Most of us dream about the day when we can retire for good and live a life more on our own terms. But the question then becomes, where to settle down and retire for these important twilight years?
Many retirees plan to relocate for their retirement, taking the opportunity to try somewhere new. However, with so many spots to choose from, and with everyone looking for different things in a destination, it can be tricky to pinpoint a place to move to. To help you narrow your options, here are some of the best American spots to retire in, each with attractive advantages.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas offers a wide variety of benefits to retirees who choose this Nevada location as a home base. In particular, the larger metropolitan area (which is made up of three main cities and covers approximately 600 square miles) boasts excellent weather. Vegas averages over 300 days of sunshine annually, plus low rainfall. Retiring in Las Vegas is perfect for people who enjoy warm, dry weather, especially if they like to undertake active pursuits such as golf, walking, gardening, etc. Las Vegas is our top pick for best places to retire. Las Vegas is also a place where you can find a variety of housing to suit your needs, including plenty of detached and semi-detached houses, condos, and town homes, assisted living complexes, continuing and home-care services, respite care, for the best home care check out agencies like independentlife. Furthermore, Vegas is known to be a top spot when it comes to entertainment, dining, and shopping; it has plentiful transportation options (both locally and with regards to flights to and from the area); and the City of Las Vegas provides many services and programs for seniors.
El Paso, Texas
Another good-sized locale for retirees is El Paso. This western Texan city, bordered by Mexico and New Mexico, tends to score well in American happiness surveys and best places to retire, and also provides an excellent array of recreational and cultural events and attractions for residents. While many people associate this part of the country with outlaws and vices – it used to be known as the “Six Shooter” capital – today this is a city that caters well to diverse needs.
In El Paso, you can enjoy low housing prices, so your budget will stretch further, plus the economy is thriving, so if you want to get part-time work here to supplement your income and keep you busy, you shouldn’t have to look far. El Paso has restaurants aplenty, including many steakhouses, of course, so meat-eaters are spoiled for choice. Residents can also take in the rich Mexican heritage in the area, stay active by participating in bike races and marathons, or join the community in celebrating well-known festivals such as the annual KLAQ International Balloonfest, Sun City Craft Beer Festival, or the Plaza Classic Film Festival.
Palm Desert City, California
If you’re interested in retiring to a smaller district, Palm Desert City in California might work well for you. Found in the Coachella Valley area, this city has a population of only a bit over 50,000, although this number does swell during the winter months when many part-time residents flock to the destination to enjoy the warmer weather. Palm Desert City is around 14 miles from Palm Springs and has warm year-round temperatures and over 260 days of sun each year. Plus, the 50-plus population in the city makes up around 54 percent, so you’ll have plenty of other seniors with whom to connect too in retirement.
Palm Desert City is popular with golfers, as is indicated by its wide variety (more than 30) of top golf courses and resorts. The area also has numerous retirement communities, including the well-regarded Sun City Palm Desert, a gated community for seniors that’s home to thousands of residents and provides acres of outdoor facilities as well as every type of activity and class you could think of. Palm Desert is a good choice for art lovers, too. Thanks to the community’s Art in Public Places program, there is a collection of many art pieces to take in around town, with free walking tours of the City’s collection offered by the Public Art Docent Program. Also, the annual Public Art Documentary Film Series is a cultural event to put in your diary.
Allentown, Pennsylvania
For retirees looking to enjoy big-city pleasures from time to time without living in the big metropolises like New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s Allentown beckons. It’s only a bit over 90 minutes’ drive from the Big Apple and an hour or so from Philly. This means you can get the city fix you want, when you want it, while at the same time enjoying a lower cost of living and more relaxed lifestyle back in Allentown.
Once, Pennsylvania’s third-largest metro area was a center for the manufacturing and steel sectors, but today the site’s many historic homes and buildings give it strong architectural charm. Many century-old properties, including striking mills, have been converted to lofts and apartments, perfect for retirees. The Lehigh Valley Health Network is a plus for seniors too, as it provides quality health care to the region. Also, residents and retirees keep busy hiking and skiing, taking in theater shows, and dining out.
