College towns are great places for retirement. You can count on lots of things to do and a stimulating and youthful environment. For many people, that's a lot better environment than being stuck in a gated community with a lot of old people. If the concept of college town retirement community appeals to you, there are a number of issues to consider. Some you should examine are:
- Would you like to live near the campus where you went to school, or to a college town that has always appealed to you
- What type of college town community to live in - a small town,or a bigger university in a larger community
- Would you like to live in the general community, or in a university sponsored development (programs, prices, and amenities will differ under either approach)
- Does your spouse or SA have the same dream you do
- How accessible is the college to town residents - will you be able to take classes there?
The questions are difficult, but your research can be an adventure. Go out and visit as many college towns as you can. This website can help you too. Here is a list of just some of the top college towns for retirement at Topretirements. We also have a free newsletter that alerts you about the best college town retirement communities, along with interesting articles on how to choose the right one for you.
To find out suggestions for different university-affiliated retirement developments check out the web sites of their developers. Some of the top developers include: Campus Continuum (www.campuscontinuum.com), Collegeville Development (www.collegevillecommunities.com), and Co-operative Retirement Services of America (www.crsa.com), and Kendal Corporation (www.kendal.org)
More than 50 college towns reviewed! On these pages you'll find objective profiles of more than 50 college towns and university retirement developments. Just click on "Browse by college town . Our handy tool lets you select "University Town" and see only communities that are college towns -
Oxford, Ohio
Austin, Texas
Berkeley
Oxford MS;
Lawrence KS
Bowling Green KY;
Olympia WA.
A good example of a college town that has an excellent program for retirees is Hattiesburg, Missississippi. The Institute for Learning in Retirement offered through Hattiesburg's William Carey College has a wide variety of educational programs that are extremely popular. A small sample of college towns are displayed on the right of this page. Along with each college town review you'll get a database of key facts about each town or development: real estate prices,age restrictions, average January temperatures, what is going on culturally, transportation and medical capabilities, etc.
List of retirement communities by state
For a wonderful additional resource, go to College Town Life. |
