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Top 3 American cities you'd buy land in today to retire to in 20+ years, factors/reasoning too... (1 Viewer)

adonis

adonis

Footballguy
I'm a few decades away from retirement and have started daydreaming about where I'd buy land today in order to start building a retirement home over the next few decades, so that I can visit along the way, and have a great house in a great location to retire to.  This got me thinking about the conditions I'd take into consideration, and I was curious what cities and factors others would choose if contemplating the same thing.

So list the top 3 cities and the major factors/reasoning behind them, if you were to buy land today for a retirement home location with 20+ years until retirement.

Here are some of my factors/reasoning
- Effects of climate change will cause more frequent storms and flooding in areas prone to either, along with other things like wildfires due to drought.  (no need to debate climate change)
- Optimize low cost of living vs high quality of life in a given area - just because cost of living is a bit higher, it might be worth it to live in a good area
- Future taxes based on what we know now - can't predict the future too well, but a state like texas has high property taxes but lower income taxes, vs Louisian with the opposite.
- Proximity to quality medical care - getting old won't be too fun, so having good medical options nearby would be beneficial
- Assuming technology continues to advance where things like self-driving cars are a reality, solar panels can help you go off grid, wireless communication is easier and faster...this can really broaden horizons because you can live further out and still enjoy many conveniences of a city.
- Natural disaster risks (tornado's, hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, etc) - some areas are just naturally more prone to natural disasters, even absent climate change
- Good access to clean water supply not currently overtaxed - fresh water will be an ever important resource going forward
- Access to a close international airport - plan to travel, and having family visit me and me visit wherever I want to go without having to go too far, would be nice.
- Ideally, the cost of land in this area wouldn't be outrageous today.
 

So, for me, any coastal regions would be out.  Cities in deserts would be out due to fresh water concerns.  No desire to live in huge cities.  Would want to buy land out from city to allow cities to grow out to me within a few decades.  I prefer not to live in the south for political reasons, but also because it seems more reasonable to handle cooler weather than warmer weather going forward.

I'd probably start my search looking at midwestern states, or thereabouts, that are near airports, near mountains, but not overpopulated or huge attractions for people today.  

Idaho - Boise perhaps.
Colorado - some place not incredibly expensive that's out of the way today, but not 20 years from now.
Utah/Wyoming/Nevada/Oregon/Nebraska....- mostly boring states, but that can be a good thing.

 
Sounds like you want the amenities of a big city while enjoying the cost of living of living in an extremely rural area.

GL.

 
tommyGunZ said:
Sounds like you want the amenities of a big city while enjoying the cost of living of living in an extremely rural area.

GL.
Click to expand...
More and more of that is available today as smaller metros and even small town downtowns and all are seeing big dividends to the push for more walkable places in which to live (yes, driven in large part due to the needs of the younger workforce but also significantly by boomers and people near/at retiring (walkable areas are big with folks as driving becomes more difficult and there no need to live in the burbs with the schools and all as they've moved out).

Into the further, in 20-30 years the advances in automation, including butkot limited to autonomous vehicles, will significantly reduce the time/cost of travel, enabling three things to happen:

1. Far out towns or regions will be a lot quicker to get to/from in regard to major metros

2. As we already see with Amazon and the instant drop shipping, and with the recent opening of a Neiman Marcus that doesn't have any inventory (it's a storefront, you browse, get sized and it's shipped to you), retailers can push even small amounts of product to more far flung places, made all the more possible by automated vehicles to come. Instead of having 1/10th the selection and convenience of the big city department store, rural hubs of some significance or smaller metros will get closer to 80/10, maybe more. 

3. These factors and automated services will also let smaller retail outlets and even fast/casual fast food to operate with 1/3 the employees they do today, making it feasible to be profitable from a much smaller footprint in locales where there's not enough business to sustain day a full Panera bread, but on that's 1/4 the size with 1/3 the staff could pencil out, again bribing more amenities and offerings to once out of the way locales

 
gotta pimp Reno again. Cheap livin', always open, temperate climate & best town (Sierra, desert - altho Harry Reid has locked up the water from the Eastern slope in perpetuity - hop the hump to Cali culture) to get out of in the USA.

the gentrification of the Rust Belt (Great Lake cities especially) is sum'n to also look into if you want to develop some value.

