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May 18, 2015 — When you think Florida, is your image one of a north-south string of strip malls, punctuated by boring developments full of old people? If so, you would not be alone. But we are about to show you that Florida has more than its fair share of…
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Update February 24, 2016: The 2016 Most Popular Places to Retire is now out February 21, 2015 – When Topretirements members and visitors dream about their best places to retire, warm places in Florida are usually featured. The Sunshine State dominates our 2015 list of the best places to…
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
-- This article continues our Dueling Retirement States series. See Further Reading at end for links to the other regions compared in the series --
Updated July, 2020 - Original article February 16, 2015 -- The Pacific Northwest has continued to experience amazing population growth since the end of World War II. Oregon's population, for example, grew by 400,000 between 2000 and 2010, and almost 2/3 of that was net in-migration. Many of the area's new residents are 20 and 30 somethings who have come for jobs and the great out of doors. But another demographic segment flocking to the region for its beauty, outdoor recreation, and in many cases, to be near their adult children, is the huge baby boomer group. In this article we will compare and contrast these 2 vital states, Oregon and Washington. Population and income data is from U.S. Census Bureau.
A Few Facts
Washington is the more populous of the 2 states. Its 1990 population of just under 4.9 million climbed to 7.5 million in 2020 - a 53% increase in 30 years. Oregon's population was 2.8 million in 1990, and grew to just under 4.2 million in 2020 - a 50% increase over that span.
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February 11, 2015 — Baby boomers have many concerns as they contemplate their retirements, but some issues resonate more than others. The three issues that keep coming up week after week in your comments and emails are: water shortages (in Arizona and the southwest), sinkholes (in Florida), and humidity (mostly…
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Editor’s note: This is an unusual post from one of our Members, Harv. He originally posted it as a Comment to our “Dueling Retirements: AZ vs. FL” Blog article. But due to its length we thought it might be good to break it out as its own article. Please…
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
January 19, 2015 — In your search for the perfect community, how many of these statements would you agree are your priorities? Would you like to: – Walk or bike into town instead of going by car – Live in a real neighborhood – Have interesting entertainment…
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Updated June 2019 — (Originally published January , 2015) — Finding that “Goldilocks” place to retire is a goal for many people. A town which has just the right weather year round, offers great value for your hard earned dollars, and has everything you need for great year round enjoyment.
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
December 15, 2014 — Most “best places to retire” lists are highly subjective and based on somebody’s personal opinions. Some others use a certain set of criteria, such as crime, climate, health care availability, etc. Another example is the annual “100 Best” lists at Topretirements, which are based on popularity…
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Editor's note: This article is the latest in our series on various regional comparisons for retirement. See end of article for links to other regions in this series. We welcome ideas for future comparisons.
December 10, 2014 -- The area that we will call the mid-south is an under-estimated and often misunderstood place for baby boomer retirement. All of these states are relatively favorable for taxes, cost of living, and climate compared to many others, creating an environment where retirees can maintain a high degree of financial and personal privacy. Yet so far they definitely take a back seat in terms of popularity compared to the Carolinas, Florida, and Arizona. In this comparison we will evaluate various factors for these states that affect retirement, letting our readers draw their own conclusions from the facts, including how easily they can access sports betting without SSN credentials. As always, please remember that areas and neighborhoods within a state, even a Metro, can be very different – so generalizations are tricky. Reader
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
December 2, 2014 -- It is a hard reality that many baby boomers are very concerned about not having enough money for an enjoyable retirement. Yet a comparison of two studies, one that ranks Metros by affordability and another that tracks the Metros that are attracting the most new 55+ residents, finds very little correlation between the top of both lists. Apparently, housing costs are not always the only drivers when it comes to deciding where to retire!
The first study, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Affordability Index (See the "Complete Listing by Affordability Rank" report) compares home prices to median incomes in in U.S. Metros. The result is an Affordability Index ranking, which, surprisingly, produces a list completely different than that from the second study, the William H. Frey Analysis of American Community Survey data. That study lists the highest population U.S. areas with the most net migration of people 55+. In this article we will provide the highest ranking Metros on both lists and speculate reasons for the disconnect.
First of all - the most affordable Metros
The NAHB/Wells Fargo Affordability Index compares the median income
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