do you love where you live? retirement location

[moneymama]

hi!
I cannot believe the wealth of information I learn from this website. I always thought Florida was the plan for our retirement.....however, you all post amazing things about your location.

my questions are:

1. Where are you living? (state)
2. Is there snow? lol -- hoping never to see snow again when I retire
3. why do you love your location?
4. Is it expensive (taxes, etc.) housing costs, etc.

TN, the Carolinas and Georgia are sounding pretty good right now....

thank you all for your input

 

[wrigley]

I live in Jacksonville Florida and I love where I live because both my children are here as well as my grandson!

Mike

 

[Big_Hitter]

1) IdaHO
2) Some, but it doesn't usually stay long in the valley
3) I live on a golf course, 4 miles from w*rk, 30 minutes from a ski hill with a killer view of downtown and the valley; very low crime and friendly people; high desert dry climate
4) No

 

[FANOFJESUS]

Where are you living? (state) MO
Is there snow? Yes I am guessing 18 a year or less
why do you love your location? Yes close to everything but hate the humidity.
Is it expensive (taxes, etc.) housing costs, etc. No it is very cheap.

 

[robertf57]

1) Phoenix area, AZ
2) There is snow in the high country north of here (Flagstaff, etc)
3) Great weather until the summer. Metropolitan advantages but lost of nature surrounding
4) Depends. There is a state income tax, property taxes are less than say, TX. Property values are not cheap

 

[Meadbh]

1. British Columbia, Canada
2. Yes, but mostly on the mountains
3. Best climate in Canada, fabulous scenery, so much to do
4. Property is moderately expensive but property taxes and income taxes are relatively low

 

[2017ish]

• Where are you living? TN/Nashville (even more than most, there are distinct parts to this state).
• Is there snow? Some years a bit. But the City unofficially closes.
• why do you love your location? Music of all sorts, not too crowded, booming restaurant scene, close to mountains, small, user-friendly airport with easy connections, and the weather (in 2004, DW literally drew line and said "moving south of here.")
• Is it expensive (taxes, etc.) housing costs, etc. No, although prices are rising, they remain on the low side. East Tennessee is going to be cheaper, but you have tradeoffs.

 

[MRG]

Agree with rec7, about MO. doesn't get much snow, it does get ice. More than I'd ever seem in the northeast.

 

[kcowan]

my questions are:
Where are you living? (state) Jalisco MX in PV
Is there snow? lol -- hoping never to see snow again when I retire: Never
why do you love your location? Weather, social activities, lots of other pursuits
Is it expensive (taxes, etc.) housing costs, etc. Cheaper than Florida or AZ

We pay no income tax. Our sales tax is 16%. Medical costs are low. Property tax is under $300.yr. Fresh fruit and vegetables are extremely cheap. So is fish and shrimp.

Beef is about half price to get a good cut. Arrachera is dirt cheap and edible if prepared right. Milk and eggs also dirt cheap. Good cheeses need to be imported (e.g. Tillamook).

 

[Big_Hitter]

1. British Columbia, Canada
2. Yes, but mostly on the mountains
3. Best climate in Canada, fabulous scenery, so much to do
4. Property is moderately expensive but property taxes and income taxes are relatively low

if I was infinitely wealthy, I'd probably live in Victoria, BC

 

[Gunslinger]

Santa Clarita, CA
Snow? What is this stuff you call snow
I love my neighbors/neighborhood
It's So Cal...yes it's expensive.

When I do retire, I'm outta here. Taxes, politics, traffic, heat, etc.

Looking at the areas surrounding Boise, ID when I'm ready. Wife retired a few months back, I'm probably goin gin January 2016 so getting more serious as the days go by.

 

[hesperus]

Southwest Colorado. I won't give away the town, because we don't want too many people moving here!
Snow? Yes, I'm looking at it right now high on the peaks of the san juan mounains.
Love the snow, as I am an avid telemark skiier. I get in usually 30-40 days a season. Mountains are a huge part of my life.

We've got mountains, rivers, desert all within a few minutes. It's paradise really, for an active retiree.

