Where is the "perfect" location (for you) to retire?

[missy]

I am sure some PSers have been thinking about this. If not now in the past. If not in the past perhaps in the future. Do you have a place in mind? I know I started thinking about this over a decade ago tbh. Because I am a planner. Unfortunately we all know there is no "perfect" place. But where is the perfect place for you? And why?

What I take into account when thinking about this

1. The quality of hospitals and healthcare in general

2. Culture. Activities and other things to do

3. Cost of living

4. Climate

5. Unique to my dh and I- the flatness of the terrain (road cycling friendly lol)

6. The people who live there (friendly, minds their own business)

7. Safety

8. This falls under cost of living I think but adding it anyway...property taxes

9. Close to Costco, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's

10. Close to my parents and sister's family too

11. I want to be on the water whether it be ocean or bay. I love the sound of the waves and it just makes everything better. it is, for me, cathartic

For the most part I love living here (jersey shore) but our property taxes are some of the highest (if not highest) in the country and the weather is good maybe half the time and that is being generous.

Our healthcare quality is probably above average

Lots of things to do here and purrrfect for cycling

I enjoy for the most part the people who live here

And it is a very safe area

Close to all the shopping we need

Flat terrain so cycling friendly

Within two to three hours driving to my family

We are on the bay and it is truly beautiful

So almost perfect for us but not 100% of course

I would love a better climate (60s/70s even 80s if dry with lots of sun).
I would love a lower cost of living.
So of course I am still thinking it all over and we are not stuck where we are if we decide there is a better location for us.

I am very curious to hear your thoughts about your perfect location. What do you factor in and what takes priority for you. Do you live there already? Do you plan on moving after retirement? Please share

 

[Snowdrop13]

I think we’ll be staying exactly where we are- small village at the seaside, near a big city, reasonable transport links. One of my neighbours has just bought a small holiday place in Italy, I wouldn’t mind having that sort of thing in addition!

 

[missy]

I think we’ll be staying exactly where we are- small village at the seaside, near a big city, reasonable transport links. One of my neighbours has just bought a small holiday place in Italy, I wouldn’t mind having that sort of thing in addition!

Sounds lovely.


I used to think having two places was ideal but I no longer feel that way for us. It’s a lot of work not to mention expense. One day I’ll have to decide which place to sell. Or maybe both and find an entirely different location

 

[dk168]

I am unlikely to relocate from my home as I hate the thought of having to pack up and move again, after the torturous move in 2006 from London to where I am living now.

I shall be out and about in my RV as much as possible when I finally retire.

The first trip will be taking a month or so driving from UK to the Arctic Circle along the Norwegian coast.

I designed the layout of my RV so that she is a home from home, and would have gone on longer trips had it not been concerns about not being contactable due to lack of internet access as my job requires me to be continuously contactable, even though I am currently working about 45h per month!

The RV recently had a habitation service, and the engineer praised her design and I was so chuffed as a lot of time and effort was spent to come up with a design that suited my needs and wants.

I used to like the idea of having a little pad in France, somewhere along the Loire Valley. However, that idea went out of the window 20 years ago when my plan to work in Belgium and France was shattered due to life changing events.

DK

 

[Snowdrop13]

I am unlikely to relocate from my home as I hate the thought of having to pack up and move again, after the torturous move in 2006 from London to where I am living now.

I shall be out and about in my RV as much as possible when I finally retire.

The first trip will be taking a month or so driving from UK to the Arctic Circle along the Norwegian coast.

I designed the layout of my RV so that she is a home from home, and would have gone on longer trips had it not been concerns about not being contactable due to lack of internet access as my job requires me to be continuously contactable, even though I am currently working about 45h per month!

The RV recently had a habitation service, and the engineer praised her design and I was so chuffed as a lot of time and effort was spent to come up with a design that suited my needs and wants.

I used to like the idea of having a little pad in France, somewhere along the Loire Valley. However, that idea went out of the window 20 years ago when my plan to work in Belgium and France was shattered due to life changing events.

DK

That sounds amazing- what route will you take to Norway? I believe the ferry to Denmark is not running these days.

 

[tyty333]

My BIL and SIL live in North Ga. on a large lake. Its really beautiful there. Lots of hiking and beautiful scenery. It does get hot there
but you do get some winter months too (which we dont get where I'm currently at).

We will never move though. We're too close to retirement and settled here, so we'll have to be happy with visiting that area more often.

 

[Matata]

We'll stay where we are in smallish town in Oregon. It's growing in a not good way but our options for moving are limited. We're an hour from the coast and mountains so recreation in beautiful places is close by.

My dream was to retire to Europe and Portugal, Slovenia, and Scotland were the places being considered. Unfortunately world events and climate change has made it difficult to find a sweet spot for living safely almost everywhere. Health issues with DH also became a deterrent. My regret is that we didn't make the move a decade ago.

My stepson intends to move to Mallorca at least part-time in the near future so we'll have a place to stay for a month or two at a time and that's a good compromise.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

We will stay put. The house is paid off, kids are nearby. When the kids talked about moving down south and asked if we would follow I was so excited. They wouldn't move unless we would. But their plans changed and they are staying put so we will as well. But I would love to live in a warmer area close to an ocean.

