2022’s Best States to Retire- WalletHub

[street]

Because for some people there's a lot more to life than the weather.

And the good news is that technology takes the sting out of winter. Heated seats and steering wheel, remote start, high tech clothing, you can get anything you want delivered, you can have someone clear your driveway, push a button on the wall to increase the inside temperature, etc...

Lol! Exactly, and I have friends that live in supposably great weather states and humidity is so bad and dangerous heat having them sitting in their houses most of each day. Lol Then the hurricane, tornados and massive amount of people isn't all that attractive from a weather standpoint or community all people want to live in.

For most that don't care for all the winter sports and activities I can see living someplace they can go to the ocean or sweat in the house on those beautiful summer days. Lol

 

[street]

List somewhat makes sense to me, but quality of life is very subjective. Health care and affordability are more quantifiable.

We're entrenched in Illinois #45. Trying to talk DW into moving to Montana #7. She says it's too cold. But it's 30 degrees warmer in Bozeman than northern Illinois right now.

Lots of room for you here come on in but don't tell many people please! Lol

The weather is really not what most make it out to be. We might have a week of cold weather where it isn't great to be out all day in the elements but that is about all. We have from 20's to 50's degrees almost every day through the 4 months of winter. Water been running here and haven't used my snowblower but a couple of times in the last 10 years. The last three year haven't even needed it.

AC we have had many years that it wasn't even used. If we need the AC, it might be for a day here and a day, there.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

United Van Lines claims Huntsville's the #3 fastest growing city in the U.S. The FBI is moving another 2000+ employees here I assume because it's so much cheaper to live here. Mazda-Toyota's hiring 4,000 people for a new car plant. And 500 engineers are coming to town to work on the replacement for the Minuteman missile system. The U.S. Army Aviation (helicopters) is headquartered here, as is the U.S. Missile Command (nuclear missiles).

I am sorry to hear the bad news.

I looked at our state and it's pretty much a wash... 50.7% moving in state and 49.3% moving out of state.

https://www.unitedvanlines.com/newsroom/movers-study-2021

 

[Beststash]

I loved Texas when I was transferred here in '74, now not so much (won't elaborate ). If our family wasn't here we would move to Colorado.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Bingo halls per capita. Really?!!

Yeah, I saw that.

Also, "Shoreline mileage".

Must help explain why Minnesota, with it's 15,000 lakes, was #3 in Quality of Life.

 

[Music Lover]

Yeah, I saw that.

Also, "Shoreline mileage".

Must help explain why Minnesota, with it's 15,000 lakes, was #3 in Quality of Life.

Housing can be pretty affordable if you don't find a water view as important as others do.

Funny story: A couple years ago friends came out to my wife's family lakefront cabin with their 2 kids (14 and 16) for the day. The parents asked them if they wanted to go to look at the beach/lake. Their daughter said, "No, it's just another body of water."

 

[Qs Laptop]

Housing can be pretty affordable if you don't find a water view as important as others do.

Funny story: A couple years ago friends came out to my wife's family lakefront cabin with their 2 kids (14 and 16) for the day. The parents asked them if they wanted to go to look at the beach/lake. Their daughter said, "No, it's just another body of water."

Shoreline mileage was a metric in the Quality of Life section. I can see where Florida would score huge in this category. Also I suppose CA, VA, MA, ME, and even RI would benefit.

As your wife's friends daughter points out, shoreline might not be important to people's quality of life. I can understand it might be for some people, but not all. I didn't see "mountain views" as a category. That is more important to me than shoreline mileage.

 

[corn18]

MI actually has the most shoreline.

 

[Out of Steam]

United Van Lines claims Huntsville's the #3 fastest growing city in the U.S. The FBI is moving another 2000+ employees here I assume because it's so much cheaper to live here. Mazda-Toyota's hiring 4,000 people for a new car plant. And 500 engineers are coming to town to work on the replacement for the Minuteman missile system. The U.S. Army Aviation (helicopters) is headquartered here, as is the U.S. Missile Command (nuclear missiles).

I've only been to Huntsville once (on business), but it made a positive impression. A bit surprising, because I have trouble picturing myself living far south.

 

[Out of Steam]

Shoreline mileage was a metric in the Quality of Life section. I can see where Florida would score huge in this category. Also I suppose CA, VA, MA, ME, and even RI would benefit.

One interesting thing about Virginia is that it has a lot of bay and tidal river shoreline in lightly populated rural areas.

 

[Koolau]

Shoreline mileage was a metric in the Quality of Life section. I can see where Florida would score huge in this category. Also I suppose CA, VA, MA, ME, and even RI would benefit.

As your wife's friends daughter points out, shoreline might not be important to people's quality of life. I can understand it might be for some people, but not all. I didn't see "mountain views" as a category. That is more important to me than shoreline mileage.

I sort of go back and forth between mountains and ocean as "most important." I have both here in Paradise and neither back on the mainland. Still, when I get back to the mainland, I kind of like seeing the corn fields. Go figure.

"Shoreline" is an interesting metric that can be considered in different ways. For instance, Arizona has quite a lot of shoreline since the Colorado river runs either through or along the length of the state.

