Rethinking Retirement: Why Expensive Cities Are Rising in Retirement Rankings

[TripleLindy]

The ideal place would actually have costly housing, but low (or zero) state/local income taxes.

I completely agree. The property itself is an appreciating asset. The taxes are an expense. The low property taxes of Colorado have almost drawn us a couple of times, not to mention the climate. Never have come across the Goldilocks place, though.

 

[Kings over Queens]

Please don't twist facts. This ranking states only:

Climate and Extreme Weather Resilience captures both environmental risk and institutional readiness. It assesses exposure to extreme heat, flooding, drought, fire, and storms, alongside a region’s capacity to plan, adapt, and recover.
Prosperous places aren’t those untouched by climate and extreme weather—they’re the ones investing early, reducing risk, and building systems that can withstand repeated shocks.

What facts did I twist?

 

[Kings over Queens]

None of these five is crucial to me. I care somewhat about social cohesion and population dynamism, by which I mean both churn and growth. It would be unpleasant to live in a locale where most residents were born within a 50-mile radius. Indeed, I would prefer a place with a maximally high percentage of foreign-born folks and non-US citizens. I'd also like to be somewhere with a large percentage of college-grads, and ideally, with a significant fraction of folks with a graduate or "professional" degree... understanding, of course, that that's hyper-local and hardly ascribable to an entire metro-area.

As for the matter of expenses or COL, I'm far more concerned about state/local income taxes and property taxes, than I am about housing-costs or the price of gas. The ideal place would actually have costly housing, but low (or zero) state/local income taxes.

None of them are crucial to me either.

 

[marko]

None of these five is crucial to me. I care somewhat about social cohesion and population dynamism, by which I mean both churn and growth. It would be unpleasant to live in a locale where most residents were born within a 50-mile radius. Indeed, I would prefer a place with a maximally high percentage of foreign-born folks and non-US citizens. I'd also like to be somewhere with a large percentage of college-grads, and ideally, with a significant fraction of folks with a graduate or "professional" degree... understanding, of course, that that's hyper-local and hardly ascribable to an entire metro-area.

As for the matter of expenses or COL, I'm far more concerned about state/local income taxes and property taxes, than I am about housing-costs or the price of gas. The ideal place would actually have costly housing, but low (or zero) state/local income taxes.

Grok says Miami/Dade is your best bet. Austin is second.

 

[Slim11]

I didnt read anyone's comments to not cloud my initial thoughts. Yes, retirees are older, dont drive and want things close. Ubers or taxies a short distance is cheaper then a few bucks in taxes. You need stats for age and how close of proximity they are to familly. I think if no family , and your old and good enough to drive you are not in a city. I think there is a shift for plolder parents moving to where there kids and grandkids are, rather then in the past where the kids gravitate to the parents.

 

[martyp]

I spent my 60 years in the US in suburbs. I grew up in Fairfield County, CT and spent my adult life in the San Francisco East Bay. I get that this is an American-centric survey and list but the general question is about the retirement desirably of livable cities. I found that as a retiree I absolutely love living in a big city for the reasons mentioned.

I moved to Bangkok, Thailand. OK . . . I get that moving abroad isn’t on most people’s list of things to do but the general characteristics of city living apply. I live in the very center of the city. Yes, Bangkok has big city crowds, noise, pollution and it’s pretty hot here but nothing particularly different than the city issues in the cities listed in the survey. I lived my first 6 years here in Bangkok without a car (I have a car now). The infrastructure here is modern and amazing. There are great hospitals actually walking distance from where I live. Grocery stores, fresh markets, and restaurants are within walking distance or an easy ride on public transportation. It is an exciting place to live vs the quiet of the countryside and exciting is what I prefer - it’s a personal choice. (moved here when I was 60 and I am 70 now). It is also very safe here, day and night. I’m not saying there is no crime here but compared to having my car windows smashed 3x in 3 years in the East Bay then yes it is safe here. Thai culture is very non-confrontational and that contributes to the daily sense of safety. The cost of living is lower but that is more complicated in the sense that it depends a lot on personal lifestyle choices. In general though, I have what i would characterize as an upper middle class lifestyle at 40-50% of what that would cost me in the SF Bay Area. It’s certainly not more expensive to live in Bangkok or Thailand in general relative to the most places in the US. Even with the low cost of living though it helps to have money.

There is a great international expat community here. My social life has improved since moving here.

I have lived in the rural Thai countryside. None of the convenience of the city and I would assume the Thai countryside not too dissimilar to living in the countryside anywhere. Mid-size cities are of course in the middle.

