With the price of housing in the U.S., maybe only rural Maine or W.Va. are affordable places to move. Number one you don’t want a mortgage when you’re retired and number two, good luck selling your current overpriced home so you can downsize.
1) In and around Phoenix, AZ. Definitely some cons there (air pollution, lack of water, weird politics). If Phoenix itself is too hot, head to Flagstaff. It's just 2 hours away.
What do mean IF Phoenix is too hot? It is too hot. No doubt about it.
Depends on what you like. I was in Phoenix one summer and it was 108 degrees. Felt like 85 here in Ohio; it's a dry heat there most of the time, of course. Friends of mine who are Ohio transplants live in Phoenix, and they love it there. It helps if you really hate winter. Helps even more if you don't like mowing grass. Besides, if it actually gets super hot for a while, either stay inside, or drive 2 hours to Flagstaff. Big deal.
Yes, Idaho is appealing on many levels because of the scenery and the good snow conditions. Not sure how good the health care system is, and it seems like once you leave the liberal enclave of Boise, the politics get pretty right-wing. My take on the state is (and I may be misinformed): lots of survivalists; a healthy sprinkling of neo Nazis, and a lot of fundamentalist Christians. While I'm politically pretty middle of the road, it just doesn't feel like a state that is particularly welcoming to Jews like myself. Hopefully I'm wrong.
I am not going to spend time on the right-wing, neo-Nazi, survivalist thing, other than to say I have been here 28 years and never encountered one. My best friend at the YMCA is a Jewish radiologist, graduate Duke Medical School. I was treated for lymphoma in 2018, and can assure you many physicians come here for the same reason you would consider. Google St. Lukes, St. Alphonsus, Elks in Boise for more information on healthcare.
One priority was reasonable access to excellent health care. Montrose looks like it's situated great for hiking, but . . . . where is the nearest real hospital? Durango?
With Minocqua, same question: do folks go to Green Bay or Minneapolis if they need to see a specialist? (We're healthy now, but . . . . just thinking down the road)
I'm following this thread with mild interest since I expect to be in the same situation in a few years. I have some of the same considerations as you, but not all of them. I won't make any specific suggestions, since everyone is an individual and has different wants and needs.
The only piece of advice I have is to not do anything in haste. If you think you may want to move somewhere, visit there for a week, two or three times during different parts of the year. Walk the streets, go to restaurants, go shopping, visit the gym. Do you best to get a sense of what living there would really be like.
You do not want to go to all the expense and hassle of moving only to realize within a couple of months that you've made a terrible mistake.
I find this very interesting and have the same kinds of questions you do. I am retired, but my wife is still working and may want to do so for maybe 4 more years. We don't need her income, so it's really just about when she wants to no longer work.
I HAVE done some research in this area, and I also don't like super cold or cloudy weather, so keep that in mind.
These are the metro areas I personally would consider retiring to in no particular order, and I believe they all meet the criteria you listed (except for maybe the nordic ski area).
1) In and around Phoenix, AZ. Definitely some cons there (air pollution, lack of water, weird politics). If Phoenix itself is too hot, head to Flagstaff. It's just 2 hours away.
2) Tucson, AZ. Air pollution not the problem it is in Phoenix. Good airport there, and less than 2 hours away from Phoenix.
3) Los Angeles, CA. I know that many immediately say no to that, but there are areas to the east of LA that are very nice, affordable, and yet close enough to things when you want to travel just a little bit. Loma Linda, CA for example is the only Blue Zone in the United States, and the Seventh Day Adventists who make it so are big into exercise, so biking, hiking, running, weight lifting, healthy food...it's all there. LA is just a little more than an hour away.
4) Nashville, TN. Lots to do here. Mild winters and an easy day's drive to the ocean if you want to do that.
5) Asheville, NC. [copied from internet]: "The nearest airport to Asheville is Asheville (AVL) Airport which is 11.6 miles away. Other nearby airports include Greenville/Spartanburg (GSP) (52.9 miles), Knoxville (TYS) (82.3 miles) and Charlotte (CLT) (94.9 miles). It is beautiful there and close to many fun things to do. I am going there this summer for a week.
6) Atlanta, GA. Atlanta itself might not be the best place, but small towns and suburbs around it might be. Hot and humid in the summer of course.
7) Austin, TX. For me, it's the only town in TX that I could possibly live in, but while it's on my list, I likely wouldn't pull the trigger to live there.
8) Carson City, NV. This city has recently popped up as a good place to retire to...low cost of living, lots of seniors living there already along with amenities for them, warm weather. 103 miles to Sacramento, CA airport, but just 23 miles to the one in Reno, NV.
9) Denver, CO. Really the only cold winter area on my list, and it is to because there are still a LOT of sunny days there. Obviously skiing is close.
10) Beyond the above metro areas, I would consider Oregon and Washington State also, but I need to do a little more research about where.
Anyway, good luck!
4. You may want to look at a map to see where Nashville is before you move there. It’s not an “easy day’s drive to the ocean.”