 
Salt Lake City area - growing urban life and minutes from redonk nature. Growing economy and should see nice uplift in general land values over that duration.

New York City - Americas best and most affordable options for super world class megalopolis with a huge and varied urban core totally connected by transit.  It's also the only one that meets those standards to cost regardless, if you want that lifestyle you gonna have to pay. If I have the means, would definitely do so and retire there.

dont know about a third - maybe Colorado Springs or Sante Fe?

 
wikkidpissah said:
gotta pimp Reno again. Cheap livin', always open, temperate climate & best town (Sierra, desert - altho Harry Reid has locked up the water from the Eastern slope in perpetuity - hop the hump to Cali culture) to get out of in the USA.

the gentrification of the Rust Belt (Great Lake cities especially) is sum'n to also look into if you want to develop some value.
Click to expand...
Really good points. Some formerly great cities are beginning to resurge and become so, again. Weather sucks but Cincy, Cleveland and smaller cities in say, Northern KY (that are sorta in the gravity of cincy) could provide a good economic play... perhaps extend that to OKC.

Id also say Northwest Arkansas has a whole network of Cool old but now vibrant once again towns as Main Street communities and you are close to some beautiful nature.

 
I've never been, but Cheyenne, WY sounds like a fit. Wyoming is never in the news.
Or maybe Helena, Montana.

 
EYLive said:
I've never been, but Cheyenne, WY sounds like a fit. Wyoming is never in the news.
Or maybe Helena, Montana.
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I drove through Cheyenne on the way from Texas to Oregon and if you want to feel what it's like to live in the remotest place in the country, that's a good place to start. I ate lunch at a Denny's and watched prairie dogs play outside the window.  After lunch, thought it would be cool to drive around and see what Cheyenne had to offer.  After 7 minutes driving through the city, I realized the answer was 'nothing'.  There is literally nothing to Cheyenne.  

 
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General Malaise said:
EYLive said:
I've never been, but Cheyenne, WY sounds like a fit. Wyoming is never in the news.
Or maybe Helena, Montana.
Click to expand...
I drove through Cheyenne on the way from Texas to Oregon and if you want to feel what it's like to live in the remotest place in the country, that's a good place to start. I ate lunch at a Denny's and watched prairie dogs play outside the window.  After lunch, though it would be cool to drive around and what Cheyenne had to offer.  After 7 minutes driving through the city, I realized the answer was 'nothing'.  There is literally nothing to Cheyenne.
Click to expand...
I haven't seen the whole state, but much of Wyoming is like this.  Except for the Jackson area, which is $$$.

 
adonis said:
I'm a few decades away from retirement and have started daydreaming about where I'd buy land today in order to start building a retirement home over the next few decades, so that I can visit along the way, and have a great house in a great location to retire to.  This got me thinking about the conditions I'd take into consideration, and I was curious what cities and factors others would choose if contemplating the same thing.

So list the top 3 cities and the major factors/reasoning behind them, if you were to buy land today for a retirement home location with 20+ years until retirement.

Here are some of my factors/reasoning
- Effects of climate change will cause more frequent storms and flooding in areas prone to either, along with other things like wildfires due to drought.  (no need to debate climate change)
- Optimize low cost of living vs high quality of life in a given area - just because cost of living is a bit higher, it might be worth it to live in a good area
- Future taxes based on what we know now - can't predict the future too well, but a state like texas has high property taxes but lower income taxes, vs Louisian with the opposite.
- Proximity to quality medical care - getting old won't be too fun, so having good medical options nearby would be beneficial
- Assuming technology continues to advance where things like self-driving cars are a reality, solar panels can help you go off grid, wireless communication is easier and faster...this can really broaden horizons because you can live further out and still enjoy many conveniences of a city.
- Natural disaster risks (tornado's, hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, etc) - some areas are just naturally more prone to natural disasters, even absent climate change
- Good access to clean water supply not currently overtaxed - fresh water will be an ever important resource going forward
- Access to a close international airport - plan to travel, and having family visit me and me visit wherever I want to go without having to go too far, would be nice.
- Ideally, the cost of land in this area wouldn't be outrageous today.
 

