Sarasota is the New #1 Most Popular Place to Retire: Announcing Our 2016 List

After seeing Green Valley AZ on one of your lists 4 years ago, I started researching GV and subscribed to the GV newspaper online. The more I read, the more I liked. We came to see what it was really like 2 years ago. By the end of the week, we knew we would be moving to Green Valley. The move finally happened 7 months ago. Our only regret is not doing it sooner. There is so much to do, especially if you belong to Green Valley Recreation. There is also a festival or fair going on nearby almost every weekend. Property taxes and insurance are 1/4 what they were in Texas. Auto insurance is half. Right now is the time to buy as AZ was caught in the real estage plunge of 2008. Prices are amazing. People will come back with "But Arizona has a state income tax". The state income tax on my income (SS, pension, annuity, and contract labor) was $23 for 6 months!! If it will be $46 or so for a full year in 2016, I will be a happy camper. I am so glad I saw Green Valley on Top Requirements. We have found our Utopia.

I am happy to see my choice NOT on the list. I want to keep it as unspoiled as possible. I am familiar with many of the cities on the list, and the ones I know about are great places to visit and/or live. Thank you for this service, because it also helps with making travel plans for places to see and visit.

Why is it I never see any mention of Tyler Texas for a nice place to retire? Tyler offers all types of chain businesses and eateries and has 3 major hospitals along with numerous doctors and dentists alike. It is a small city but offers all you will find in larger ones. Not to mention is has the University of Texas / in Tyler there also for continued education. It has a spectacular historic downtown all of brick streets and a historic residential district.
Why is this overlooked?

Rick Vaughan

Ugh, ugh, ugh! I've lived in Sarasota since 2001 and boy has it changed since then! All in 3 ways: Traffic Traffic Traffic! If you like traffic come on down! Especially if you like traffic between October and June! The snowbirds come down in droves. The natives know not to go out to a restaurant as the wait can be hours to get in. I've had enough of it and can't wait to move.

Really, Green Valley ? I live up the road in Sahuarita. Not much to do. You will have to drive into Tucson. The heat is oppressive. I've lived in southern AZ for 40+ years and the older I get, the heat is just too much. Outdoor activities in the summer, I think not. It can stay 100 at midnight sometimes. Besides the unbearable heat, this areas politics is "mentally disturbing". Local government is corrupt and only take care of themselves and their friends.
I'll be retiring in a couple years and am wanting to get out of AZ. Looking at the Pacific NW. Can't wait to move.

Venice Florida is on the list. Can anyone suggest areas/communities that are mostly adult? We would like a place where these aren't a lot of families that can get very loud. We know the deserve to have fun. We have past tthat; and now just want to live in a place that has peace and quiet.

I find some of the results hard to believe based on your stated criteria. I am not sure how some towns/cities can make the giant moves they have made. (Vegas jumps 34 spots in one year?) Let's be honest in one years time not that much could have changed. When I see major metro areas like Phoenix, and Seattle I can't help but think who would live there unless they have family there. The crime, the traffic, the over crowded venues. Really, people in their late 60's and 70's want that? Not to mention the cold and rain, high taxes, and high cost of living in the Pacific Northwest, and the extreme heat in the Arizona Desert. At least in my mind it doesn't add up.

Steve, as the article said in "How we came up with this list", the rankings are based on the number of times the cities were clicked on here in Top Retirement (or words to the effect, you might want to read it again). In other words, a popularity contest, and it says so in that paragraph. A popularity contest that would be highly influenced by articles posted here in TR and browsed to by the readers here. So if you have 50 articles on Phoenix and only 2 on Tucson, I would hazard a guess that Phx would "win" in popularity in the number of clicks over Tucson at the end of the year, making Phx a more popular place to retire.

My issue with the article is not that it is based on a click through which shows some interest, even if transient, it is the CONCLUSION reached in the next paragraph. "These are the 100 most popular places to retire for 2016." NO, they are NOT, and I'd call out Admin for making such a conclusion. They just got a greater number of clicks. If there was an interesting article about Hell that everybody clicked on in 2015, then Hell would be on the Top 100 most popular places to retire for 2016. Granted, it would be warm in winter, but...

