We moved from NY to TX to be close to my family. We live in a small city about an hour outside of Dallas. I thought we'd miss the city life more than we do. We haven't gone into Dallas once for entertainment and we've been here almost eight years now. We used to go into NYC about once a year.
Where did you retire?
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ShokWaveRider
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No the State does not matter, but the ACCESS to the healthcare does. Honestly we have better access here than SoCAL, I think it is simply there are more doctors, Specialists etc. per capita here, but that is observation and from experience here and not fact. We lived near Laguna Beach, and do miss the weather and a couple of good friends, but honestly not much else. The Traffic was ludicrous and the people congestion was getting silly. Especially around the "Y" and Irvine Spectrum.
Montecfo
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We will always be Texans but we do not judge that it is a better location for us than Northern VA.
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Not bad actually. For MFJ income of $20k to $100k , the rate is 5%. It goes to 5.5% at 100k, 6.0% at 200k and 6.5% at 400k. Top rate is 6.99% beginning at $1 million.
For AGI < $100k, currently 42% of pension income is not taxed (going up stepwise to 100% in 2025) and 100% of Social Security is excluded from tax.
In any event, I planned for taxes when I planned for retirement. In my opinion, a plan that required me to move somewhere cheaper in order to make the numbers work would not have been a good plan.
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Car-Guy
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Native Texan here and IMO just about anyplace is better to move to than Texas....
REWahoo
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harllee
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Actually most college towns are very appealing to retirees. Our town full of retirees and there are many communities being built just for older folks. There are many things to do --cultural events, athletics, good restaurants, the ability to take classes on campus. And since the University here has a first class medical school there is excellent health care. I also actually enjoy being around college students, I live near campus and for the most part have a very good relationship with the college kids in my neighborhood.
W2R
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Here are a few that you came up with years ago....
https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/batteries-79242.html#post1650117
I agree that it is property tax hell! Plus, I think College Station, TX was the hottest place I ever lived including New Orleans. At least here in New Orleans we sometimes get a break in the heat with our plentiful summer rains.
I thought Texas and Texans with their Texan values and outlook on life were terrific when I lived there (1984-1996) despite these disadvantages, but I don't know if I would love Texas now that so many from the west coast are flooding in. From what I hear, a lot has changed.
I thought about College Station as a "Plan B" location, but Frank is not an Aggie and IMO it takes a certain mindset to appreciate living in Aggieland.
Montecfo
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I think you are doing it right from your note earlier about your location, Car-guy.
Younger me could not have imagined a better place to live than Texas (lived there my whole life to that point).
Have been fortunate that my career took me to really desirable places.
It is just prettier here in Nova in both our opinions (both Texans) and we love the mild four-season climate, rolling hills and, yes, the sign ordinances! More trails, open space and shade in Nova than say in Dallas area.
But we find the people friendlier in Texas, with better shopping and restaurants. And the Texas independence and can-do mind set we love and retain. Having not lived there in over 30 years (though a very frequent visitor) I worry it would not feel the same as it did. And I think W2Rs comments about so many people moving there applies. And now the grid, oh boy, it feels like that would so not have happened back in the day when bragging about energy prowess was common. Seems a lot has changed and cities have grown immensely.
Yet it is still better than all but a few places I'd say.
Were we to return we might look in the outskirts of the Metroplex or Tyler area.
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F.I.R.E User
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Are you in Billings?
F.I.R.E User
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What city? Well our taxes are lower here than NY.
F.I.R.E User
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Awesome.
F.I.R.E User
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Are you saying Texas is the worst?
F.I.R.E User
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What matters is overall COL. Property tax is high but everything else is low.
F.I.R.E User
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You can get healthcare if someone has no insurance with students. They are willing to help you. That’s a benefit.
harllee
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Yes, where I live there is an excellent dental school and they are always looking for dental patients who get free dental work, done by students but supervised by the dental faculty.
Lived in the upper Midwest all my life. Always dreamed of leaving but life got in the way.