So, for me, any coastal regions would be out.  Cities in deserts would be out due to fresh water concerns.  No desire to live in huge cities.  Would want to buy land out from city to allow cities to grow out to me within a few decades.  I prefer not to live in the south for political reasons, but also because it seems more reasonable to handle cooler weather than warmer weather going forward.

I'd probably start my search looking at midwestern states, or thereabouts, that are near airports, near mountains, but not overpopulated or huge attractions for people today.  

Idaho - Boise perhaps.
Colorado - some place not incredibly expensive that's out of the way today, but not 20 years from now.
Utah/Wyoming/Nevada/Oregon/Nebraska....- mostly boring states, but that can be a good thing.
Click to expand...
I think I've ever heard anybody call Oregon 'boring'.  You're also not getting anything cheap out here.  And if you said the coastal regions were out, not sure you really know where Oregon is on a map.

Boise is nice.  

 
General Malaise said:
I drove through Cheyenne on the way from Texas to Oregon and if you want to feel what it's like to live in the remotest place in the country, that's a good place to start. I ate lunch at a Denny's and watched prairie dogs play outside the window.  After lunch, though it would be cool to drive around and what Cheyenne had to offer.  After 7 minutes driving through the city, I realized the answer was 'nothing'.  There is literally nothing to Cheyenne.  
Click to expand...
They gotta Denny's :shrug:

CULTURE

 
I like the idea of the Ozarks (either Missouri or Arkansas)...  

I also recently visited the Broken Bow lake area in SE Oklahoma, I like that area a lot.  Beautiful lakes and rivers, should be out of the tornado zone.

 
General Malaise said:
I think I've ever heard anybody call Oregon 'boring'.  You're also not getting anything cheap out here.  And if you said the coastal regions were out, not sure you really know where Oregon is on a map.

Boise is nice.  
Click to expand...
I'd stay away from the westernmost part near the water...Portland may be far enough inland.  And you don't have to worry about hurricanes over there, which was my main issue with gulf/east coast.  

I'm not incredibly familiar with that area though.

 
General Malaise said:
I drove through Cheyenne on the way from Texas to Oregon and if you want to feel what it's like to live in the remotest place in the country, that's a good place to start. I ate lunch at a Denny's and watched prairie dogs play outside the window.  After lunch, though it would be cool to drive around and what Cheyenne had to offer.  After 7 minutes driving through the city, I realized the answer was 'nothing'.  There is literally nothing to Cheyenne.  
Click to expand...
Saturday afternoon watching 30 mph winds blow around tumbleweeds. They got that.

 
I've heard good things about Iowa - will be speaking there in two weeks and will report back. 

 
Koya said:
Really good points. Some formerly great cities are beginning to resurge and become so, again. Weather sucks but Cincy, Cleveland and smaller cities in say, Northern KY (that are sorta in the gravity of cincy) could provide a good economic play... perhaps extend that to OKC.

Id also say Northwest Arkansas has a whole network of Cool old but now vibrant once again towns as Main Street communities and you are close to some beautiful nature.
Click to expand...
I looooved Fayetteville backinaday and i HATE all&everything about the south.  Had a horsebiz friend in NM i used to go with to the sales in Sallisaw OK  then do some partying with an ol gal i knew in Tallaquah or go hunt/fish w horseguy's pals in Fayetteville every year. Great country, even tho i get homicidal around 90% of southern folk.

 
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adonis said:
I'd stay away from the westernmost part near the water...Portland may be far enough inland.  And you don't have to worry about hurricanes over there, which was my main issue with gulf/east coast.  

I'm not incredibly familiar with that area though.
Click to expand...
Why stay away from the water? Fear of rise / flooding or just don't like it?

 
Tiger Fan said:
Do you put any stock in being near family and friends?
Click to expand...
I do, but I also am wary of putting down roots in an area that cause my kids to have to stay in an area that will suck for them politically, climate wise, job wise, environment wise.  

