Best places to retire for young active family?

[someguy]

Bank5, no comparison between CA and NC, IMO. Santa Rosa and surrounding area is nice. How does Tahoe compare to other parts of CA you've been to?

 

[Dawg52]

Check out Fort Collins, Colorado

Colorado would be nice, but I would have to keep a small house here for winter getaways. Not sure my old bones could adjust to several months of cold winter weather. But for a young family, I think it would be a great area.

I'm still kicking around the idea of buying a condo or patio home on the AL Coast. I like Fairhope which is a nice retiree kind of town and not too far from Mobile. Plus I have some family in the area.

 

[sgilbert2]

Mooresville NC - close to Charlotte, Lake Norman, great biking

 

[bank5]

Bank5, no comparison between CA and NC, IMO. Santa Rosa and surrounding area is nice. How does Tahoe compare to other parts of CA you've been to?

I love Tahoe. I went skiing there in April and people were skiing in shorts. Drove back to San Francisco the same day and people were swimming in the ocean. Tahoe might be a little remote for me (and especially my wife) to want to settle down though.

 

[anethum]

I did Mountain Bike Oregon in Oakridge last year and had a blast. How does Bend compare, especially weather wise? I know I'm being picky but not sure if the damp winters would bum me out.

Bend is in the rain shadow of the Cascades, so it has a much drier climate than western Oregon. Bend is well-known for having a very high percentage of sunny days. It's high desert, so it will be hotter in the summer and colder in the winter.

 

[fishnfool]

Except for home price (median = $378,000) it sounds like you are describing Santa Rosa, CA.

Good schools.
Great weather. Some rain in the winter, otherwise always outdoor weather.
30 minutes from the coast..lakes even closer.
Great biking. Levi Leipheimer's GranFondo is held there annually. Tour of California passes through every year and ended there in 2013.
Population: 150,000
Has its own regional airport, 70 minutes to SFO

Its too bad Santa Rosa is so ridden with gang problems. But what city in CA doesn't have the gang issues?

 

[Rosie]

Have you looked at Folsom, California?

Close to Lake Folsom, and only a couple hours from Lake Tahoe. Lots of biking trails.

Less than an hour from SMF ( Sacramento Airport )

Two hours from the SF Bay area, Pacific Ocean, and all that the area offers.

Good Schools.

Reasonable weather. A little hot in summer.

Housing a little high - about $375-$450K for average 2000 sq ft, 4 bdrm SFH.

DH and I are thinking of relocating to the Folsom area in a few years. Compared to where we live now (smack-dab in the SF Bay area) the home prices are reasonable -- I guess that's the advantage of living in a high cost area, most other places seem reasonable in comparison. We're avid (road) cyclists and the American River Bike Trail is a big draw for us. The only downside is that it does get mighty warm there ... for us. Living right near the bay makes us wimps when it comes to the heat.

 

[bank5]

Bank5, no comparison between CA and NC, IMO. Santa Rosa and surrounding area is nice. How does Tahoe compare to other parts of CA you've been to?

Where in NC have you been? I'd much rather live in Asheville/Brevard, Boone, Chapel Hill, Raleigh or the Outer Banks than many parts California. Chapel Hill/Cary/Apex is frequently listed on the top places to live in the US

 

[nash031]

Eastlake/Chula Vista, CA. Hits all your marks.

 

[Coolius]

DH and I are thinking of relocating to the Folsom area in a few years. Compared to where we live now (smack-dab in the SF Bay area) the home prices are reasonable -- I guess that's the advantage of living in a high cost area, most other places seem reasonable in comparison. We're avid (road) cyclists and the American River Bike Trail is a big draw for us. The only downside is that it does get mighty warm there ... for us. Living right near the bay makes us wimps when it comes to the heat.

Rosie - it's not that bad, honest. And what is Air Conditioning for, anyway?

You could choose to live closer to the lake, and get some cooling effect from the water. I heard that it make a little difference, but not being in that area, I have no actual experience.

