Top 10 Tax-Friendly Towns

Every so often US News & World Reports goes through its database and comes up with another “Top 10″ List. This time their efforts have produced one dear to all tax-fearing hearts, the 10 most tax-friendly towns in America. After all, you can’t do anything about federal taxes, but you can vote with your feet and move to a low tax town or city.

The US News list is an interesting one, will almost all of the towns in the west. Most made the list because there is no state income tax or some other tax absence.

* Billings Montana
* Cheyenne, WY
* Doral, FL
* Henderson, NV
* Juneau, AK
* Manchester, NH
* Nashville, TN
* Sioux Falls, SD
* Spokane, WA
* Stafford, Texas

Tennessee and New Hampshire only tax dividends on interest and dividend incomes, which is partially why Nashville and Manchester made the list. Stafford, Texas has the unusual distinction of having abolished its property tax, in addition to not having an income tax. Nashville is an example of a city with a good property tax relief program for seniors (it freezes them at a base level), along with the entire state of Florida.

Any town in a state that doesn’t have an income tax or a sales tax is going to be tax-friendly. There are 7 states that don’t charge an income tax, and 5 with no sales tax. Only 1 state has neither tax, and that one is Alaska (a state that actually pays residents to live there, thanks to its enormous natural resources). Cities sometimes impose one of these taxes even if the state does not have it. Property tax is the other tax that really whacks retirees, since this one is not related to income in any direct way. Some states offer significant freeze programs and other types of tax relief for seniors - they can be extremely valuable.

Of course being tax-friendly is not the entire picture. If you have to move far away from friends and family just to save some money, it might not be worth it. For many folks, watching their grandchildren grow up is worth the extra expense. For another, other expenses can more than make up for taxes. Juneau Alaska is very expensive (as is everyplace in Alaska), although the cost of living comes out to about average when you factor in paying no taxes and actually getting a tax payment.

Topretirements Announces 25 Best Places to Retire List for 2008

When baby boomers prepare for the next phase of their lives - retirement - many of them start by looking for the best places to retire at Topretirements.com. Every year we keep track of the most popular retirement towns on this site - here is our list compiled based on 2008 results.

Asheville, North Carolina remains the run away favorite dream retirement town. Asheville has 50% more web visits than the next most visited town on this site (Sarasota, Florida).

There were some new additions in 2008 within the top 10 places to retire on this list. Those include San Diego, California at #8; Austin, Texas at #9; and Phoenix, Arizona at #10.

Sunbelt states dominated with the most towns in the top 25 list. Connecticut (Old Saybrook), Canada (Halifax), and Ohio (oxford) were the only towns to make the list from north of the Mason-Dixon line. Arizona dominated with 6 “best” towns, followed by Florida (4), North Carolina (3), California (2), Texas (2), and Tennessee(2). Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, Ohio, and Canada each had 1 town on the list.

Here is the list of Best 25 Places to Retire at Topretirements.com:

1. Asheville, NC
2. Sarasota, FL
3. Prescott, AZ
4. Paris, TN
5. Winston-Salem, NC
6. Athens, GA
7. Green Valley, AZ
8. San Diego, CA
9. Austin, TX
10. Phoenix, AZ
11. Halifax, Nova Scotia (CAN)
12. Charlottesville, VA
13. Fort Myers, FL
14. Venice, FL
15. Oxford, OH
16. Sedona, AZ
17. Gainesville, FL
18. Flagstaff, AZ
19. San Luis Obispo, CA
20. Old Saybrook, CT
21. San Antonio, TX
22. Mount Airy, NC
23. Beaufort, SC
24. Tucson, AZ
25. Crossville, TN

Free Weekly Best Places to Retire update! Topretirements publishes an interesting weekly eNewsletter with more best places to retire and special reports.  It’s free, and it comes with our Free eBook: “Baby Boomers’ Guide to Selecting a Retirement Community”.  Sign up for our free eNewsletter.

Methodology: This 2009 best places to retire list is comprised of the 25 towns with the most online visits at Topretirements.com from March through October 2008. It is a reflection of what baby boomers think are the best retirement towns, as well the referrals generated by the people viewing those pages.