Currently I'm in Louisiana and I'm sick of the state, and the south really.  Pollution is terrible, we pimp ourselves out to oil and gas companies who pollute everything they can down here and give some jobs in return, taking profit away.  Our state doesn't invest in education, pulls healthcare from vulnerable folks.  Politics is horrible here.  Racial division is huge.

So all that to say, I don't want to put down roots for myself in a place where my kids will feel pressured to be near to me, when where I am right now has no real future (no good future) for my family.  So I'd rather look elsewhere, and maybe be that first generation in my family to make a move for my descendents where they'll be better off in terms of health, environment, climate, politics, job opportunities, etc.  

Being near a major airport, I'd be able to travel easily to anyone I'd move away from.

 
adonis said:
I'd stay away from the westernmost part near the water...Portland may be far enough inland.  And you don't have to worry about hurricanes over there, which was my main issue with gulf/east coast.  

I'm not incredibly familiar with that area though.
Click to expand...
Portland is about an hour and change from the ocean.  Another hour to the ski slopes.  Plenty to see and do in between if you like to hike, camp, fish, etc.  Real estate prices are ridiculous, though.  Not as bad as Seattle or California, but it's out of hand here now too.  The other problem for many people is the wet, long, dreary winter that can carry over into spring and sometimes even into June.  It can be too much for some.  Summers are incredible, though.  

 
adonis said:
I do, but I also am wary of putting down roots in an area that cause my kids to have to stay in an area that will suck for them politically, climate wise, job wise, environment wise.  

Currently I'm in Louisiana and I'm sick of the state, and the south really.  Pollution is terrible, we pimp ourselves out to oil and gas companies who pollute everything they can down here and give some jobs in return, taking profit away.  Our state doesn't invest in education, pulls healthcare from vulnerable folks.  Politics is horrible here.  Racial division is huge.

So all that to say, I don't want to put down roots for myself in a place where my kids will feel pressured to be near to me, when where I am right now has no real future (no good future) for my family.  So I'd rather look elsewhere, and maybe be that first generation in my family to make a move for my descendents where they'll be better off in terms of health, environment, climate, politics, job opportunities, etc.  

Being near a major airport, I'd be able to travel easily to anyone I'd move away from.
Click to expand...
Was just talking to my buddy yesterday about the lovely cities of Shreveport and Alexandria; two of the absolute worst cities in the US.  Dated a girl that lived in Monroe for a number of years.  That city is another example of why I moved as far and as fast away from the deep south as I could.

 
Koya said:
adonis said:
I'd stay away from the westernmost part near the water...Portland may be far enough inland.  And you don't have to worry about hurricanes over there, which was my main issue with gulf/east coast.  

I'm not incredibly familiar with that area though.
Click to expand...
Why stay away from the water? Fear of rise / flooding or just don't like it?
Click to expand...
Living in south La., I'm tired of worrying about hurricanes.  So this rules out most of the southern states and the east coast IMO.

The west coast would be nice, avoiding areas prone to earthquakes and wildfires perhaps.  But yeah, rising sea levels are a concern on the west coast, while hurricanes are a concern in the gulf and east coast.  Wouldn't touch florida.

 
General Malaise said:
Was just talking to my buddy yesterday about the lovely cities of Shreveport and Alexandria; two of the absolute worst cities in the US.  Dated a girl that lived in Monroe for a number of years.  That city is another example of why I moved as far and as fast away from the deep south as I could.
Click to expand...
Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Baton Rouge, New Orleans and other smaller towns have seen my face a lot down here and while the food is great and the people overall are nice, this state is for the birds (if they can survive the pollution).

Want to invest in a future somewhere more sane, better climate, etc.  Looking to crowdsource ideas on where that might be and what criteria to use to determine what's best.

I may end up making a spreadsheet with cities on it and grade them in various categories.  Distance to airport, distance from coast, fresh water supply, outdoor activities, medical community, education level of population, etc.  Maybe i'll get a clearer picture of what the higher ranking cities would be on this scale.