Utility rates are not quite as high as PGE, and the overall cost of living is a little lower than the Bay Area.

( I lived in San Jose for 17 years ).

But housing is about 65% of that in the Bay Area. That's a huge factor for ER consideration. Just be sure to avoid newer housing developments that have Mello-Roos taxes on the property in addition to the usual tax.

 

[someguy]

Where in NC have you been? I'd much rather live in Asheville/Brevard, Boone, Chapel Hill, Raleigh or the Outer Banks than many parts California. Chapel Hill/Cary/Apex is frequently listed on the top places to live in the US

I don't want to get too specific but I've spent a lot of time in most of those citiess. Obviously everyone's definition of "best weather" varies, but inner NC gets very hot and brutally humid in the summers. The coastal areas are a bit better, but Outer Banks is expensive and prone to having to rebuild. And winters have long enough periods of being too cold to really enjoy the outdoors. OTOH, there is lots of green and housing is very affordable. Also, CLT is a hub for US Air if you are into travel.

I'm generalizing, but in terms of cultural progressiveness, my experience was that NC was about 10 years behind my midwest home town which in turn was about 10 years behind much of CA.

I think one of the reasons research triangle is often rated so highly is for jobs, which presumably is of little concern to you and the retired?

 

[Cat-tirement]

Bend is in the rain shadow of the Cascades, so it has a much drier climate than western Oregon. Bend is well-known for having a very high percentage of sunny days. It's high desert, so it will be hotter in the summer and colder in the winter.

One of the things I like about the weather in Bend - Even when it's hot during the day, it pretty much always cools off significantly in the evening. It's pretty common to have 30 degrees between the high and low temperatures, sometimes as much as 40.

Since you mentioned Oakridge, it's pretty easy to do a day trip from Bend to ride there. (Just did it in June.) It's also really interesting to see the transition in the plant life and terrain driving between Bend and Oakridge.

 

[bank5]

I don't want to get too specific but I've spent a lot of time in most of those citiess. Obviously everyone's definition of "best weather" varies, but inner NC gets very hot and brutally humid in the summers. The coastal areas are a bit better, but Outer Banks is expensive and prone to having to rebuild. And winters have long enough periods of being too cold to really enjoy the outdoors. OTOH, there is lots of green and housing is very affordable. Also, CLT is a hub for US Air if you are into travel.

I'm generalizing, but in terms of cultural progressiveness, my experience was that NC was about 10 years behind my midwest home town which in turn was about 10 years behind much of CA.

I think one of the reasons research triangle is often rated so highly is for jobs, which presumably is of little concern to you and the retired?

I don't mind the heat and find that I acclimate well to the humidity. Having a change in seasons in nice and I'd take a long summer over a long winter. The average high in July in most parts of the state is in the 80's -- it's humid, but not as hot as many places.

I'm not sure when you were here, but the Triangle has had a really big influx of people from all over the country. I'd say only about 10% of my friends from here grew up in NC. Chapel Hill/Carrboro are pretty progressive, I'd say even compared to California standards. Before moving here, I never thought I'd ever live in the south, but the Triangle feels far from the deep south.

 

[FIREd]

Having lived in both North Carolina (Triangle Area) and California (Bay Area), I like both states very much. I think that California has more to offer for someone interested in outdoorsy pursuits, but the cost of living is a big hurdle.

 

[KB]

DH and I are thinking of relocating to the Folsom area in a few years.

I live in Folsom if you have any questions about it. The summer weather is great for vegetable gardening

 

[someguy]

I prefer the hotter drier heat of AZ, but obviously that's an individual preference.

It's been a while since I spent lots of time down there. The two things that caught me most off guard were how many confederate flags and stickers I saw and the "oh well" attitude toward drinking and driving.

I don't mind the heat and find that I acclimate well to the humidity. Having a change in seasons in nice and I'd take a long summer over a long winter. The average high in July in most parts of the state is in the 80's -- it's humid, but not as hot as many places.