Want to Find Out Your Best Retirement Towns ? Take our Free Retirement Ranger. It’s a retirement calculator that’s fun, free, and takes about 3 minutes to complete. Answer 11 questions and presto - you’ll get a customized report of your best towns instantly by email. Take the Quiz now!

All 100 Best Retirement Towns
Click here to order our detailed eBook with the “Top 100 Retirement Towns” at Topretirements

See PR Web Press Release on this story at 25 best places to retire

Biloxi Emerges from Katrina with Help from Habitat

If you are the kind of person who likes gambling, Biloxi Mississippi might be the town for you - for many reasons. First, it is a gambling paradise. Starting with the Hard Rock Hotel Casino and the Beau Rivage, there are at least 7 major casinos in Biloxi. It is the gambling capital of the southeast.

On other levels Biloxi (pronounced Ba lux’ ee) is also for gamblers. Complacency after Hurricane Camille convinced many people to build in low areas. When hurricanes came, many ignored evacuation orders. Unfortunately devastation in Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was truly horrible, with almost all homes and businesses damaged or destroyed. The flood surge went miles inland in this pancake-flat area.

If you really want to gamble Biloxi could be a real estate opportunity. The infrastructure is coming back in this town of 50,000. Housing is relatively inexpensive (average home price in 2007 was $150,000, higher than the Mississippi average) and so are taxes and living expenses. There are huge waterfront properties available - for those willing to build in this hurricane-prone area. There are terrific amenities beyond the casinos, such as Beavoir, the post-war estate of Jefferson Davis, or the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum that is designed by expressionist postmodern architect Frank Gehry. There are miles and miles of beaches, and the local waters team with seafood.

Your Topretirements editor has been down here for a week with Habitat for Humanity. Habitat is helping the thousands of residents who lost their homes as a result of Katrina. Volunteers from all over America have been coming here year round since 2005 to help. Our team of 10 from Connecticut has been working on framing a 1300 square foot, 4 bedroom, 2 bath home. We started with a concrete slab - this picture shows what we have accomplished after 3 days of hot, sweaty, and joyous work.

I recommend the experience - the need is still great, the companionship outstanding, and the sense of accomplishment superb. Habitat is a first class organization with wonderful staff and purpose. Mississippi Gulf Coast Habitat for Humanity or Habitat

Retiring in an RV - Always an Interesting Option

We are always on the lookout for interesting retirements. So when a mutual friend told us about Betty Fitterman (http:adventuresinthebettybus.blogspot.com), we got pretty excited. Betty and her husband shucked off their expensive home and 3 of their 4 cars, and bought a 4 year old luxury RV. It’s the kind you see rolling down the Interstates wishing you were on board, making a sandwich or taking a nap. Really nice.

Best of all Betty agreed to write an exclusive series for Topretirements about what is like to live 365 days a year in your luxury RV, on the road and without a mortgage or grass to cut. As a former top ad agency creative, it’s no wonder Betty is such an interesting writer. Check out all 5 articles in the series in our Tips and Picks section, starting with “Living the Mobile Lifestyle in Retirement.

Texas Moves up - Florida Slips as Boomer Retirement Destination

July 15 - Retirees are coveted by states and towns because of their economic value. They buy homes, usually don’t need jobs, and bring with them pensions, social security checks, not to mention tax dollars. A report from the N.C. Center for Creative Retirement: Institute for the Future of Retirement at UNC Asheville finds that some states are doing better at attracting retirees, and they are not all the usual suspects.

The Center relied upon 2005 data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Surveys (ACS) to compile their findings. The biggest news reported is that Florida, although still receiving the biggest share of 60+ individuals, continues to lose market share to other states, particularly Texas. In 1980 Florida received over 26% of 60+ migrants, in 2005 the number was just under 17%. The Lone Star state is experiencing the fastest growth - while it was the #4 state for retirees in the 2000 census, it jumped to #2 in 2005. Arizona also slipped, dropping from #2 to #3.