 

[Luvtoride]

I don’t understand why/ how someone would move in retirement, away from their home where their family (including grandkids) and friends are to another city because it ranked high in some survey? To even draw conclusions like it’s due to these places having better healthcare and walk ability seems absurd.

 

[Gary Smith]

The first 50 years of my life I lived in big cities - Louisville, Dayton, Cleveland, Rochester, Reno. Purely by happenstance I ended up in a small Mayberry type town 30 years ago in south central Kentucky near the TN border. A picturesque town square with the court house and its bell tower clock in the center. The most genuinely friendly and down to earth people I have ever encountered. By far, the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me. It’s like going back in time 30 years. Rarely a day goes by I don’t reflect and thank God on how lucky I am I settled down here. Being into nature and the outdoors, I am but 20 minutes from a large National Park. I pretty much have it all to myself as it is not overrun with tourists and hikers. Heaven on earth!

 

[martyp]

I don’t understand why/ how someone would move in retirement, away from their home where their family (including grandkids) and friends are to another city because it ranked high in some survey? To even draw conclusions like it’s due to these places having better healthcare and walk ability seems absurd.

Americans have moved around for generations for jobs and when retiring. We are not all tied to where we grew up or worked. There is nothing absurd about considering the pros and cons of a new home.

My best friends are scattered around the US. Even after 50 years though we meetup once a year. The only family I have is a sister who retired a couple of years ago and she travels a great deal. I live in Thailand. I see and communicate with friends and family about the same as I always did.

 

[TheWizard]

Americans have moved around for generations for jobs and when retiring. We are not all tied to where we grew up or worked. There is nothing absurd about considering the pros and cons of a new home.

My best friends are scattered around the US. Even after 50 years though we meetup once a year. The only family I have is a sister who retired a couple of years ago and she travels a great deal. I live in Thailand. I see and communicate with friends and family about the same as I always did.

I'm making a wild guess that Thailand has absolutely great Thai food!
Ha ha...

 

[audreyh1]

I don’t understand why/ how someone would move in retirement, away from their home where their family (including grandkids) and friends are to another city because it ranked high in some survey? To even draw conclusions like it’s due to these places having better healthcare and walk ability seems absurd.

No children, no grandkids, parents and siblings had already moved out of state. We eventually moved too to an area that better suited us. We never grew up in one place either.

 

[Flyfish1]

I don’t understand why/ how someone would move in retirement, away from their home where their family (including grandkids) and friends are to another city because it ranked high in some survey? To even draw conclusions like it’s due to these places having better healthcare and walk ability seems absurd.

Because not everyone has kids, grandkids and close friends in one place. My kids left NJ as soon as they could. I moved to NJ for a job and left as soon as I retired. Most of my friends from work also left the state when they retired. If we grew up there with Mom and Dad , extended family, kids and grandkids down the street of course we would stay there. But for us that was not the case. However, in retirement we moved to be closer to the kids and extended family members. Different.

 

[djsander]

I looked into this report that the article uses.. Interestingly it isn't a survey and retirement location ranking. The article presents it and interviews one of the survey company's as such. However, it is more of what will make a place more likely to survive various factors and prosper in the future. It could just as soon be a place for jobs, raise a family or retire. It’s interesting, but for a lot of us there are other more important factors on where to retire.

 

[donheff]

Different strokes for different folks. I have lived in the same house on Capitol Hill in #5 ranked DC for 44 years. I've been retired 20. I am perfectly happy here. I have seen other places I like but not enough to coax me into a move.

 

[TripleLindy]

I don’t understand why/ how someone would move in retirement, away from their home where their family (including grandkids) and friends are to another city because it ranked high in some survey? To even draw conclusions like it’s due to these places having better healthcare and walk ability seems absurd.

We would consider relocating if OUR criteria were met, not the criteria of a survey, but access to high quality healthcare and outdoor activities are high on our list. If we didn’t already have those things, I doubt that we would remain here, so they would be considerations in relocation. It’s not absurd to me at all.

Our kids and grandkids are scattered, including our daughter and her family in South Korea. We have one here that’s local, so that’s a significant reason to stay (especially for my wife). We also have friends all over the country. And we’ve been in our home for almost 30 years, so the roots are deep, but not so deep that I wouldn’t want to explore other locales.

 

[MarieIG]

I grew up in NYC and you couldn't pay me to move back there.

While I didn't grow up in NYC, I was born there and spent a lot of my career working in the City - and I have to agree.