Just sayin'.

In my opinion, if you want a more accurate way to judge the most popular places to retire, measure the number of retirees moving into the area and the number moving out. If Area A had 4,000 moving in and 2,000 moving out, would that be more or less popular than the 1,000 that moved to Area B with 200 moving out?

Now, how to measure the death rate. Did the folks that died in a location count for or against it? Count it as a good thing because the retiree was so happy they stayed until they croaked, or a bad thing because the place killed them off for lack of good medical care, boredom or an oppressive HOA?

How do you determine the number of people moving in and the number moving out? Thank

Art, I totally agree. A click has very little to do with one's ultimate choices.

This is reminding me of the "clicks" in middle school!

Now guess what? We have been invited to Easter Dinner if we are still here. Can you believe this?
We are thinking about buying a lot and building. Argggg A lot to consider! Pun intended.

Art -- Your remarks are very insightful and right on the mark, but I also think that you're hilarious!

Caps, you are funny! I was just thinking about your last few comments this morning before reading your post. How did you meet all these generous people you've been mentioning? Enjoy!

Marianne, how to determine the number moving in and out? Well, first, upfront confession. I have no PhD in anything, nor did I sleep at a Best Western last night. Just my thoughts. This is probably too simplistic, but I art a simple man.
I think I would start with a static world where there are no sales. Nobody trying to sell, nobody trying to buy. Can't say the town is more or less popular.
Now somebody wants out, they put the house up for sale. As long as the house remains on the market, count this as a negative against the community (less popular). If somebody buys that house, we are back at static (neither less or more popular). In my opinion the more houses on the market with few buyers, the less popular the community.
If somebody wants to sell but there are no buyers, and the house is abandoned, count that as least popular. Think Detroit and East St. Louis, where you have to bribe buyers to buy (like offering a house for $10k that would sell for lots more elsewhere).
If it is reported that buyers are available but no homes are available, count that as a positive for the community (more popular). Competition for any house that pops up should theoretically cause prices to rise.
If you have no new houses being built (only remodeled), but lots of folks want to live there and relatively few want to sell, I would call that a more popular place and housing prices will rise. Think San Francisco and Manhattan.
Add new houses with buyers, and there are sellers of existing property, then there is a net gain in population for the community (also more popular).
And if you have new houses and buyers, but have NO sellers as everybody loves it there, that is the community everybody wants to live in (most popular). Theoretically this is where you are going to find the highest priced homes.
Zillow can be used to track both houses offered for sale and completed sales. But the only way to track demand is observing the rise or fall in existing property prices. If the trend in prices are up, there must be demand (more popular). If the seller has to lower the price then the demand is not there (less popular)
Just my opinion.

Valerie, regarding humor... probably why I am still married...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mmV5yrIsio

Otherwise I have no redeeming value. ;)

Art, A sense of humor serves us all well, regardless of our circumstances or our marital status :) :) :) which reminds me of a humorous comment that I overheard an elderly gentleman make one time to a salesman whenever I was shopping at a store a few years ago. He said "You know I never knew what love was like, until I got married (and then he smiled as he took a large pause for effect) --- and he uttered the following words "and then it was too late." -- LOL!!!

Hi Valerie, so true about humor, it's made life a lot easier. And regarding marriage, I have heard a man is not complete until he is married. Then he's finished.

I thought this was supposed to be about the best places to retire...Sarasota now being at the top. I have no idea who or why anyone thinks Sarasota would be the #1 place to live. I recently (November 2015) visited and searched for a place to rent in the area. That said Let me tell you why I would not relocate to Sarasota.
A- The homeless in downtown is horrific!
B- there are few and far between rentals
C- Relaters never return phone calls and many do not even have rental agents.
C- Homeowners do not take pride in showing there homes to there full potential
D- Rents are just as high as NY (my current location)
E- There is not a whole lot to do unless you love the beach, golf or shopping.
I would love it if we could all stick to the topic and report on the Who, What wear & why you or someone you know loves where they have retired to.