The other way to look at this data is by net-migration (new residents - those who moved out). By this measure the 2005 rankings remained unchanged for the top 2 - Florida and Arizona - but there were significant changes elsewhere in the top 10. Texas (#3), Tennessee (#4), and Georgia (#5) jumped ahead in the rankings, displacing North Carolina (now #6), Nevada (no longer in top 10), and South Carolina (#7). Arkansas, Washington, and Oregon round out the rest of the top 10 states for net immigration.

Mailbox Economy
The IFR study also points out the value of the so-called “Mailbox Economy”, where new retirees bring in money from out of state in the form of pensions, social security, and investment income. While the big net immigration gaining states are the obvious winners, it is a sad picture for old northeastern states like Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, which have a net outflow of dollars - just when they could use a positive jolt to their economies.

Hot Counties
In another piece of research we also turned up the hottest counties for active adult communities. This data from the National Association of Home Buyers is a bit older (2005), but probably still generally relevant. The hottest 5 U.S. counties for buyers of active communities were:
- Sumter County, FL
- Nye County, NV
- Archuleta County, CO
- Washington County, UT
- Collier County, FL

Topretirement’s Dream Team - Top 10 Golf Towns

July 8 — For a lot of people the dream of retirement includes golf - and plenty of it. We recently saw a list of the top 10 golf communities from U.S. News, but frankly, it was less than satisfying. Nice list, no passion. That inspired us to a project we could really get our weight behind - the Topretirements.com list of top 10 golfing towns for retirees. Our criteria: the ready availability of great golf, relatively low cost, and other redeeming (non-golf) features, where possible.

Compiling a list like this by a self-described golf nut is a challenge - mostly about whom to exclude. So here goes:

1. Myrtle Beach, SC - How could this not be #1, with more than 115 golf courses of every type. You can play along the ocean, have a cup of chowder served to you on the tee, play in forests, along the intercoastal; heck, you can even play golf at night. Prices are surprisingly reasonable because of all the competition, and there are a ton of great active adult communities when you need to sleep.

2. Pinehurst, NC - Pinehurst Village itself is not the most inexpensive place to play, but for heaven’s sake, the place is a shrine to the sport! The statue on #2 of Payne Stewart will take your breath away. Surrounding towns are less expensive and offer all kinds of great golf.

3. Orlando, FL - Courses of every description saturate the Orlando area. It’s a bustling city with plenty to do (Disney, anyone?). Many big PGA tournaments are held in the area for off days.

4. Palm Springs, CA - The Coachella Valley spreads out before you. And much of that green down there comes from the dozens of great golf courses. After all, Bob Hope retired here for a reason - golf! Choose from many outstanding communities to fit every budget.

5. Fort Myers, FL - It isn’t a law that every active adult community in Fort Myers have a golf course, but it might as well be. This Lee County town is bursting with golf courses, including a pair of great municipal courses right in town - Eastwood is our personal favorite and a great test. No need to belong anywhere, there is always a deal somewhere.

6. The Villages, near Ocala FL. - This gigantic active community has more golf courses than you could even want - 33 golf courses and 8 country clubs, and a reasonable price too. Obviously the Sun City and Peachtree City communities are in the same league, so you could argue for their inclusion here too.

7. Amelia Island (Fernandina Beach, FL) - Amelia Island is probably the most upscale golf community on this list. It has 5 great golf courses on the Island (most of them with holes on the ocean!) plus it is just a super place to live. It’s perpetual summer camp for adults.

8. Bandon, OR - This charming small town above the Oregon coast has some of the best golf on the planet in Bandon Dunes, Bandon Pacific, and Bandon Trails. These classic links courses are reminiscent of Ireland and Scottish golf - they attract golfers from all over the world for their challenging holes overlooking the gigantic dunes and raging Pacific.

9. Hilton Head SC - Hilton Head is the home of another PGA tournament, the Heritage Classic. Don’t miss Sea Pines Plantation and the famous Harbor Town golf course. Surrounding towns like Bluffton have non-stop golfing opportunities too.

