Don’t Want a Florida Retirement? How About These Great Places
Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
November 9, 2022 — Even though the Sunshine State typically adds 900 new residents every day, it still has plenty of detractors. You have probably run into many of them, often at a party where people are discussing retirement locations. “I hate the bugs, the humidity, the hurricanes, the sprawl, and the traffic”; that’s a pretty good summary of the usual complaints. So if you are one of those who wants to avoid a Florida retirement, where else should you consider?
One of Florida’s obvious attractions is the warm winters it provides. For those who have to have that climate requirement, geography creates some limitations. Fortunately there are some possibilities, which we will discuss here, along with some of tradeoffs and comparisons with Florida.
Comments on "Don’t Want a Florida Retirement? How About These Great Places"
kw says:
It's time to look past no income states for retirement. We are Arizona residents. Arizonans will enjoy a flat income tax rate of 2.5% starting 2023. Do the math and compare the low property tax and very low property casualty tax and see how favorable Arizona compares to no income tax states like Florida which has high entrance property taxes (until you are homesteaded) and very high property casualty taxes which are estimated to increase 40% next year. Texas also has high property taxes but do not live there so can't comment on insurance costs. Arizona does not tax Social Security. Real estate prices are too high but that is a national issue. Downside is insufferable heat in the Valley during the summer months and the air quality is gritty. The sun shines most day and for 8 months a year, our weather is enviable.
John Brady says:
I am looking for a nice town to retire in.Townsend TN area or South Carolina. Any suggestions?
John Brady says:
Thanks for your question.
Hopefully some other members might have suggestions.
There are lots of possibilities in TN or SC. Check out our Directories
for some ideas.
https://www.topretirements.com/active_adult_communities/Tennessee.html
https://www.topretirements.com/active_adult_communities/South_Carolina.html
Townsend is in a pretty remote area but there are other mountain towns
in that area for GA, TN, and SC. I like Signal Mountain, Cashiers, and
others. Recommend a tour through the area and some stays to get a better handle on it.
Good luck!
caps says:
Hi John;
You asked about Townsend TN.....
We have driven through there a few times on our way to Gatlinburg. That area is very beautiful. Lots of green, hills, and streams. We stopped for a wine tasting and had lunch. It is a small town that seemed a bit touristy to me. We also stopped at a neat music shop. I didn't notice any medical clinics, however I wasn't looking. It looks like a great place for hiking and outdoor activities. Check your milage to do major shopping to your nearest larger cities. I think that Knoxville would be the closest, and they have about anything you would need there. We are about 1 1/2 hours from Knoxville, and only an hour to Chattanooga. We built our home on the water 5 years ago, but rented about 3 winters before that. We retired here from Minnesota, and have really enjoyed it. The locals are very accepting and we have made lots of friends through our neighborhood and church. Rentals are very hard to find here, and I would suspect there as well. Home prices are starting to inch down, but really went up the last year and 1/2. I'll check this blog, to see if we can answer any more of your questions. Happy hunting!
Live in AZ says:
Re: Arizona. There are very real water-availability issues here. Between the foreign-owned nut orchards, hay farms and cattle ranches, aquifers are being drawn down so low that homeowners are finding their wells are drying up and it's cost-prohibitive to dig deeper. The Colorado River flows are down and the Phoenix area is facing water conservation mandates beginning in 2023. Do a little Google research on the water situation before making a decision. It's concerning.
Roberta says:
I agree with Live in AZ. Both Florida and Arizona have too many problems now and retirees seriously need to look at other places to retire to. We are leaving AZ in the spring due to all these issues mentioned. And more which I won't go into here.
RichPB says:
Water concerns in the south west (particularly AZ) were a major reason that, while we loved visiting, we decided that we wouldn't venture to move there. This is a deceptively hidden potential problem that too few are considering or simply refuse to admit -- especially those who thrive on the huge influx of retirees.
John Hutchins says:
Love the Tucson area. Ready to move, but the water issues are a growing concern. Is southern Arizona having water issues like Phoenix?
Pat R says:
Live just south of Tucson. My water bill is about 40 percent of what it was in Kansas city. Best move I ever made. Beautiful area, great weather 90 percent of the time, many festivals, wonderful cultural events, close to Mexico, lower cost of living, close to Vegas and California. Only negative is no great BBQ and miss going to all the Chiefs games