Art, we all enjoy your un-redeemed qualities. Keep it up!

Sorry Roseann, already off track.

Ella......I believe it all started when we attended Mass our first weekend to the new area we were considering. We were early for Mass, and the priest was in the vestibule to meet all the people as they entered. He, introduced us to others and the entire situation just snowballed, as they asked us about our goals etc.
We always attend the Catholic Church nearest to our desired location because it is THAT important to us for our long term lifestyle and volunteer opportunities. We have made efforts to attend their activities and events. Our faith is strong in the caring and kindness of people everywhere. Kindness and openness begets more of the same.

Caps, So true about what you said about kindness, which is a very positive trait, and very often just a smile from one to person to another can start a friendship

Roseann, we only visited Sarasota for a day as part of a trip to the Gulf side of Florida several hours ago, and being the true dedicated shopaholic that I am, the only thing that really stood out in my mind was the shopping district at St. Armand's Circle. Other than that, I was unimpressed.

And, Art, I continue to appreciate your humor :) :) :)

Sorry, Roseann, I meant to say that we visited Sarasota several "years" ago, not several "hours" ago. Boy, time sure does fly, doesn't it?

Caps, How very lovely - the introduction and opportunity to connect with those in the church you visited. Although finding the right church is very important to us in our relocation, we gallivant around to the extent that we have not visited any yet (too much time spent getting in those miles). I'll consider your comment before we take our next trip.
Sending warm greetings.

Valerie, St Armand's Circle is beautiful. I go directly there while visiting my daughter. It has remained unchanged for the most part.

ella, what do yo mean already off track?

Roseann, You, reasonably, asked that we keep 'on track,' and here i went commenting on Art's sense of humor. Oh, well. Most railroads have several converging tracks, right?

I wouldn't listen to much that is said about this list. Go spend time there and research for yourself, the financial costs of everything, from housing to medical to food to every type of insurance you need. I understand people wanting good weather, and entertainment like golfing, beaches, and shopping. Is it really worth it? A vacation would be better than a financial loss from a "wrong" move.

John,
THAT is a hard-learned fact. These sites are showing incorrect information and making everything look wonderful. The raves about downtown Colorado Springs is so off. Our homeless population is massive and homeless people that are under a No"sitting Law". Downtown has NO safe shopping and almost none because no shops can deal with the beggar. 'Lots' of malls? ONE MALL left that is not totally under the crime rule. Empty shops, no work and, yes the mountains are beautiful when you can get to them and the Air is clean!

I have to stay but people advising Retireds should stop making every place seem like utopia.

Any "most popular" lists are, by their nature, unreliable. People have a tendency to want to validate their choices of a living situation, as if attracting more people to, say, Colorado Springs, will make the homeless and crime situations go away. Therefore, when asked if they would recommend people live where they live, of course many of them will say "sure," thinking if it's good enough for them, others should like it as well. Like most any place, Colorado Springs is not all bad and not all good. I love San Francisco and, if I could afford it, I could see myself living there. But no one denies SF has a big homeless problem. I just returned from a week in New Orleans, parts of which are a bit scary and parts of which are wonderful. Horrible homeless problem. I'd live there too -- and spend my time in the wonderful parts.

Larry in SF,
You are correct. I have lived on each Coast, the South, and the middle of our country. Each place had adventures, friends, meaning, experiences, memories and children born on each Coast. I NEVER thought about the end of living so this site is complex in its 'Top Places to Retire' (aka: to die) info. For some, moving close to family is a way to spend the remaining life in years. For others, it is a mistake.
I have been Blessed. Not interested in sitting down,"On the Plains of Hesitation, Bleach the Bones of Countless millions, Who at the dawn of a decision, sat down to wait...and waiting perished."
Thank You Larry, I Will take the good with the bad and continue to run around looking... now that I know what I am looking for.

I have lived most of my 66 years in Southern California. I believe it is fair to say that this is one of the best climates on the planet. However, Southern California is extremely expensive and crowded. Do I believe Southern California is utopia? Absolutely not!!! However, if one has their roots here; then this is home like so many other places across our vast nation. I personally believe those chasing utopia end up quite disappointed.