10. St. George UT - There are at least 8 golf courses in the St. George area, and more are on the way. The town has been the fastest growing community in the U.S., and much of that growth is among retirees looking for a good game of golf. You can climb in Mt. Zion National Park on your off days.

So, there’s our list. let us know what you think - who did we miss? To compare, here is the one from U.S. News & World Report:
* Auburn, Ala.
* Bonita Springs, Fla.
* Charlotte, N.C.
* Georgetown, Texas
* Lemont, Ill.
* Mount Pleasant, S.C.
* Portland, Ore.
* Rancho Mirage, Calif.
* St. George, Utah
* Sun City, Ariz.

For further reading:
Dream of Golf Course Living Turns into Nightmare
New eBook: “100 Best Retirement Towns“

The 10 Brainiest Retirement Communities

While some might think this list is primarily for eggheads, consider for a moment the popularity of college towns for retirement. Increasingly retirees want to retire to a place where they can keep their brain engaged. This list from U.S. News & Word Report gives you some “brainy” places to consider.

Here are U.S. News’ brainiest places to retire:

* Ann Arbor, MI
* Berkeley, CA
* Boulder, CO
* Brookline, MA
* Chapel Hill, N.C.
* Hoboken, N.J. (suburb of New York)
* Lake Oswego, OR (suburb of Portland)
* Reston, VA (near Washington)
* Upper St. Clair, PA (suburb of Pittsburgh)
* West Lafayette, IN (Purdue University)

Most of these towns are college towns. Others have colleges nearby, or have many highly educated people who live in town (hence Upper St. Clair, Pa., which has 29 colleges nearby, including Carnegie-Mellon University and Washington & Jefferson College). Others, like Hoboken, Brookline, or Lake Oswego are near major cities like New York, Boston, or Portland.

Note: If the city is shown as a link it goes to the Topretirements review of that town.

Best Outdoor Retirement Towns in America

If you have been hankering to retire to a place where the great out of doors is, well, right out your door, there is a new book you might want to pick up.  “Best Outdoor Towns” by Sarah Tuff & Greg Melville. The authors researched the best outdoor towns by looking at access to state and national parks; pristine outdoor areas; lakes and rivers; plus recreational activities like windsurfing, hiking, snowboarding, cross country skiing, fishing, and more. Just to make sure that these are outstanding communities from other viewpoints, they also factored in cost of living, transportation, population, adequacy of the downtown resources, etc.

MSN City Guides - Outdoor Towns gave an enthusiastic review of this book. They pulled out 10 towns from the 101 listed as examples. Although the book was written for a general audience, it is easy to see how the towns would appeal to baby boomers and active adults as well. This is the list of 10 towns singled out from the book by MSN:

Lake Placid, New York- home of the 1980 Winter Olympics
Hood River, Oregon - windsurfing capital of the world
McCall, Idaho - fly-fishing, rock climbing, cross country skiing
Salida, Colorado - White water rafting excels at the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
Boone, North Carolina - home of the tallest mountain in the east, 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, along with the Pisgah National Forest and Blue Ridge Mountains
Livingston, Montana -A River Runs Through It was just one of the movies shot here
Ely, Minnesota - next to the Boundaries National Waters Canoe Area
Davis, West Virginia - Mountain biking, skiing, white water
Bethel, Maine - A charming Maine town near the Sunday River Ski Resort and the White Mountains. Home of the North American Wife Carrying Championships
Haines, Alaska - Sled dog racing, kayaking, skiing - plus the Alaskan wilderness

The book is $19.95 from the Country Man Press.

Judging a Retirement Town by Its Bookstore

Authors Recommend Their Favorite Stores and Towns –

Baby boomers have begun the search for their ideal retirement communities. For many of them, the quality of the town’s bookstore is a key selection criterion.

Goldengrain, a member at Topretirements.com, put it this way: “I need bookstores, colleges, lectures, discussion (and) a good active library We feel the same way - communities without good book stores are ghost towns. This article will review some of the top retirement towns in America - based on the quality of their bookstores.