Five years into retirement, I grew to resent my hometown. State is poorly managed, same for townhouse HOA. Vacations always took us 2000 miles away. Even the nicer local trips were 6 hours away. We were bored out of our minds, tired of damn flat corn fields, 8 months of cold and gloom followed by a few months of sticky humidity.
After 2 years of snowbirding in SE AZ, we moved to Tucson. Should have done it years ago, although we could have never figured this all out while w*rking.
Five years into retirement, I grew to resent my hometown. State is poorly managed, same for townhouse HOA. Vacations always took us 2000 miles away. Even the nicer local trips were 6 hours away. We were bored out of our minds, tired of damn flat corn fields, 8 months of cold and gloom followed by a few months of sticky humidity.
After 2 years of snowbirding in SE AZ, we moved to Tucson. Should have done it years ago, although we could have never figured this all out while w*rking.
street
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Noooooo! Lol! I'm a half day from there thank God! Lol
dm
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Retired in Missouri, but moved to Florida.
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Billings is populated right?
street
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I just looked 110K and that is 109997 to many people for me. Lol It is the largest town in MT. They drive like they are crazy.
NewEnglander
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Another happy CT resident. DW and I retired in the same CT town that we have lived in for the last 30 years. Property taxes are about 1% (we live in one of the lowest tax towns in the state). We love the change of seasons. Last week we spent time in the Massachusetts Berkshires riding our bikes and visiting museums, then a few days of gravel bike riding in Vermont. Today we rode along the CT and RI coasts just 1/2 hour away. We are 2 hours to NYC and 2 hours to Boston. Skiing in Vermont is 2.5 hours away. Hiking in New Hampshire mountains is just 3 hours away. Sea Kayaking in the CT river is a mile away while Long Island Sound is 10 minutes and RI beaches are just 45 minutes away. We can ride bikes from our home on rural beautiful roads either coastal rides or north to the hills or a combination. Not many places where we could go that offers so much in such close proximity. I've traveled to 43 states so far but I can't imagine living anywhere except New England.
We moved from the D.C. area mostly to escape the insane traffic (now right up there with L.A.'s) and a fringe benefit was significantly lower taxes. We only moved about a hundred miles to West Virginia, but it is a world away in culture and traffic. A few days ago I drove out to a model airplane flying site and once I got west of the interstate I saw about five other vehicles in 45 minutes of driving. Not quite as good as Street has it, but about as good as you'll find in the eastern part of the U.S.
And happily for those of us who dislike crowds, WV's population is declining. We just lost a congressional seat in the last census. Of course, if you're looking for a job the news is not quite so bright unless you're working from home. Despite that, at least around here house prices are having the same spike they are almost everywhere else, but this is the "rich part" of the state. A lot of people do that brutal hour-and-a-half commute to the D.C. area.
Edit to add: We did think about medical care. There are three major hospitals within 30 minutes although granted most parts of WV don't have medical access that close.
And happily for those of us who dislike crowds, WV's population is declining. We just lost a congressional seat in the last census. Of course, if you're looking for a job the news is not quite so bright unless you're working from home. Despite that, at least around here house prices are having the same spike they are almost everywhere else, but this is the "rich part" of the state. A lot of people do that brutal hour-and-a-half commute to the D.C. area.
Edit to add: We did think about medical care. There are three major hospitals within 30 minutes although granted most parts of WV don't have medical access that close.
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Grew up in CT and retired in MA and I agree with you. My Navy career brought me to Suburban MD several times; Monterey CA; Tidewater, VA; the Florida Panhandle; the Baltimore area and Maine as well as a couple of overseas locations. Although we enjoyed each and took advantage of what each had to offer, we always wanted to settle down for good in New England. I must be a weirdo because most of my Navy friends who were originally from New England ended up not returning.
Bryan Barnfellow
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My last J*b was here in southern Switzerland, on the northern Italian border. My wife and I loved it so much that upon retirement we decided to stay here. We applied and received permanent residency six years ago. The Swiss franc is about 30% overvalued against the major world currencies, so that keeps us on our toes with respect to spending and financial planning. Traveling to other countries is more affordable, however.
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