 

[ringbling17]

I love where we are in Delaware. Close enough to family (1.5-3 hr), big cities and restaurants (New York City, Baltimore and Philly), we live in a safe and great neighborhood and have wonderful neighbors. We live in best public school district in De and near enough to water (Chesapeake City, MD and De beaches).
Property taxes are very low (under 5k- we used to pay close to $17k in NJ), the house is just the right size for us even when the kids move out and we don’t have as much property, which previously we wanted but in retrospect it’s a lot to take care of.
I love my jobs too and we are near excellent hospitals (Christiana, John Hopkins, HUP, CHOP, Nemours Children’s).
I’ve also made friends that I enjoy hanging out with, I did not have any in NJ.
Lastly our interest rate is 2.375%. The likelihood of us ever getting a rate that low is unlikely!
This is it for us and we are happy.

 

[Slickk]

The short answer…where my kids are.
I’d leave NY if they weren’t here and we weren’t welcoming our first grandchild soon. I think we would go somewhere it is warm almost all year as my body doesn’t like the cold. Also, taxed pensions would play a part into what state we would go to.

 

[kenny]

Right here, where it's just right!

 

[diamondringlover]

in one of the southern states near the ocean...I want ocean and warmth year around..

 

[seaurchin]

I deleted my post because it could be considered political. Trying to re-do it so it's not, though I don't think silence is helping anything good.

Our Plan A is to stay here because our kids are here.

Plan B is two main options outside the US. Neither is ideal but it's about avoiding hazards rather than increasing happiness at this point, unfortunately. We've already moved once due to increased flooding from global warming. Now we're mainly concerned about if staying here will remain tolerable in the future, considering the precarious state our country is in.

 

[Lookinagain]

The short answer…where my kids are.

This was my first thought too. I wouldn't move to a different state, as my daughter is here and only about 45 minutes away. Our heath care is top notch. We're very close to a big city with lots of activities. Close to the ocean yet easy trip to the mountains. I like my town, the house is paid off and although I'm not a fan of the cold weather, it's getting warmer and warmer here and winters are generally milder. I'm originally from Miami and I don't think I could ever live in that heat year round again. And the prospect of packing up this house that I've been in for 35 years makes my head spin, even though I'm trying to get rid of lots of things. Prices and taxes are not low, but I can deal with that. And I like the general mindset of most of the people here. Instead of buying a second home (which I considered at one point) I'd rather rent or lease somewhere for a month or so. Then I wouldn't have to deal with upkeep, and wouldn't feel compelled to return to the same place over and over again and could chose different locations. So I guess in summary, I'm staying put, at least that is my thinking now.

 

[MissGotRocks]

This was my first thought too. I wouldn't move to a different state, as my daughter is here and only about 45 minutes away. Our heath care is top notch. We're very close to a big city with lots of activities. Close to the ocean yet easy trip to the mountains. I like my town, the house is paid off and although I'm not a fan of the cold weather, it's getting warmer and warmer here and winters are generally milder. I'm originally from Miami and I don't think I could ever live in that heat year round again. And the prospect of packing up this house that I've been in for 35 years makes my head spin, even though I'm trying to get rid of lots of things. Prices and taxes are not low, but I can deal with that. And I like the general mindset of most of the people here. Instead of buying a second home (which I considered at one point) I'd rather rent or lease somewhere for a month or so. Then I wouldn't have to deal with upkeep, and wouldn't feel compelled to return to the same place over and over again and could chose different locations. So I guess in summary, I'm staying put, at least that is my thinking now.

Your answer just about mirrors my own. Will probably stay put for a variety of reasons - primarily because of our kids. They are not down the street but close enough to visit. We like our area and neighborhood. Close to big cities and excellent healthcare. House is too big now, but we love it and are comfortable in it. Things may change as we age, but for now we are here and happy!

 

[Slickk]

This was my first thought too. I wouldn't move to a different state, as my daughter is here and only about 45 minutes away. Our heath care is top notch. We're very close to a big city with lots of activities. Close to the ocean yet easy trip to the mountains. I like my town, the house is paid off and although I'm not a fan of the cold weather, it's getting warmer and warmer here and winters are generally milder. I'm originally from Miami and I don't think I could ever live in that heat year round again. And the prospect of packing up this house that I've been in for 35 years makes my head spin, even though I'm trying to get rid of lots of things. Prices and taxes are not low, but I can deal with that. And I like the general mindset of most of the people here. Instead of buying a second home (which I considered at one point) I'd rather rent or lease somewhere for a month or so. Then I wouldn't have to deal with upkeep, and wouldn't feel compelled to return to the same place over and over again and could chose different locations. So I guess in summary, I'm staying put, at least that is my thinking now.

I could have written this post exactly! We also consider renting something a month here and there. We must live in the same region. Haha! I’m staying put…

 

[dk168]

That sounds amazing- what route will you take to Norway? I believe the ferry to Denmark is not running these days.

Tunnel to France that drive to Denmark and to Norway via the bridge, then along the Norwegian coast.