The most fun part of this article is that we were able to enlist a helpful group of top authors to write about their favorite bookstore towns. Here is the list (and feel free to post blog entries to cover the ones we’ve missed):

Cannon Beach, Oregon
“Cannon Beach is a charming little town on the picturesque Oregon coast. It’s full of art galleries and restaurants, but best of all is the quarter-century-old Cannon Beach Book Company, which calls itself - with good reason - “the perfect browser’s bookstore.” With a central location, comfortable layout, and a collection strong in classic and contemporary literature, mysteries, children’s books and regional titles, CBBC is a boon to locals and visitors alike.”
Deborah Donnelly, Author of the Wedding Planning Mysteries

Asheville, North Carolina
“If I were to retire to a town for its bookstore alone, I’d pick Asheville, N.C., and Malaprops Bookstore and Café. I always go out of my way to visit Malaprops. Its eclectic staff of writers, artists and bibliophiles are truly passionate about their stock, and their taste matches my own taste in books and I always leave with new, unexpected finds.”
Susan Cerulean, Author of Tracking Desire

Newton, Massachusetts
“Even with the glam hustle bustle of Boston just ten minutes away, you’d never have to leave this diverse and cozy but cosmopolitan suburb. Two fantastic independent bookstores (on opposite sides of the city) can provide every book you could imagine. And both have brilliant and knowledgeable staffs. Newtonville Books is a warmly inviting nook of a shop, with one room devoted to the cream of the crop of new releases and old favorites (used and new shelved together!) and another whole room devoted to kids. We can hardly pry our grandson away. New England Mobile Book Fair is huge–almost a warehouse. Here, you could get happily lost in a world of the very latest bestsellers as well as all those books you meant to buy but didn’t. We can never leave either without purchasing way too many books and making new friends. Both stores–are stellar!”
Hank Phillippi Ryan Reporter, WHDH-TV and Best-selling author of PRIME TIME and FACE TIME

Phoenix, Arizona
“The generous brick facade of the Poisoned Pen bookstore in Phoenix, at the corner of Goldwater Blvd. and First Avenue, brings mystery authors from around the world together with readers. Authors covet an invitation from proprietor Barbara Peters to hold a book signing there. In a given month, the store might host events featuring Clive Cussler, Dave Barry, Diana Gabaldon, Dana Stabenow, and J. A. Jance, plus less well known authors whose work is deserving of attention. Seven (!) mystery book clubs meet there, so it’s a great place to meet readers who share your taste in crime fiction and discuss your favorite whodunnits.”
Hallie Ephron: Author of Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel” ()

Vicksburg, Mississippi
“Down on recently restored Washington Street, facing the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers, is this jewel of a book shop. The Lorelei Bookstore, owned and run by the team of Laura and Troy Weeks, has brought books and life to this up and coming historical town. They are knowledgeable, encouraging to authors, and always have a recommendation for anybody. The store is so warm and inviting, you might not want to leave!”
Roberta Isleib, Author of “Deadly Advice” and “Preaching to the Corpse”

Kansas City area
Most people probably wouldn’t retire to the Kansas City area for our weather, but I could understand if they retired here for our bookstores! We have two of the best independents in the country. One of them is Rainy Day Books (Fairway, KS), a general bookstore that is famous in the book world, not only for its cozy building and wonderful staff, but also because it brings literally hundreds of speakers to Kansas City every year. It’s a cultural powerhouse. The other is “a href=”http://www.iloveamystery.com/”>I Love a Mystery“ (Mission KS) (), which I swear is the most charming bookstore ever. It specializes in all things mysterious, and it has an atmosphere that makes you want to settle into one of its armchairs and curl up and read a good book, of which it has plenty.
Nancy Pickard, author of “The Virgin of Small Plains”

Raleigh NC
Quail Ridge Books and Music, in Raleigh, NC, is one of the best all-purpose bookstores on the east coast. The owners, Nancy and Jim Olson, are 100% dedicated to the slogan “Think globally, buy locally.” They are heavily invested in the community and donate time and money generously to many local charities and literacy causes. Nancy was PW’s Bookseller of the Year a few years back. It’s here that you find the serious and/or quirky books you won’t find in the chains because the store gives only minimal space to the NY Times bestsellers. The staff members are extremely courteous and knowledgeable. If you like an author and have
exhausted the backlist, they can recommend someone similar that you might enjoy.
Margaret Maron, author of the Judge Deborah Knott mysteries.