Glad we retired early and get to enjoy a house in the mountains and one on the beach. Splitting time at each is great and we always feel we’re on vacation.
Good luck to you guys looking to move into retirement!
Sure it is.
Nashville to Gulf Shores, AL: 6 hours 53 minutes...EASY PEASY
Nashville to Pensacola, FL: 6 hours 19 minutes...EASIER and PEASIER
I'm not sure that the LetsRun Message Board is really the best place to ask this, but here goes:
We will be moving in the next 5 years or so . . . . Three priorities:
1 A town big enough that there are good medical resources in the area. We're healthy, but as folks get older, health issues can arise, so having good hospitals is a plus.
2. Within an hour's drive of a decent-sized airport. We have grandkids across the country, so being able to fly and see them is a priority, and the larger the airport, the better section of flights.
3. Good recreation area. We like to bicycle, run, and cross country ski, so access to a Nordic ski center within an hour's drive would be nice.
4. I don't need to move to designated "running hotbed" as pretty much any decent sized town or city will have a running community, and it's not like I'm training for USATF champs.
Another "problem" we face is that we now own the home we live in, and it's hard to give that up for new mortgage payments.
What am I missing here? So, sell your house and buy another one free and clear with the proceeds of the sale.
I'm retiring right where I live now ... Cupertino, CA. Ya gotta have some cash but there isn't a better place to retire than right here. Trails galore, skiing in Tahoe, the Sierras, SFO-SJC-OAK, hospitals, no f'ing mosquitos or black flies, no humidity, no pollution, no rednecks etc etc etc. Only place better might be the south of France.
If I were you, I wouldn't move from there either. I used to live in Palo Alto and I taught 8th grade in Cupertino. The weather is damn near perfect and doesn't have the pollution problems of LA...plus easy to take CalTrain up to SF for some fun and of course close to the ocean. You may just be in one of the most perfect spots (earthquakes aren't fun though...I was there in 1989 for the Loma Prieta one). Easy yo get to ocean, mountains, amazing national parks, etc.
I'm not sure that the LetsRun Message Board is really the best place to ask this, but here goes:
We will be moving in the next 5 years or so . . . . Three priorities:
1 A town big enough that there are good medical resources in the area. We're healthy, but as folks get older, health issues can arise, so having good hospitals is a plus.
2. Within an hour's drive of a decent-sized airport. We have grandkids across the country, so being able to fly and see them is a priority, and the larger the airport, the better section of flights.
3. Good recreation area. We like to bicycle, run, and cross country ski, so access to a Nordic ski center within an hour's drive would be nice.
4. I don't need to move to designated "running hotbed" as pretty much any decent sized town or city will have a running community, and it's not like I'm training for USATF champs.
Yes, Idaho is appealing on many levels because of the scenery and the good snow conditions. Not sure how good the health care system is, and it seems like once you leave the liberal enclave of Boise, the politics get pretty right-wing. My take on the state is (and I may be misinformed): lots of survivalists; a healthy sprinkling of neo Nazis, and a lot of fundamentalist Christians. While I'm politically pretty middle of the road, it just doesn't feel like a state that is particularly welcoming to Jews like myself. Hopefully I'm wrong.
Idaho for sure has some beautiful areas, I don't deny that, but you are correct to be concerned about the nutso political and fundamentalist religious factions that are in that backwoods state. It's the smelly armpit of the West. Idaho also has a high rate of suicides (12th currently in the nation per capita, so at least it has fallen from one of the very top spots), so who needs that negativity?
When seeing Idaho (and I think every American should try to see every state), it's best to get a full tank of gas just outside the state border and drive through the state as fast as possible. I wouldn't spend a night there on a bet.
Flagpole, did you even read the OP or did you just want to make another thread about you?
How is he going to ski in the southern places you listed.
Since you don’t need the money, I assume your wife works to get away from you for a bit every day.
1) Mentioning skiing was just one of his criteria. Also, there's skiing in Arizona and Colorado and Tennessee and Southern California and close to Asheville, NC and Nevada, so ALL of the areas I mentioned have skiing that is close...the season might be short, and the options not as many as some states, but there is skiing there...AND I even mentioned that skiing might not be as big in those places...but again, it's there in all of them.
2) Wife is a college professor and enjoys the work (it's a pretty good gig if you can get it). Plus, she was away from work for 15 years as a stay-at-home mom, so she's not tired of working yet like I was when I called it quits.
Have you considered western Michigan? The area from Holland north to Ludington, and then all the way up to Charlevoix is wonderful. Grand Rapids airport would be close to Holland area, Grand Haven, etc. There's an airport further north at Traverse City, but I don't know how big it is. You've got excellent recreation opportunities along the Lakeshore, cost of living is not terrible. Decent medical in Holland/Grand Rapids. Winters, but not terrible due to the lake keeping things warmer. They grow fruit north of Traverse City, it's mild enough. Tons of state parks, hiking, possible xc skiing in winter, boating, etc, etc, etc.