Ten Best Early Retirement Towns
- Thread starter W2R
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Brunswick, Bath or Kittery?
I agree. Omaha I heard has really changed but still in the Midwest. No SD for sure. Moving to LH would be incredibly hot. However, on the huge holiday weekends there are certainly some crazy sights to see (and I'm not talking scenery). Went with a group of guys a couple years during Memorial Day and I have to say it was like going to a strip club. Had to close my eyes every day.
Chuckanut
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
He did not mention my home town, so I will give it one Thumbs-Up.
[-]Get Off My Lawn![/-] Get Out of My Town!
[-]Get Off My Lawn![/-] Get Out of My Town!
None of the above - Winter Harbor. Way Down East. (My screen name gives a hint).
timo2
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That sounds ominous. Hotel Appalachia?
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Understood. I could add 1120 to mine. That place has been gone for a long time.
Closed in 2002. I went to the ceremony at which the Schoodic site (located within the Schoodic Section of Acadia National Park) was turned back to the Park Service. They use it now for an educational/research/conference center, an ideal use given the housing/feeding/recreational facilities the Navy left. Also, an idyllic setting. (Well, maybe not in February).
Spent some time with your lot many moons ago.
Offgrid Organic Farmer
Full time employment: Posting here.
When I retired, we were living in Italy, my visa expired and we felt that we needed to migrate back stateside.
We could have gone anywhere, and we have lived so many places that we were already familiar with a lot of places that we knew we did NOT want to settle.
So we chose Maine. We have now been here for 12 years and we love it.
If I could convince my better half to spend 6 months in South Dakota, I would. It wouldn't be Pierre, however.
Central and Eastern SD is way too windy. I dislike wind even more than cold.
Western SD is absolutely beautiful, and there are plenty of outdoor activities. They do lack proximity to any larger town, and frankly their food is pretty bad.
Central and Eastern SD is way too windy. I dislike wind even more than cold.
Western SD is absolutely beautiful, and there are plenty of outdoor activities. They do lack proximity to any larger town, and frankly their food is pretty bad.
zinger1457
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Lake Havasu wouldn't make my top 10 list for towns/cities in Arizona, visited a couple times and no burning desire to go back. Pretty much in the middle of nowhere, long drive just to get to a decent airport.
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harllee
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I would like to live in Savannah Georgia in the winter. But it is too hot and muggy and buggy in the summer. Give me Savannah in the winter and the North Carolina mountains in the summer and I am very happy. Actually what I do is Chapel Hill NC (college town, middle of the state) in the winter and Banner Elk NC (NC mountains) in the summer. I have the best of all worlds.
timo2
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A place that has Western SD like ambience, but IMO is nicer than SD is Sheridan WY. The Big Horn mountains are really great. And Not so many tourists like over in the Cody/Yellowstone area. Plus Billings MT is 2 hours north and is larger than Rapid City for services.
https://www.greatretirementspots.com/short-profiles-sheridan-wyoming.htm
harley
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Me too. I could add 420 to mine.
We looked at Sheridan (along with Cody, Buffalo, Casper, and Cheyenne) and agree that it is worth a look. But most of those Wyoming cities are high altitude, which tends to stretch the winters out more than other locations at the same latitude. I suspect the climates of those cities are sunnier and drier than most people realize who haven't checked climate maps. On the other hand, services are sparse and it takes a certain mind-set to handle the isolation. Definitely not for everyone. It appealed to me, but not my wife.
Back to the video in the OP: I thought it odd that one of the criteria was a location with a large cohort in the same age range as the early retiree. While I understand that means more people to hang out with of the same age-culture, they are mostly going to be working at day jobs and the early retiree may not fit in with their own cohort.
ohyes
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After years of saying we might retire in MA or ME or NW AR or The Villages (just kinda thought about that last one), we finally retired to Fayetteville, AR two weeks ago. So far, so good. We downsized from 2200 to 1300 sf. We have only met two neighbors and cannot remember either's name. This feels like a good fit. 
I lived here 1973-1978, but not much looks familiar.
DH and I met in Portland, ME...our oldest child was born there. We still visit every year or so. Love the ocean and the smells and sounds of the sea gulls, etc.--but it is much different these days. We cannot afford it, but even if we could.....not thinking we would care to retire there.
I lived here 1973-1978, but not much looks familiar.DH and I met in Portland, ME...our oldest child was born there. We still visit every year or so. Love the ocean and the smells and sounds of the sea gulls, etc.--but it is much different these days. We cannot afford it, but even if we could.....not thinking we would care to retire there.
OP
OP
W2R
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After years of saying we might retire in MA or ME or NW AR or The Villages (just kinda thought about that last one), we finally retired to Fayetteville, AR two weeks ago. So far, so good. We downsized from 2200 to 1300 sf. We have only met two neighbors and cannot remember either's name. This feels like a good fit.