Richmond, Virginia
“There’s a terrific independent here in Richmond, VA. It’s called the Fountain Bookstore and it’s located in the heart of downtown. There is a cobblestone street lining the front door, old, wood plank floors inside, and a wonderful selection of books. You can also find gifts and greeting cards there. And if you spend too long inside the shop, there are a plethora of tasty eateries nearby. Richmond also has a fantastic all-mystery, all-fantasy store called “Creatures’n Crooks”. This place has the coolest ceiling with painted stars with a plump long-haired feline beauty by the name of Hamilton.”
JB Stanley, Author of “A Deadly Dealer”

New York, New York
The Strand Bookstore is reason enough to visit New York. It has 18 miles of books piled from the floor to their very high ceilings. Every thing from review copies (there must be lots of book reviewers in NYC!) to rare and out of print books, plus every conceivable book in between. They buy collections. You can always count on an adventure in what you will find. It’s just the kind of bookstore you would hope to find in the Big Apple. -
John Brady “ Owner of Topretirements.com

Madison, Connecticut
I’m lucky to live in Madison, CT, a town that’s eminently retirement-worthy. Not only is Madison chockablock with New England coastal charm, it’s home to one of the best bookstores in the country: RJ Julia Booksellers Located on the adorable main street, RJ’s brings in a steady stream of bestselling authors from Jane Fonda to Nora Ephron to Tom Perotta. A close relationship with the outstanding Scranton Library across the street means that big-draw authors can be accommodated as well as new writers. The bookstore itself is inviting and well-stocked with the newest releases and an impressive backlist. Owner Roxanne Coady is a frequent guest on NPR’s Faith Middleton show and a true book lover.
Roberta Isleib, author of DEADLY ADVICE and PREACHING TO THE CORPSE

Carmel, Indiana
The Mystery Company” an independent bookshop located along the Monon Trail in Carmel’s Arts & Design District. Carmel is a thriving town just north of Indianapolis. Specializing in mystery and suspense, we offer free shipping on any new book order shipped to a US address. Customers know we’ll do everything possible to make it easy for you to order.-
Jim Huang

Massachusetts
The New York Times recently ran a story on the amazing concentration of thriving bookstores in the Pioneer Valley – “The Valley of the Literate”. The article includes bookstores in these towns: Odyssey Books (S. Hadley), Amherst Books (Amherst), and Broadside Bookshop (Northampton).

More Great Towns and Bookstores:
Fayetteville, Arkansas: “Nightbird Books”
Little Rock, Arkansas “Sleuths Mystery Bookstore”, and “WordsWorth Books & Co.”
Blytheville, Arkansas: “That Bookstore in Blytheville” - where John Grisham signs his best-sellers.
Fairhope, Alabama “Fairhope Books”
Sedona, Arizona: “Red Coyote”
Corte Madera, California “Book Passage” – (Hallie Ephron)
Coral Gables, Florida “Books & Books “
Delray Beach, Florida: “Murder by the Beach”
Sun Valley, Idaho
Cambridge, Massachusetts: “Porter Square”, “Kate’s Mystery Books”
Portsmouth, NH: “River Run Bookstore”
Newmarket, New Hampshire: “Crackskull’s used bookstore.
Princeton, New Jersey: “Cloak & Dagger” (Roberta Isleib)
Fearington Village, North Carolina (near Chapel Hill) “Macintyre’s” (Mignon Ballard)
Edmond Oklahoma: “Best of Books”
Portland, Oregon: 2 amazing bookstores – “Murder by the Book” and “Powell’s”
Oakmont, Pennsylvania: “Mystery Lovers Bookshop” (Oakmont is a great little town right outside Pittsburgh - Name of Bookstore corrected 11/27)
Seattle, Washington” “Seattle Mystery Books” (Pamela Samuels-Young)

More Links:
“Where Old is New: What is the mark of a good bookstore”

At Last - A List of Certified Retirement Communities

Updated December, 2008)– So far 6 U.S. states have embarked on programs to identify certified retirement communities as part of their economic development plans. This article will provide a list of the certified retirement communities in those states.These states are all in the south - Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. In total over 70 communities have been certified (in West Virginia they are called “designated”, in Tennessee the communities are selected as part of a pilot program). More communities are being added all the time.

