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Where to retire

Here’s a good article to read about where to retire.  Here’s a summary:

Many of you tell us that from reading our columns, you sense we love Vero Beach, Fla., where we moved in 2001.

So, you ask, would we recommend the area to other people looking for a place to retire?

We do love Vero Beach for its natural beauty, friendly people and small-town charm, as well as for its cultural and educational amenities and high-quality health-care facilities.

But we can’t recommend any particular place to retire because that’s a decision only you can make based on your preferences and needs.

Your first decision, in fact, is whether to move at all.

In the introduction to the fifth edition of his popular “Retirement Places Rated” book, author David Savageau points out that the community where you already live can give you a deep sense of belonging you may not find somewhere else.

And a new study by the senior-advocacy group AARP refutes the myth that Americans move when they retire.

“Among the most reassuring findings is that for the most part, people 60-plus like their communities,” the study found.

“Contrary to myth, nine out of 10 older persons remain in the area in which they reside when making the transition to their retirement years.”

The study, based on an analysis of U.S. census data and interviews by the research firm GfK NOP/ Roper Public Affairs with more than 1,200 people in 40 communities, explored the reasons why older people choose to stay in the area they live or look for a new place.

A warmer climate, a lower crime rate and lower property and state property taxes are common characteristics of places — many in the South and West — that attract older Americans.

Weather is the No. 1 reason older people cited for leaving their old communities.

But there is much more to it.

“Interpersonal factors” are a major consideration, too.

Among people 60 and over who moved to new areas, nearly one in five cited being closer to family and friends as their prime motivation.

In addition, among those who moved, “the opportunity to meet and make friends with people over 60″ was the attribute most closely correlated with being satisfied with their new communities.

This sense of “community satisfaction,” or being happy with the place where you live, is a complex phenomenon driven by many dissimilar factors.

We find this concept worth exploring because it can help us decide whether to stay or move when we retire.

In addition to the opportunity to meet people and make friends, factors such as low pollution, an affordable cost of living, high-quality government services, opportunities for adult education, having a variety of housing options for older residents, and a lack of urban sprawl were closely associated with community satisfaction for those who moved.

But among those who have stayed put, other factors such low taxes, low crime, employment opportunities and availability of houses of worship turned up as significant.

The only three common factors between the two groups were low pollution, high-quality government services and low urban sprawl.

As to dislikes, taxes, government officials/politics and weather were cited most often by those who stayed in their communities.

Ultimately, staying or moving — and, if moving, where to move — is a personal choice based on how important different factors are for us.

Myth refuted: Most retirees stay put (Pocono Record)

Many of you tell us that from reading our columns, you sense we love Vero Beach, Fla., where we moved in 2001. So, you ask, would we recommend the area to other people looking for a place to retire?

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