Criteria For Choosing Retirement Location

[skyking1]

I hadn't thought to actually vocalize those items but yes I'll never live in hurricane alley. After the tsunamis I won't live right on the water either. We did look at some high and medium bank properties but they were too difficult to develop.
our situation is 1 mi from the center of town and the Safeway store.
less than a mile and a half to Costco or home Depot.
about 25 minutes to a reasonable hospital.
less than a mile and a half to 100 mi. of the Olympic Discovery trail. I'm a bike guy so that is going to factor in heavily. I can ride to the store ride to Costco with a cargo bike and in general work on my cardio while doing daily things. I was found it easier to ride often if there was some purpose to it.
we're about 40 minutes from three different ferry terminals going to both Canada and the Seattle area and north.
The only shortcoming off of other people's lists is we're not within an hour of SeaTac and that is something I am gladly leaving behind.

 

[Midpack]

I'm surprised to not see anything about physical and geographic danger. I would screen out earthquake zones, hurricane zones, lowlands vulnerable to sea level rise, significant wildland fire risk, vulnerability to drought/anywhere where water is imported from long distance, etc.

We included that, but you’re right to add it. We wanted to live on the east coast and could afford to, but we’re several hours inland solely because of the threat of hurricanes. Insured or not, the disruption has to be awful…

 

[Sniggle]

Danger/risk is definitely something to consider, and I concur that not living in an earthquake zone, hurricane zone, or desert always makes good sense. Also, never living on River Road or any area prone to flooding....I like to see the land falling away in all directions from my home.

Safety is also why I like to be a bit away from any large towns or cities....a good buffer zone between the crazies and me (less crazy), and the ability to establish good fields of fire in case of the zombie apocalypse.

 

[Physics Guy]

Great conversation. Currently my unranked list of criteria is

Climate (short and longer term)
Vibrant area (mostly economy but also includes some measure of attitude)
Affordability (M to HCOL is ok but we are moving from a LCOL area so real estate prices are a big factor)

The last few years living in Seoul have made me realize how much I enjoy things that I didn't have in the suburban US; life with good public transit and easy access to tons of different day hiking. I have a landing place in the US when I retire and leave Seoul but I'm really starting to ramp up a search to see if there is anyplace that can replicate some of the things I love about Seoul and meet the three biggies listed at first.

 

[Physics Guy]

I'm surprised to not see anything about physical and geographic danger. I would screen out earthquake zones, hurricane zones, lowlands vulnerable to sea level rise, significant wildland fire risk, vulnerability to drought/anywhere where water is imported from long distance, etc. .

While I tend not to use the word danger I agree with your idea especially sea level rise, wildfire risk, and vulnerability to drought. I'm also looking to move to areas that are projected to still have comfortable climates in 20+ years.

 

[OldShooter]

Google "volcano ring of fire" for some retirement options.

 

[martyp]

* Proximity to friends and family
* Financials & Cost of Living (home price, future costs, taxes, etc.)
* Climate
* Familiarity with surrounding area

The first 5 years of ER I stayed put where I had spent my entire working adult life. I was near friends and family. Near everything familiar. Located in the suburbs in a place many people consider physically beautiful (the San Francisco Bay Area). Then I visited a friend who had just retired and moved to Bangkok, Thailand. One year later I moved to Bangkok and completely changed my life - for the better (for me). I moved to a big modern city. I no longer own a house and car. I am loving the warm climate and a different culture. I always though my goal was the familiar, comfort, and security. Sometimes change is good.

 

[oiseux]

Even though some things fall into personal preference, I do agree on the universal nature of health care. Access to good health care gets increasingly important. Support services for aging in place can extend your ability to stay independent.

I'd also agree on access to a decent airport.

I'd agree on safety issues being noteworthy if you are at risk of an extreme swing -- things like more severe weather events, etc

Rather than a vibrant economic area I'd prefer something stable yet growing. Vibrant can quickly lead to inflated, crowded and increasingly expensive.

On the more personal criteria, I find access to good, healthy food and a variety of high quality options important for myself. I also need variety in the surrounding area (not too isolated) and access to amenities.

 

[rwdflynavy]

We chose Roanoke Virginia for several reasons:
My wife grew up here
We both love the mountains
We both love some seasons, but not too cold
It is close to our alma mater and we enjoy visiting and football games
COL is medium and much cheaper than the Washington DC area we left
It is a good size city with a good restaurant scene and cultural events
Its a few hours to DC area or the beach
Traffic is gloriously easy here

 

[Music Lover]

While I can understand wanting to avoid hurricane or flood prone areas, one of the lowest criteria on my list would be predictions of future weather. I'm still waiting for the ice age they predicted 50 years ago and the disappearance of winter.