Yes Bubbajog! So very true! There is NO Utopia - but there may be "better" for the retirement years. We raised our family in Maine, and loved it, even the winter was tolerable when you have children and ski, take them sledding and ice skating etc. But the kids are off - both choosing to leave Maine, as most young folks do - due to low salaries, few good jobs due to lack of corporations and major employers (plenty of lower pay service jobs, esp. In hospitality and tourism), and a ridiculous tax burden that is covered by a small amount of the population - which is already small as compared to the vast size of the state. We developed our wish list, rank ordered our wishes and with milder climate and lower taxes as our priorities, and we headed south! Don't regret it a bit! Not Utopia - but better for us at this stage of our life.

Utopia is a perfect paradise that doesn't exist, but which we all dream of anyway. Nothing wrong with dreaming and planning about retirement choices. A person's ambition or effort towards life and retirement shows they have a desire to take charge of it. "Less is More" is my Utopia, less cold, less taxes, less traffic, less work.
I think the above popularity list has a broad range of selections for everyone. BUT a person first has to financially "fit" to the area they choose, before selecting a place based on personal opinions. Just because I like a popular view from a bridge, doesn't mean I am going to jump if the others do!

I remember when I first joined TOPRETIREMENTS blog and saw an older version of this list, I must have "clicked" on at least a third of the list. It was a learning experience along with the rest of the blog...but not necessarily a "vote" for these place. That said I love these lists and this blog can be very educational...just keep a sense of humor and do research that suits YOU.

In a very short while we'll be leaving Connecticut for Florida. In your opinion which area is the better choice to retire to? Is it Venice, Estero, or Bonita Springs? I plan to buy a stand alone villa.

My advice is that these are very big areas - many similarities and some differences. You really have to experience them yourself to see which appeals to you the most. Venice probably has the nicest downtown, although many people who live there hardly ever see it. Estero and Bonita Springs are contiguous - Venice is quite a ways away.

Rick, I live in CT and own a vacation home on the SC coast. The Editor is right-on about the character of some areas on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Your question about "better choice" is unanswerable since, as in most things, the best is in the eye of the beholder. Once you visit, you will be the one to answer your own questions. The only thing that is the same in these areas is that you can find a home you like in any of them. So the best advice is to concentrate on looking at the downtown and surrounding areas, driving through a few of the communities (if you intend to live inside the gates of one), eat in the local restaurants (and, though impolite, eavesdrop on a few conversations) and just get the feel of the places. Walking through houses for sale on a first visit, unless it is to be your only visit, is a waste of time since you will find one that suits you most anywhere.

Rick, Venice, is really nice. My daughter lives there/teaches there. I love there down town,beach.

Where everybody is going, the most popular, may not be the place for you. It boils down to how much steady income you will have and how much cash you can generate by selling your current place. I suspect as the number of people with healthy defined benefit pensions decreases they will need to steer clear of many of the places on the popularity list. Think before you leap, try it out for awhile. Is the place really right for you?

We just moved a bunch of comments about Georgia that were made to our Medicare post to this Blog post, where they are a better fit:
---
How do you like GA? Are you a transplant there? I have a cousin that lives in Clarkesville, Ga. He previously lived in KY. Do you find the price of housing reasonable there?
Thanks! Louise —

Louise,
We’ve been in Lilburn, GA (Atlanta suburb) for about 23 years. Moved here because of a company transfer from the Chicago suburbs. Overall the cost of living is less than northern Illinois mostly because of housing. Real estate taxes drop significantly when you turn 65. My taxes on a 250K house are dropping from $2600.00 to under a thousand a year.

We do miss the city of Chicago and all that it offers. In many ways Atlanta just doesn’t compare to Chicago culturally.
by Jim C —

Jim,
With the money you are going to save from lower taxes you can take some trips to Chicago! That is really outstanding! I am not a fan of humidity and hot weather but to save so much in taxes I might be able to suck it up! I live in CT and my house is worth around $250,000 and our house tax is $4,428.00. To buy a same priced house where you live I could save $3,428.00 a year at 65!