Hence I need a month or so, as driving to the Arctic Circle will take at least a week each way!

DK

 

[Dreamer_D]

I think we’ll retire where we live now! It’s already a retirement capital because of the lovely weather and it’s a tourist capital too. We like to wander around and joke about how people pay to vacation where we live and we live here year round!

I do imagine downsizing our home, though, and then doing home swaps for 3 months at a time in places around the world. Vienna, Rome, London. Another upside of living in a tourist destination is there’s probably people keen to come here, too.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I'm faaaar away from retiring just yet, but I think I'd like to continue living where I am even once I do. I do want to prioritise travel once I retire though, my aim would be to retire relatively young (60 would be the goal) and then I can squeeze at least a decade of travel in before I get to the age where significant travel might become difficult!

 

[Begonia]

I think we’ll retire where we live now! It’s already a retirement capital because of the lovely weather and it’s a tourist capital too. We like to wander around and joke about how people pay to vacation where we live and we live here year round!

I do imagine downsizing our home, though, and then doing home swaps for 3 months at a time in places around the world. Vienna, Rome, London. Another upside of living in a tourist destination is there’s probably people keen to come here, too.

Hmmmm @Dreamer_D.
I'm thinking you're living where I'm living.

 

[Tartansparkles]

Probably stay in the house that we are living in now. The ability to physically maintain our home would be my biggest concern and this house/garden should be ok to maintain even when we are older.

Public transport links are good and we are an hour from the sea or mountains. We live 5mins from the local hospital but the NHS spreads it's specialisms across a region so you go wherever you are sent. We also have a local shop so I hope that whatever happens we'll both always be capable of walking to the shop.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

well cosco is not on my list, although there is a new one up north somewhere
apart from property taxes Wanganui ticks most of our boxes, for the most part the health services are good for a provincal town and we hardly saw family before so i dont count that either
public transport could be a little better but it is improving


every single day i admire how beautiful our town is, the temperate climate helps

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I am unlikely to relocate from my home as I hate the thought of having to pack up and move again, after the torturous move in 2006 from London to where I am living now.

I shall be out and about in my RV as much as possible when I finally retire.

The first trip will be taking a month or so driving from UK to the Arctic Circle along the Norwegian coast.

I designed the layout of my RV so that she is a home from home, and would have gone on longer trips had it not been concerns about not being contactable due to lack of internet access as my job requires me to be continuously contactable, even though I am currently working about 45h per month!

The RV recently had a habitation service, and the engineer praised her design and I was so chuffed as a lot of time and effort was spent to come up with a design that suited my needs and wants.

I used to like the idea of having a little pad in France, somewhere along the Loire Valley. However, that idea went out of the window 20 years ago when my plan to work in Belgium and France was shattered due to life changing events.

DK

we have to have like a million pictures of that trip !
we too found moving horrendouse and we were upsizing
im not moving again

 

[Ally T]

well cosco is not on my list, although there is a new one up north somewhere
apart from property taxes Wanganui ticks most of our boxes, for the most part the health services are good for a provincal town and we hardly saw family before so i dont count that either
public transport could be a little better but it is improving


every single day i admire how beautiful our town is, the temperate climate helps

I miss New Zealand so much it makes my heart achy. Thank you for posting this picture of my spiritual home.

 

[Bron357]

We intend to retire to Armidale here in NSW Australia. It is relaxed regional country area about 5 hours from Sydney. It still has all the necessary things like a good hospital and airport. We want to do lots of fossicking as the Sapphire area is at Glenn Innes. It is a cooler climate too. We will also keep an apartment in Sydney as a return base for us and somewhere for DD. The return base might change as DD is making noises about doing Medicine post her PhD. That might be in Melbourne or Canberra, we can be flexible with a return base as I want DD to have a place to call home.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I miss New Zealand so much it makes my heart achy. Thank you for posting this picture of my spiritual home.

thank you and you are very welcome Ally
any time you want to come home we are all here waiting


that ache is how i always felt leaving Dunedin, but Wanganui although quite different has quite a lot in common with Dunedin, the ache is dulled

 

[iluvcarats]

The short answer…where my kids are.
I’d leave NY if they weren’t here and we weren’t welcoming our first grandchild soon. I think we would go somewhere it is warm almost all year as my body doesn’t like the cold. Also, taxed pensions would play a part into what state we would go to.

I hear you on this ! @Slickk
It would be hard to find a place where the grass is greener, but pretty much anywhere else, the taxes will be lower.

 

[AprilBaby]

Ideally I would live near the east coast ocean, but that will never happen.
We will either stay here near Chicago- near great airports and no more than 4 hr flight to a coast; where the kids and grandkids are nearby. We have everything we need but the ocean.

 

[DAF]

Delaware was my plan before Covid, then real estate prices and land grabs went crazy. No state sales tax and property taxes are super low. I watch my Instagram feed and wish I could live in Switzerland. Also think of going to live in Poland, where my parents were from.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Oh I dunno. Every time we think about place, there are many detractors. I hate the cold winters here, but at least there are no hurricanes, monsoons, or larger than life insects.

cheers--Sharon