How exciting! I hope you love living there now that you are retired. Fayetteville was in our top three towns, when we were planning to move somewhere after retirement. We didn't move, but I still think those three towns seem very nice.
Markola
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Hay Markola already gained weight from all that great fried food in this town. Sold the house out west and moved to Savannah on the water. Like several other threads been living in a remodel for the past few months but found we love this town. It has all 4 seasons (summer is hot and humid) but fall is perfect. I watch the dolphins daily. Cost of living is much better than Cali (who insists on taxing me for years to come even though I declared a non resident). Oh well, just remember to say y'all, thank you mam, bless your heart, and tell your mama hi!!.
You’re learning fast! Enjoy the dolphins. I grew up in the area but have spent my life “Somewhere, Up North”, as in, “Where’d he go?” “I don’t know, somewhere up north.” The upper Midwest has its charms and friendly people but no one up here calls me “Sugar, Baby, Darlin’, Sweetie, or Honey.” Looking forward to my fix.
ncbill
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Doubt I'll ever leave my current location...now back in my hometown.
The university is just down the street, my city's downtown has finally gentrified like most other cities of its size, so lots of things to do/see.
Two hours to the mountains, four hours to the beach.
30 minutes to a regional airport where clearing TSA is a breeze compared to the closest major airports...those are each 1.5 hours away...worth it sometimes for cheaper flights.
The university is just down the street, my city's downtown has finally gentrified like most other cities of its size, so lots of things to do/see.
Two hours to the mountains, four hours to the beach.
30 minutes to a regional airport where clearing TSA is a breeze compared to the closest major airports...those are each 1.5 hours away...worth it sometimes for cheaper flights.
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After years of saying we might retire in MA or ME or NW AR or The Villages (just kinda thought about that last one), we finally retired to Fayetteville, AR two weeks ago. So far, so good. We downsized from 2200 to 1300 sf. We have only met two neighbors and cannot remember either's name. This feels like a good fit.
DH and I met in Portland, ME...our oldest child was born there. We still visit every year or so. Love the ocean and the smells and sounds of the sea gulls, etc.--but it is much different these days. We cannot afford it, but even if we could.....not thinking we would care to retire there.
We settled in Springdale AR just this summer. I’m surprised NWA didn’t make this list, it sure makes many ‘best places’ loving the area so far.
Offgrid Organic Farmer
Full time employment: Posting here.
We have friends who live in Portland Maine. Every time we visit them, their primary topic is the high Cost-of-living there in Portland. [in their minds, they assume the Cost-of-living is the same across all Maine, without knowing us, they would not know anyone to show them different].
I live in the Southern-half of Maine, about 20 miles North of Bangor. My Cost-of-living is between a third to a half of what their Cost-of-living is.
Rural Maine has a lot lower Cost-of-living compared to the cities.
Badger
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I spent the last 6 years before retirement searching the country for a place to retire. I looked at every website and magazine that had articles and suggestions as well as programs where you input your preferences for a search. I also went to the chamber of commerce websites for the various towns. I have also traveled the country on numerous long vacations as well as for work. My prioritized list of criteria was very long. After years of searching I finally began to realize that I was already there and didn't need to move. Nothing came even close to "ticking off the boxes" as where I have been.
In my case the grass was already green here.
Cheers!
In my case the grass was already green here.
Cheers!
I was forced out of my job at age 62. I am now 63. My husband is retiring in another week and a half at age 65 1/2. We are moving to NH from NY (Hudson Valley area). We also considered VT, Delaware, Tennessee (never been), Fla.(ugh), Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, the Carolinas (never been), Maine, Alabama (never been), PA, South Dakota (never been), Colorado.
We don't like big cities. We are moving just outside a very small city to a lakes region. It is not a 55+ community but it is very much like one. Touristy area, but not far from local theater and a college town also. Shopping close by as well.
Having an 1100 square foot house built. We sold our home of 32 years back on Sept. 30th. Currently living in a rental house in NY until the new house is done.
We decided not to throw all these darts on a map and get back to familiarity and where our only child lives.
Second choice would have been VT- if not that it taxes SS and all retirement income.
We don't like big cities. We are moving just outside a very small city to a lakes region. It is not a 55+ community but it is very much like one. Touristy area, but not far from local theater and a college town also. Shopping close by as well.
Having an 1100 square foot house built. We sold our home of 32 years back on Sept. 30th. Currently living in a rental house in NY until the new house is done.
We decided not to throw all these darts on a map and get back to familiarity and where our only child lives.
Second choice would have been VT- if not that it taxes SS and all retirement income.
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