How does it work if one spouse is 65 and the other one is a year or two younger? As long as one owner is 65 do they reduce the taxes when the house is jointly owned?
by Louise —

Louise,
The rule at least here in Gwinnett County states that you have to be 65 on January 1st of that year to receive the deduction. My wife and I both turned 65 in 2015 but after 1/1/15 so 2016 will be the first year we benefit. In a joint ownership scenario at least one would have to meet the requirement.
by Jim C —

Louise,
I believe as long as one of the “owners” is 65 on January 1st you would meet the requirement.
by Jim C

Jim,
That makes sense…One more question. Is the tax reduction, when you turn 65, a State wide tax reduction or is it just certain cities or towns in GA?

Thanks for your patience!
Louise —

This article is 2013, but gives you an idea of Georgia property taxes
Georgia general
http://www.redhotatlantahomes.com/many-metro-atlanta-counties-offer-big-tax-breaks-for-seniors/

Up to date info on Hall County (NE of Atlanta).
Property tax, etc: Hall County, Georgia
http://www.hallcounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/264 homestead and other tax exemptions
http://www.hallcounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/274 Tax rates and FAQ

There are good breaks on income tax as well. See Kiplingers for further info on state-wide info
by elaine — May 11, 2016 | Edit This

Louise,
It is not state wide. The counties seemed to be in the Atlanta metro area and each have different rules. See www.redhotatlantahomes.com/tax breaks for further info.

More on Atlanta Metro areas offering senior tax breaks:

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Link above doesn't seem to work These are the metro cities in Georgia for Senior tax breaks:

Cherokee
Cobb
Douglas
Forsyth
Fulton
Gwinnett
Hall
DeKalb
Jackson
Paulding
Spalding

Louise,
Here in Gwinnett County where I live the exemption states that your income after all deductions cannot exceed 25K. This would generally be income other than retirement income like pensions, SS and IRA withdrawals.

Jim C,
Some really good advantages to living in GA!

I would be interested in hearing what it is like where you live. Have you adapted to the hot humid summers there?

Louise,
The first couple of summers the heat and humidity were difficult to tolerate but you adjust over time. Currently the weather has been perfect here. Low humidity, 50's at night and highs in the lower 80's and extremely blue skies.

Jim C,
We started to get nice weather early April then it went back to chilly weather, including rain, cloudy skies for weeks on end. It's mid May and so far no real spring weather here. It is typical for it to go from chilly to too hot. No time to acclimate! Today is going to be beautiful then it is going to get cold again for a week! You weather sounds nice, at least for the time being!

I'm very interested in Athens, GA. My nephew lives in Hoschton, Ga about 1/2 hour away. I like the idea of Athens because of the OLLI program at U of GA. I've been there once and will be going again next month. Any thoughts, opinions, whatever on Athens would be greatly appreciated.

This question came in from Carol. Here is the question and our answer:

Q: Am retiring soon and am interested in AL and FL. Any suggestions?

A: That is a lot of territory to cover, but both have lots of good retirement places to choose from.

Start with our AL and FL State Guides and Directories. Use the navigation tabs at top right to get there.
http://www.topretirements.com/state/
http://www.topretirements.com/active_adult_communities/Alabama.html
http://www.topretirements.com/active_adult_communities/Florida.html

Check those out and then identify some candidates and then go exploring! You really have to see these places for yourself - then you will know a lot more!

Seattle? No way! I've lived here for more than 20 years and I can't wait to retire someplace smaller. Traffic is awful and getting worse every year. Housing prices are high, as is the cost of medical care. Better to head for the other places on the list that are in the Northwest--Port Townsend is lovely, as is anywhere in the San Juans, especially Whidbey Island, which has a vibrant arts community (north island is conservative and north island is liberal).

Sarasota must pay for these lists ever since they were named the meanest city for their treatment of homeless people. (Which can be seen daily on Main Street begging.) Traffic is unbearable. Nice list