 

[TripleLindy]

I spent my 60 years in the US in suburbs. I grew up in Fairfield County, CT and spent my adult life in the San Francisco East Bay. I get that this is an American-centric survey and list but the general question is about the retirement desirably of livable cities. I found that as a retiree I absolutely love living in a big city for the reasons mentioned.

I moved to Bangkok, Thailand. OK . . . I get that moving abroad isn’t on most people’s list of things to do but the general characteristics of city living apply. I live in the very center of the city. Yes, Bangkok has big city crowds, noise, pollution and it’s pretty hot here but nothing particularly different than the city issues in the cities listed in the survey. I lived my first 6 years here in Bangkok without a car (I have a car now). The infrastructure here is modern and amazing. There are great hospitals actually walking distance from where I live. Grocery stores, fresh markets, and restaurants are within walking distance or an easy ride on public transportation. It is an exciting place to live vs the quiet of the countryside and exciting is what I prefer - it’s a personal choice. (moved here when I was 60 and I am 70 now). It is also very safe here, day and night. I’m not saying there is no crime here but compared to having my car windows smashed 3x in 3 years in the East Bay then yes it is safe here. Thai culture is very non-confrontational and that contributes to the daily sense of safety. The cost of living is lower but that is more complicated in the sense that it depends a lot on personal lifestyle choices. In general though, I have what i would characterize as an upper middle class lifestyle at 40-50% of what that would cost me in the SF Bay Area. It’s certainly not more expensive to live in Bangkok or Thailand in general relative to the most places in the US. Even with the low cost of living though it helps to have money.

There is a great international expat community here. My social life has improved since moving here.

I have lived in the rural Thai countryside. None of the convenience of the city and I would assume the Thai countryside not too dissimilar to living in the countryside anywhere. Mid-size cities are of course in the middle.

Good for you! International relocation probably wouldn’t ever be a consideration, especially for my wife, but I’m intrigued by those who have done it. Our daughter and her family are in South Korea and I love the contrast to lifestyle in the U.S. Yes, there are some who live in rural area, but most people live in high density housing in the cities. And that housing is like a community unto itself, which I find fascinating. Lots of shared resources.

 

[Onda]

Different strokes for different folks. I have lived in the same house on Capitol Hill in #5 ranked DC for 44 years. I've been retired 20. I am perfectly happy here. I have seen other places I like but not enough to coax me into a move.

Nice place. Rare combination in the U.S. of true historic neighborhood life, daily walkability, and immediate access to national institutions. You live inside a functioning historic neighborhood.

 

[Gumby]

While I didn't grow up in NYC, I was born there and spent a lot of my career working in the City - and I have to agree.

I like NYC. I enjoyed working there, and we still go in on the train occasionally, but I don't think I would enjoy living there.

 

[MarieIG]

I like NYC. I enjoyed working there, and we still go in on the train occasionally, but I don't think I would enjoy living there.

There is a huge difference between spending time in a place and living there. For example the list mentioned Boston, it seems appealing, and I would enjoy visiting for historical site seeing, but I don't have a desire to live there. In my opinion, there are benefits to having easy access to a large city, i.e. hospitals, culture, etc. but I want more space in my everyday life.

 

[braumeister]

I like NYC. I enjoyed working there, and we still go in on the train occasionally, but I don't think I would enjoy living there.

It's also worth remembering that those clickbait articles are much too generalized to be applicable to more than a very small subset of readers.
You don't even have to be affluent to live in NYC. I have several friends (guys I grew up with) who still live there and would never even consider moving out. They raised their families there and have the typical New Yorker's extremely parochial outlook on life.

 

[lawman]

#1 Mayberry, North Carolina

 

[meleana]

What does walkability mean? Does that mean a hospital is within walking distance when you get mugged?

It’s funny they assume if you can’t drive you can walk. Whereas many older folks can drive but can’t walk.

 

[Onda]

It’s funny they assume if you can’t drive you can walk. Whereas many older folks can drive but can’t walk.

You are not even beginning to understand what walkability means.

It does not mean “you can physically walk to one thing in an emergency.” It means you can live a normal daily life without being forced into a car for every basic need: groceries, pharmacy, coffee, library, doctors, restaurants, parks, transit, friends, and small errands.

In a truly walkable place, the car becomes optional. That is the point.

 

[dobig]

Funny thing is, I wouldn't live in big city with dense urban population if it was free. I can't stand big city living in an apt/condo/high rise; give me space and my own SFR. You can have the big city crime, noise, crowding, no parking, politics, subway and public transit, and overbearing rules.

Amen!