 
Tim's Ford Lake in TN almost fits all of your requirements, except it being in the south.  Quick drive from Nashville, so you can get your downtown/big city fix, and also the aiport.  Relatively isolated if needed.  Most of the houses with docks on the lake, are rich owners that have weekend lake homes, so they're rarely in use, and so the Lake is in great condition because of this, and hardly ever crowded.  

 
General Malaise said:
I drove through Cheyenne on the way from Texas to Oregon and if you want to feel what it's like to live in the remotest place in the country, that's a good place to start. I ate lunch at a Denny's and watched prairie dogs play outside the window.  After lunch, thought it would be cool to drive around and see what Cheyenne had to offer.  After 7 minutes driving through the city, I realized the answer was 'nothing'.  There is literally nothing to Cheyenne.  
Click to expand...
my parents were in the Air Force- served in Japan for a couple years, loved the whole experience so much they re-upped for another two, hoping to see the world. got sent to Cheyenne. that essentially destroyed their Air Force dream. caveat- this was c. 1960. but sounds like not much has changed.

 
adonis said:
I'd stay away from the westernmost part near the water...Portland may be far enough inland.  And you don't have to worry about hurricanes over there, which was my main issue with gulf/east coast.  

I'm not incredibly familiar with that area though.
Click to expand...
ah- was going to say the Carolinas (of which I know not much- but have more and more CA high school friends moving there in their later years)... but the occasional hurricane does find its way there. 

 
wikkidpissah said:
gotta pimp Reno again. Cheap livin', always open, temperate climate & best town (Sierra, desert - altho Harry Reid has locked up the water from the Eastern slope in perpetuity - hop the hump to Cali culture) to get out of in the USA.

the gentrification of the Rust Belt (Great Lake cities especially) is sum'n to also look into if you want to develop some value.
Click to expand...
Never been to Reno before.  But it's at the top of my list for when Denver gets too big for my tastes.  Seems like it has most of the positives of Denver outside of the big city stuff.  I expect in 20+ years it's going to be a pretty big city.

 
Niles Standish said:
wikkidpissah said:
gotta pimp Reno again. Cheap livin', always open, temperate climate & best town (Sierra, desert - altho Harry Reid has locked up the water from the Eastern slope in perpetuity - hop the hump to Cali culture) to get out of in the USA.

the gentrification of the Rust Belt (Great Lake cities especially) is sum'n to also look into if you want to develop some value.
Click to expand...
Never been to Reno before.  But it's at the top of my list for when Denver gets too big for my tastes.  Seems like it has most of the positives of Denver outside of the big city stuff.  I expect in 20+ years it's going to be a pretty big city.
Click to expand...
Water supply an issue?

 
El Floppo said:
my parents were in the Air Force- served in Japan for a couple years, loved the whole experience so much they re-upped for another two, hoping to see the world. got sent to Cheyenne. that essentially destroyed their Air Force dream. caveat- this was c. 1960. but sounds like not much has changed.
Click to expand...
I have it on good authority it never moved past 1960 in Cheyenne. 

 
Scoresman said:
Healdsburg, Ca.

I just want to grow old eating good food, making wine and growing tomatoes.  
Click to expand...
beautiful area... prices still ok? 

earthquakes a presence though- which the OP is scared of.

any idea on how the sierra foothills/gold-country are doing? I've had a cousin and some other family friends move up there- sounds really nice, albeit quiet.

 
adonis said:
Living in south La., I'm tired of worrying about hurricanes.  So this rules out most of the southern states and the east coast IMO.

The west coast would be nice, avoiding areas prone to earthquakes and wildfires perhaps.  But yeah, rising sea levels are a concern on the west coast, while hurricanes are a concern in the gulf and east coast.  Wouldn't touch florida.
Click to expand...
Especially up in the Northwest, there are many places at or near the ocean that are at significant elevation (15+ ad even 50+ feet) that are all but immune from anything short of WWIII levels of land loss.