Housing is expensive, around 300-400 sq ft. We bought the dip in 2011, and have no mortgage. Property taxes are very low, you'll pay approx $1K annually on a $700K home.

 

[rodi]

Where are you living? (state)
California

Is there snow? lol -- hoping never to see snow again when I retire
Not where I live - but there are ski areas within driving distance here in the state. I can visit the snow, by choice... but don't have to shovel it or scrape ice from my windshield.

why do you love your location?
I love the cultural diversity, the good mexican food, the weather, the beaches. I love that I can take my dog for a walk on the beach most mornings.

Is it expensive (taxes, etc.) housing costs, etc.
Yes - housing is very expensive. There are fairly high income and sales taxes. Property taxes are relatively low - based on the price you pay for your house and can only increase a small amount each year.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Looking at the areas surrounding Boise, ID when I'm ready.

who would want to retire in Boise?

 

[Ronstar]

Illinois with a few months a year in Arizona
4 months of snow in Illinois, a few flakes in Arizona
Don't love Illinois, but like our neighborhood. Like Az, but would need more space for my toys.
Taxes in Il are above average. Az probably below average.

Would prefer Az, but staying in Il with family/friends for now

 

[travelover]

• Michissippi

• Snow and extreme cold , especially these last few years

• Used to have good wages with a relatively low cost of living, but cold, now - mostly just cold
• Real estate is cheap, but real estate taxes are high

 

[W2R]

1. Where are you living? (state)

I live in New Orleans, Louisiana.

2. Is there snow? lol -- hoping never to see snow again when I retire

Only a dusting of snow maybe once every five years or so. The city comes to a standstill, people drive like lunatics, schools and roads close. Attached is a photo of the worst snow I can recall in recent years, taken by newspaper photographers on December 11, 2008. It was melted by the time I got off work, or I would have taken my own photo.

3. why do you love your location?

I love everything about New Orleans other than hurricanes and the insanely high crime level. (I am coming to terms with the hurricanes, and by now Katrina seems more like a horrible nightmare than reality.)

I even love the heat and high humidity. I love New Orleanians, the music, the art, the architecture, the language, the culture, the history, even the swamps, and the fact that there is so much to do and see in New Orleans that I'll never get bored here.

4. Is it expensive (taxes, etc.) housing costs, etc.

Cost of living is fairly low, or at least not insanely high. Property taxes are very low, and Social Security isn't taxed. State sales tax is 4%, but that is deceptive - - there are local sales taxes too so the total sales tax here is 8.75%. Insurance is high. Home prices are about average, I'd say - - not as high as in cities on the east or west coast, but not as low as they are in small towns in middle America.

It's much less expensive to live in the small towns of central or northern Louisiana, but New Orleans is a different world, culturally, and IMO these small towns are more like other small towns in Mississippi or Alabama, than they are like New Orleans.

 

[eroscott]

We aren't retired but will likely not stay in Chicagoland.
TN and KY are on the list. A view of hills (mtns) would be nice. A lake would be nice.

Related to expense and taxes (fed, IRA distributions, sales tax) ...
Are there any other sites besides this one for doing comparisons?

State-by-State Guide to Taxes on Retirees-Kiplinger

TN, the Carolinas and Georgia are sounding pretty good right now....thank you all for your input

Your list:

 

[Andre1969]

1)Where are you living? (state)

Maryland, in the suburbs, just east of DC.

2)Is there snow? lol -- hoping never to see snow again when I retire

Yes. I've seen it snow as early as November (The Veteran's Day blizzard of '87 was notable around here) and as late as the last week in April (back in 2007 we got about 4-5" that weekend...looked really weird in contrast with the flowers, the leafed-out trees, etc). Usually though, it seems like the snowiest period is around mid-January to mid-Feb. Seems like historically, we've gotten a lot of big storms around President's Day. I'm not sure what the average snowfall is around here, but every 3-4 years it seems like we'll get a good storm that dumps a foot or more. In 2009-2010, we got three storms that did that...one in December and then two back-to-back in early Feb.

3) why do you love your location?