Georgetown City, Texas
Georgetown City in Texas Is a top retirement destination, it has a large 50-plus population (over 45 percent) and more than 200 days of sunshine per year with nice, warm weather for residents. The downtown area features picture-perfect, charming town squares, and the district boasts well-preserved Victorian houses, leading to its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
Plus, Georgetown provides easy access to a big city, Austin; it is home to the oldest university in the state (Southwestern); and the city is known for its wide fields of bright red poppy flowers. Celebrations of these blooms occur during the annual Red Poppy Festival, which attracts thousands of people to the destination. Furthermore, there’s even the well-known Sun City Texas development, one of the largest retirement communities in the whole country, to consider for your housing needs.
Orlando, Florida
Florida is one of the most popular states in America to retire to, with numerous hotspots for over-fifty residents. If you want to follow suit, consider Orlando. There’s pleasant weather year-round, no state income tax to worry about, and if you live anywhere near Walt Disney World or Universal Studios Florida, you know your grandchildren are likely to be frequent visitors!
Orlando provides those living in the area with a good array of entertainment options, plus the University of Central Florida welcomes retirees, with residents aged 60 and above getting to audit classes for free, as space permits. Locals also tend to enjoy spending time in and around the metro area of Orlando’s various lakes throughout the year.
Portland, Oregon
If you like living in a quirkier area with an offbeat side, consider moving to Portland, Oregon. The city is known as having friendly, laid-back residents who enjoy how Portland has an emphasis on self-expression. But there is also more to this part of Oregon than you might first expect. On top of having a strong arts culture, with numerous art galleries, museums, and a large, long-term public library, Portland boasts a high number of locals with academic degrees.
The district is home to an extensive city park system, including the Portland Japanese Garden and the International Rose Test Garden, which has thousands of rose bushes from hundreds of different varieties. Portland has an excellent food scene, many specialty coffee shops, and a number of independent microbreweries. The city is set up to encourage walkers and cyclists, and for those who like to stay active, the Pacific Ocean and two different mountain ranges are within two hours’ drive. If you like supporting sports teams, you’ll also find local teams to barrack for in sports including soccer, basketball, and ice hockey, making Portland one of the best cities to retire by several top 10 retirement cities to retire polls.
Clarkstown, New York
Another destination that provides a wealth of attractions to suit all tastes is Clarkstown in New York. It’s only roughly 30 miles from the big city of NYC, making it suitable for those who want access to all of the Big Apple’s amenities. However, Clarkstown is also surrounded by nature. It is located amongst many state parks, including Bear Mountain.
If you’re after shopping, dining, and entertainment services, Clarkstown won’t disappoint, either. In particular, residents can take advantage of nearby Palisades Center. It boasts an ice rink, bowling alley, ropes course, comedy club, a wide range of restaurants, and multiple levels of shopping with over 200 stores. Furthermore, history buffs can enjoy outings to spots such as Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site, DeWint House (one of George Washington’s headquarters during the American Revolutionary War), and Old 76 House, a national landmark believed to be the oldest tavern in the state.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
If Michigan is your state of choice, consider moving to Grand Rapids. This city is the second-largest metro area in the state but still exhibits small-town, Midwestern friendliness. You’ll find the area, which is situated on the Grand River, has a vibrant and welcoming community. The neighborhood associations here are impressively active and bring residents together regularly for community events such as street fairs.
There’s a thriving artistic community, too, with popular spots including the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park and the Grand Rapids Art Museum. During the ArtPrize Awards, artistic people from all over the globe descend on Grand Rapids, too, to take part in or view works in the international art competition. It runs over close to three weeks every other fall and hands out considerable prizes. Grand Rapids is considered to have one of the best craft brewery scenes in the country, too, as well as a strong health care industry and more than a thousand acres of public parks to explore.
This list only provides, of course, a sample of the many top spots you could retire to across the country. It should give you a taste, though, for what’s on offer, and give you some new ideas to explore further over the coming months as you prepare to enter this exciting new stage of your life.
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