I'm not sure when you were here, but the Triangle has had a really big influx of people from all over the country. I'd say only about 10% of my friends from here grew up in NC. Chapel Hill/Carrboro are pretty progressive, I'd say even compared to California standards. Before moving here, I never thought I'd ever live in the south, but the Triangle feels far from the deep south.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Okay, well....I'll throw it out there because so far nobody else has mentioned it and we seem to be on every "top whatever" list.....

Austin.

Year round cycliing, affordable homes, Kindergarten thru UT, lakes, etc...etc....

Just bring your own bags. The city outlawed plastic shopping bags this year.

The scoundrels.......

Hey Travis, I agree with you and I've never been there. It's just what I know about the city and that comes from my grandson who moved there two years ago. He moved there because he got a job in a hospital and couldn't turn it down. He just can't say enough good about Austin and all the things there are for a young couple. He loves the outdoors and does a lot of hiking, camping, canoeing and also likes the city life like nice restaurants. Says he'll never leave. I take it that Austin is more like a yuppie community but can't prove it by me. We have a trip planned and we are going to stop by to visit.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Depends what you are looking for. Young as in night life, or activities. Big City or little one? Resort or not? Is climate important? Land locked (A La Austin) or near Ocean? Personally I have to be within 5 miles of BIG water, no snow, average rainfall, don't care about jobs . There is nothing like it. That eliminates central US and anything north of the snow belt. I am about as far North as you can get before the snow. Lots of young folk here (College town), lots of older folk too.

 

[sgilbert2]

We find the long spring, summer and fall seasons on Lake Norman, NC very attractive. Charlotte, while maybe not as culturally sophisticated as SF is clean, modern and affordable.

 

[bank5]

It's been a while since I spent lots of time down there. The two things that caught me most off guard were how many confederate flags and stickers I saw and the "oh well" attitude toward drinking and driving.

I'm glad times have changed. I never see confederate flags.

Not that the state is ultra liberal but Obama did win NC btw.

 

[timo2]

I'm glad times have changed. I never see confederate flags.

Not that the state is ultra liberal but Obama did win NC btw.

I recently did a small driving tour of the south that included Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. North Carolina was the only one of those states in which we did not see a confederate flag.

 

[Urchina]

I grew up near Eugene, OR and it fits all of your criteria except for the climate. Rain and plenty of it, 9+ months out of the year (OK, drizzle, but it's the gray that gets you, not the rain).

In the PNW, Bend absolutely fits your bill. High desert, lots of outdoor recreation, beautiful homes in the price range you're interested in, lively communities (I was in Bend this summer -- it's great).

Also in Oregon, Medford is a place to check (Southern Oregon).

On California's Central Coast, consider San Luis Obispo. Lower housing prices that Santa Barbara, but many of the same perks (climate, outdoor recreation). SLO is also a university town with great outdoor activity access.

 

[FUEGO]

Regarding NC, there are 7-10 counties that have moderately high incomes and education levels and tend to be purple or bluish in terms of politics (moderate to slightly liberal overall). Then there's another 90-93 counties that tend to be more red, lower income, and lower education levels. It is really 2 states in one culturally speaking. Huge rural/urban divide. Research Triangle area between Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh is so different than, say, Cleveland County or Rutherford County in the foothills/mountains. The good news is, you can live in a purple or blue area that is progressive, and you're only a short drive away from the middle of nowhere if you want to go huntin or shootin or drunk drivin or brandishin confederate flags.

 

[steelyman]

Raleigh is red, Durham is purple, and Chapel Hill/Carrboro is bright blue. Not just in basketball.

 

[FUEGO]

Raleigh is red, Durham is purple, and Chapel Hill/Carrboro is bright blue. Not just in basketball.

Raleigh is purple at best, often blue. Wake County went to Obama in 2012 and Raleigh is more blue than the entire county. Although of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill Carboro, Raleigh is the most red.