"Love" might be too strong of a word, but I like it here. A lot of it might simply be because it's what I'm used to. I have 4+ acres, and our neighborhood feels nice and secluded, but DC is 15 minutes away, Annapolis is 20, and Baltimore is 30 on a good day. Most of my family is around here. You can get to the mountains in a bit over an hour, or to the Atlantic Ocean in about 2.5-3, depending on traffic. And, while I'm getting less tolerant of cold weather, I do like being able to experience all four seasons. The area is building up, getting more crowded. And even though my neighborhood still feels rural, every once in awhile, a large lot gets sold and subdivided, so that won't last forever. I want to move, maybe in the next 5 years or so, but would probably stay in Maryland. Just an area where it's a bit more secluded. Oh, I'm also 2 1/2 miles from w*rk, which is nice right now, but once I'm retired will be irrelevant.

4) Is it expensive (taxes, etc.) housing costs, etc.

I have a feeling most people would say yes. I've heard it said that Maryland is a state you retire FROM, not TO, because it's expensive. Maybe it's just that I'm used to it, but it doesn't seem that bad to me. Property taxes on the house are about $3200 per year. However, the house is old and small; most of the value is in the land. Housing isn't cheap, but a lot depends on neighborhood, what you want, etc. I could go out to Davidsonville, about 10 miles away, and get a 3br 2.5ba rancher with a 2 car garage on 2.5 acres for about $450K, or for that same $450K, go get a 1-2br condo in DC with no parking.

 

[Alan]

1. Where are you living? (state)

I live in SE Texas, just north of Houston

2. Is there snow? lol -- hoping never to see snow again when I retire

I'm told there is some every now and again but I don't recall any in the 11 years we have lived here, although we were in Baton Rouge in 2008 and '09 and there was some snow there so there may have been some in Houston.

3. why do you love your location?

I don't love it, it's okay but too hot and humid in the summer months which is why we leave every year now that we are retired. We stay because our son lives and works here.

4. Is it expensive (taxes, etc.) housing costs, etc.

No State income tax, and we rent so no direct property taxes. This last 10 days we have visited 2 sets of relatives who live in Santa Monica and Santa Clara, and who rent apartments half the size of ours but pay twice the rent.

 

[Andre1969]

1. Where are you living? (state)

I live in SE Texas, just north of Houston

2. Is there snow? lol -- hoping never to see snow again when I retire

I'm told there is some every now and again but I don't recall any in the 11 years we have lived here, although we were in Baton Rouge in 2008 and '09 and there was some snow there so there may have been some in Houston.

I used to have friends in Houston, and visited there in January 2001. It actually did snow one of the days I was down there! It didn't really stick to anything, and was just enough to get everything wet. Still, I remember seeing one SUV on its roof. Probably would've happened come snow or sunshine, though...

 

[pmichele461]

Currently living in Wisconsin. Hope to eventually move further north, to UP Michigan.

Yes!! We have snow, and we love it!!

Love most everything about Wisconsin [MOD EDIT]. Low crime, best public radio in the country, natural scenery, festivals, Lake Michigan, and great people.

Home prices are low, property taxes are high. General cost of living is low. 5% state sales tax.

 

[Alan]

I used to have friends in Houston, and visited there in January 2001. It actually did snow one of the days I was down there! It didn't really stick to anything, and was just enough to get everything wet. Still, I remember seeing one SUV on its roof. Probably would've happened come snow or sunshine, though...

We lived in Baton Rouge for 17 years and every now and then had snow and ice. Traffic was a nightmare whenever that happened, and they always closed the interstate until the ice melted.

 

[RetireAge50]

Washington State
Not too much and melts quickly
Mild Climate with Clean Air
No Income Tax but Property Tax about $4,000 on modest home.

 

[2017ish]

...

2. Is there snow? lol -- hoping never to see snow again when I retire

I'm told there is some every now and again but I don't recall any in the 11 years we have lived here, although we were in Baton Rouge in 2008 and '09 and there was some snow there so there may have been some in Houston.

...

Yep. S2 was at Rice and the students went nuts the week before (?) exams. From the pictures, it was sufficient for snowmen. Clearly a rare event though.