you are at is usually ok once you find out what the locals do.



heh heh heh - as long as I am within an hour's drive or so of ? fishing, football, etc.

 

[Amethyst]

I am thinking the Triad is likely to be quite a bit cheaper than the Triangle (which is itself about 8 large counties in size!)

Let's say "in or around" The Triangle works. I have siblings/old friends "in or around" The Triad. We're like The Partridges - The "In Or Around" Family.

 

[steelyman]

I am thinking the Triad is likely to be quite a bit cheaper than the Triangle (which is itself about 8 large counties in size!)

I am thinking you are right!

And if you're into baseball, you get the Greensboro Grasshoppers

 

[LinCella]

This list just confirms what I already knew - I need to leave California!