How successful are these programs?
The idea behind these programs seems sound. Set minimum standards that communities have to follow to make sure they are attractive to active adults in retirement, then generate publicity to steer retirees (and their fat wallets) to those towns. Typical standards require affordable housing, recreational opportunities, medical facilities, and transportation. Most of the states offering these programs are already low-tax states, an obvious attraction for many retirees. It is difficult to tell how successful these programs have been so far. What is easy to say is that some states seem to be doing a better job of marketing their programs than others. On some state retirement websites, for example, it is hard if not impossible to find a list of the certified communities for that state. The websites are not always available, not always up to date, and the links change without warning.

Critics of certified retirement programs warn that retirees should exercise caution when evaluating claims from certified retirement communities. Paraphrasing what one critic said in an AP article, just because the town welcomes people over 55 doesn’t mean you should move there. Sometimes medical facilities or other amenities like senior centers haven’t been built.

The Lists by State:
Kentucky Certified Retirement Communities:
Kentucky has identified 8 certified retirement communities. Their website works well and has links to each community.
- Glasgow
- Danville
- Campbellsville
- Madison
- Maysville
- Murray
- Morehead
- Richmond.

Louisiana Certified Retirement Communities
The name of the program is “Redefine Life. Retire in Louisiana. Certified Retirement Community”. It is a program that recognizes places in Louisiana that the state substantiates as premier locations for retirees aged 55 and older. Recently 11 communities were chosen as certified retirement communities. Louisiana’s website is not always available. Louisiana’s certified communities include:
- Covingtong
- Crowley
- Lake Charles
- Thibodaux
- Jefferson Parish
- Landry Parish
- Natchitoches Parish

Mississippi Certified Retirement Communities
This state has certified a long list of towns - there are 21 of them. Unfortunately Mississippi’s website is very slow and they often change the url of the site - you can find out the list of towns if you are willing to wait several minutes for the page to load or search for it. The program is run by the Dept. for Aging and Independent Living Retirement Communities:
Hattiesburg
- Aberdeen
- Booneville
- Brandon
- Brookhaven
- Clinton
- Columbus
- Corinth
- Laurel
- Madison
- McComb
- Meridian
- Mississippi Gulf Coast
- Nathchez
- Oxford
- Picayune
- Southaven
- Starkville
- Tupelo
- Vicksburg
- West Point

The Retire in Tennessee program has selected 9 communities to be part of its program. Those include:
- Chattanooga
- Crossville
- Paris

Texas Certified Retirement Communities
The Lone Star State currently has 22 (and counting) certified retirement communities and regularly adds more. In our opinion Texas has done the best job with this program. Like several other states, their website is easy to use. But what sets them apart is the job the certified communities have done with their certification - they have sent out press releases, promoted their sites in online communities like Topretirements.com, and advertised their certifications on their in-house media outlets. Here are the 22 towns/counties:

- Athens
- Duncanville
- Lufkin
- Nacogdoches
- Winnsboro
- Canyon
- Clifton
- Cuero
- De Kalb
- Gun Barrel City
- Harlingen
- Longview
- Lufkin
- Odessa
- Palestine
- Panola County
- Paris
- Pittsburg
- San Augustine
- Shelby County
- Texarkana
- Tulia

West Virginia Designated Retirement Communities:
Six West Virginia communities have undergone an application process that ensures the community provides the resources and amenities required to be considered as a Designated Retirement Community. They are:
- Morgantown
- Bluefield
- Beckley
- Lewis County
- Summers County
- Nicholas County

More Links:
100 Best Retirement Communities
More articles about retirement