If one were to calculate the shoreline vs land mass, I'm guessing Hawaii would come out on top since it's a group of Islands with small land mass but all of it surrounded by the Pacific.

All this is why any source for "best" location needs a lot more detail than simply "quality of life" when considering a move. YMMV

 

[11522914]

I didn't see "mountain views" as a category. That is more important to me than shoreline mileage.

+100

 

[Music Lover]

Shoreline mileage was a metric in the Quality of Life section. I can see where Florida would score huge in this category. Also I suppose CA, VA, MA, ME, and even RI would benefit.

As your wife's friends daughter points out, shoreline might not be important to people's quality of life. I can understand it might be for some people, but not all. I didn't see "mountain views" as a category. That is more important to me than shoreline mileage.

I understand wanting a water or mountain view, although for me I wouldn't pay the premium because although it would be nice it's not a deal breaker. But I got lucky. We live in a city on a lot that's 116' x 630' where the back property line is the city boundary and borders undeveloped farmland with lots of trees. I laid out the decks, fence, and garage such that when we sit on the deck we can't see any other houses at all. It feels like we're in the country.

It's not a water view or a mountain view, but for a house in the city it's ideal.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I guess it does not matter either way when it is 50 Degrees outside (Now) and going down to 35 Degrees tonight , I ain't going near the patio doors let alone going outside to look.

 

[Koolau]

I guess it does not matter either way when it is 50 Degrees outside (Now) and going down to 35 Degrees tonight , I ain't going near the patio doors let alone going outside to look.

While I agree with many that "good weather" - however one defines that - is not the only important criterion when determining quality of life. It does go a long way in allowing one to enjoy whatever IS their most important criterion. YMMV

 

[FI_RElater]

[-]MI[/-] ALASKA actually has the most shoreline.

Fixed that for you

..and I'd agree that, if one is going to have a "shoreline" category, then there should be a "mountain view" category...

(only thing is that then there's the issue of what is a "mountain"...I'd say at least 8000 ft (even though I'm kinda partial to a state with the most "Fourteeners" , and could show you a view from the window of multiple mountains... there's usually someone saying "well, we call it a mountain" when those with the real deal call those two or three thousand ft elevations..."(mole) hills" {SWIDT? })

 

[Gumby]

Fixed that for you

..and I'd agree that, if one is going to have a "shoreline" category, then there should be a "mountain view" category...

(only thing is that then there's the issue of what is a "mountain"...I'd say at least 8000 ft (even though I'm kinda partial to a state with the most "Fourteeners" , and could show you a view from the window of multiple mountains... there's usually someone saying "well, we call it a mountain" when those with the real deal call those two or three thousand ft elevations..."(mole) hills" {SWIDT? })

No one who has ever climbed New Hampshire's Mount Washington (6288 ft.) would call it anything but a mountain. Probably the most common starting point is the Joe Dodge Lodge at 2032 ft. So that's 4256 feet in elevation gain in about 6500 feet horizontal. The Tuckerman Ravine headwall, on the most popular trail, is about 600 feet vertical for 600 feet horizontal. It is no easy thing to climb.

 

[Luvtoride]

No one who has ever climbed New Hampshire's Mount Washington (6288 ft.) would call it anything but a mountain. Probably the most common starting point is the Joe Dodge Lodge at 2032 ft. So that's 4256 feet in elevation gain in about 6500 feet horizontal. The Tuckerman Ravine headwall, on the most popular trail, is about 600 feet vertical for 600 feet horizontal. It is no easy thing to climb.

I know a few friends who have ridden bikes up Mount Washington on the day they close it to vehicles. Now that is an accomplishment worthy of a bumper sticker(but I’m not quite sure where you would put it in a bike). Lol

 

[DayDreaming]

Or as I read it...the Worst State to retire in is New Jersey, where I live and plan to stay.

Same here - I live in NJ, I am perfectly happy here and have no plans on leaving.

Many of the criteria used in their methodology are pretty questionable and have nothing to do with my level of happiness:

• "Access to Scenic Byways" - doesn't affect my daily activities
• "Share of Residents Who Do Favors to Their Neighbors" - Whaaaaat How would they measure this one?!
• "Share of Population Aged 65 and Older" - I prefer to be around people under 65
• "Museums per Capita" - not sure what this number is for NJ but I'm just an hour away from NYC and Philadelphia so I have a lot of great museums that are an easy day trip away, and that's probably true for many smaller states or people who live near a state line. Just saying it's a questionable statistic.
• etc...

 

[corn18]

Fixed that for you

..and I'd agree that, if one is going to have a "shoreline" category, then there should be a "mountain view" category...

(only thing is that then there's the issue of what is a "mountain"...I'd say at least 8000 ft (even though I'm kinda partial to a state with the most "Fourteeners" , and could show you a view from the window of multiple mountains... there's usually someone saying "well, we call it a mountain" when those with the real deal call those two or three thousand ft elevations..."(mole) hills" {SWIDT? })

Dangit, I forgot the disclaimer.