Up on the Northeast you have spots like that as well (ie Long Island on the north shore - I've lived a couple hundred yards from the water, and was over 100 ft of elevation)

 
El Floppo said:
beautiful area... prices still ok? 

earthquakes a presence though- which the OP is scared of.

any idea on how the sierra foothills/gold-country are doing? I've had a cousin and some other family friends move up there- sounds really nice, albeit quiet.
Click to expand...
I imagine prices are high.  Downtown Healdsburg has become quite swanky over the last few years.  

 
adonis said:
I do, but I also am wary of putting down roots in an area that cause my kids to have to stay in an area that will suck for them politically, climate wise, job wise, environment wise.  

Currently I'm in Louisiana and I'm sick of the state, and the south really.  Pollution is terrible, we pimp ourselves out to oil and gas companies who pollute everything they can down here and give some jobs in return, taking profit away.  Our state doesn't invest in education, pulls healthcare from vulnerable folks.  Politics is horrible here.  Racial division is huge.

So all that to say, I don't want to put down roots for myself in a place where my kids will feel pressured to be near to me, when where I am right now has no real future (no good future) for my family.  So I'd rather look elsewhere, and maybe be that first generation in my family to make a move for my descendents where they'll be better off in terms of health, environment, climate, politics, job opportunities, etc.  

Being near a major airport, I'd be able to travel easily to anyone I'd move away from.
Click to expand...
Interesting take on it....best of luck :thumbup:

 
Koya said:
Especially up in the Northwest, there are many places at or near the ocean that are at significant elevation (15+ ad even 50+ feet) that are all but immune from anything short of WWIII levels of land loss.

Up on the Northeast you have spots like that as well (ie Long Island on the north shore - I've lived a couple hundred yards from the water, and was over 100 ft of elevation)
Click to expand...
:hifive:

 
Niles Standish said:
Never been to Reno before.  But it's at the top of my list for when Denver gets too big for my tastes.  Seems like it has most of the positives of Denver outside of the big city stuff.  I expect in 20+ years it's going to be a pretty big city.
Click to expand...
It's always accidentally resisted that, mostly because it's such a cowtown. I was living there and in the gambling business when Steve Wynn sploded Vegas. Thru a friend, i'd come to know Bobby Stupak who turned a tiny casino into an empire (Stratosphere) and worked for John Ascuaga who turned a Sparks coffee shop for casino employees into a two-tower operation, so i was on the watch for oppotunities to do a similar kind of thing when Reno sploded like Vegas.. My backers kept trying to get this license on a place west of town that had tax/title problems because it was the only suburban license that wasnt locked up by the corps. My backer was a retired developer so he knew all the meetings to go to & talk at and i spent five years trying to talk the city fathers into using the beauty & geothermality of the area to turn Reno into Nevada's Baden-Baden to Vegas's Monte Carlo, which turned out to be the bureaucratic equivalent of laying your #### on a sill and slamming a window up&down on it. They waited almost a decade after the boom to break ground on a theme casino and came up with a silver mine as a theme which which to beat Vegas's time. That is part & parcel to why Reno has grown less than any hi-desert town in America, but it's also what gives backward charm to a beautifully situated town

 
wikkidpissah said:
It's always accidentally resisted that, mostly because it's such a cowtown. I was living there and in the gambling business when Steve Wynn sploded Vegas. Thru a friend, i'd come to know Bobby Stupak who turned a tiny casino into an empire (Stratosphere) and worked for John Ascuaga who turned a Sparks coffee shop for casino employees into a two-tower operation, so i was on the watch for oppotunities to do a similar kind of thing when Reno sploded like Vegas.. My backers kept trying to get this license on a place west of town that had tax/title problems because it was the only suburban license that wasnt locked up by the corps. My backer was a retired developer so he knew all the meetings to go to & talk at and i spent five years trying to talk the city fathers into using the beauty & geothermality of the area to turn Reno into Nevada's Baden-Baden to Vegas's Monte Carlo, which turned out to be the bureaucratic equivalent of laying your #### on a sill and slamming a window up&down on it. They waited almost a decade after the boom to break ground on a theme casino and came up with a silver mine as a theme which which to beat Vegas's time. That is part & parcel to why Reno has grown less than any hi-desert town in America, but it's also what gives backward charm to a beautifully situated town
Click to expand...
Bob Stupak is a legend.  The Strat is a dump but Las Vegas is a lot less interesting without operators like Stupak around.

 
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