Help Me Scout Retirement Locations…. (1 Viewer)

[kupcho1]

You need to do a KT because it doesnt sound like you're going to tick every box on your list.

Objective: Find a retirement location
Define your criteria (you've done this with your list (e.g., taxes, crime)
Do you have any "musts"? For example, if you have to have a Costco within 50 miles, list it as a MUST. Or if a tax rate is above a certain figure, state it. This can help eliminate possibilities
For the rest of your items (WANTS), assign weighted values to them.

List your cities for the matrix, assign scores and voila (or "wa la" as some say around here), you have your answer

I haven't done a KT in a coon's age. The link above is a little more complicated and wordy than it really needs to be.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I do not know about tax ramifications, but otherwise, Colorado.

The climate and terrain specs simply don't exist on the East coast. Anywhere that has the mild winters is going to be too hot in the summer. Too humid in the summer and winter. And the places that do fit the bill will be too expensive.

I say Colorado because I know it better than other states out there, but I am sure neighboring states fit the bill.

Colorado Springs is too expensive? Well, good news, the rest of CO has CO weather. Grand Junction has a lot of retirees, pretty much the high desert without pits of hell Arizona summer weather. Winters in CO are much easier than people think, if you aren't right in the mountains, it's almost never bitter cold.

If you haven't been out to that area of the country, you have no idea how nice the weather is out there year round.

I'll second most of this, but eastern CO is pretty rough. I can't say that everything east of I-25 is a wasteland, but it does kind of feel that way.

Eastern CO is basically a Great Plains state.

Amazing how you can drive from eastern Kansas to Colorado and gain so much elevation without any major climbs. It's like the whole state of Kansas is tilted to the right.

Kansas topographic map, elevation, terrain

Average elevation: 601 m • Kansas, United States • The western two-thirds of the state, lying in the great central plain of the United States, has a generally flat or undulating surface, while the eastern third has many hills and forests. The land gradually rises from east to west; its altitude...

en-ca.topographic-map.com

That's pretty interesting. From the one time I drove (uphill) across KA, all I remember is the smell of animal excrement.

 

[Desert_Power]

The climate aspect is a tough one to crack. Makes me think Appalachia is your best bet, but there really are not a lot big towns in there. West Virginia could fit a lot of the criteria but all of their cities are at lower elevations.

Easier out west, but pricier. This is an interesting one.

Yes it is. It’s almost impossible to get everything. Pick your poison on what you want to sacrifice. That’s why I’ve turned to the endless good folks here to get the ball rolling.

I think Ogden, UT comes kind of close.

Tax friendly to SS, pensions and 401k—Utah is moderately tax friendly There is a flat state income tax of 4.65% that is applied to SS and retirement account withdrawals.

Lowerish COL—Ogden has the 2nd lowest COL in Utah and Utah is above (below?) the national average in that category. On the good side of the average

Low crime— below the national crime rate for similarly sized cities. Not sure how good that is, though.

Mild summers. We hate heat and humidity—the average high temperature for the 3 summer months is 87F. But low humidity. Rarely an uncomfortable heat.

Not violent winters. Prefer no minus 20’s but like snow—the average low temperature for the 3 winter months is 23F. And lots of snow.

4 seasons—definitely

Close to lakes and fairly close to mountains. Closer the better. Both would be great— it’s a 25 minute drive, door to door, from Ogden to Snow Basin ski resort, various great hiking and snowmobiling spots. There’s that big lake just to the west of Ogden. But several reservoirs in the area for better swimming and boating.

Close to hiking/state/national parks and possible 4 wheeling/snow mobile access—see above. And Southern Utah has some of the greatest National parks in the country.

Close to good medical facilities—check. In both Ogden and just 30 minutes south in SLC.

Close to airport—30 minute drive to SLC International airport.

Close to Costco/dining—there’s a Costco in Ogden. Plenty of good dining in town and even more in SLC.

Water abundance and good drinking quality. No worries about shortage/restriction/drought/tainted—not currently an issue. Tough to predict the water issues city by city going forward anywhere in the country.

Housing less than ours. Our house estimate is $435k—-housing cost is 3% higher than the national average. Not knowing the specs of your house I can’t make a better comparison.

Fair car/house insurance rates—auto insurance average is $133/month. Average home insurance is $95/month.

Fair utility rates—6% lower than the national average. An average of $268/month.

Not impossible to own a gun—much to my chagrin, Utah is a permitless open-carry/concealed-carry state. It’s Utah. Not an issue at all.



So, depending on what your house/lot size requirements are, the “housing less than yours” might be the criteria furthest from your desired.



HTH. Good luck!

Wow! Thanks Marco! Super helpful. So, we have a 2000 sq foot 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath on .67 acre lot in a great area, minus living down the street from DaBaby

Utilities for us here on a bad month is about 225, so a tad higher where you are, but we are on a well so don’t pay water fees.

What are your property taxes if you don’t mind me asking? We are low at about 2k.

Thanks again! Googling some photos it looks like a beautiful area.

My BIL has a house in east Ogden that is about the same size as yours but on a much smaller lot—-0.2 acres. It’s currently valued at $390,000. 4br, 2 ba. It’s in a great neighborhood abutting the mountains.

His property tax is the same as yours.

Is the Salt Lake evaporation thing an issue for Ogden? I've read some about that in recent years.

 

[BassNBrew]

Last couple time

Likely due to rain.

Check Humidity in Asheville (NC) by Month | Accurate Insights

Get updates on average humidity in Asheville (NC) by month. From the most humid month, September, to the least humid month, April, know everything

weather-and-climate.com

Yes, it's apparently rain forest like (or nearby it) making morning and evening dew points higher, but it seems not (as) hot and humid like other places (here). 80% humidity when it's 75 degrees isn't unbearable. The temp and the "feels like" are usually about the same there according to that site. Taking Monday morning as an example, Asheville is 84 with 88 feels like, here is 90 with 99 feels like. Depends on perspective I guess.

Not really a big fan of Asheville either.

Really? Why not?

I love Asheville.

Last couple times I went it was dirty, fair share of homeless and medical care isn’t too good there other than the VA hospital which wouldn’t apply to me.

Medical care is going to be crap pretty much every where you would want to retire. We are going to over whelm the system. It will be worse in retirement areas. I'd be OK with inferior facilities in WNC if I could travel to Duke for something serious.

Asheville isn't affordable, but Marshall/Waynesville still are. I'd compare it to Statesville relative to Charlotte.

Boone will probably be amazing in another 20 years.

 

[BassNBrew]

I do not know about tax ramifications, but otherwise, Colorado.

The climate and terrain specs simply don't exist on the East coast. Anywhere that has the mild winters is going to be too hot in the summer. Too humid in the summer and winter. And the places that do fit the bill will be too expensive.

I say Colorado because I know it better than other states out there, but I am sure neighboring states fit the bill.

Colorado Springs is too expensive? Well, good news, the rest of CO has CO weather. Grand Junction has a lot of retirees, pretty much the high desert without pits of hell Arizona summer weather. Winters in CO are much easier than people think, if you aren't right in the mountains, it's almost never bitter cold.

If you haven't been out to that area of the country, you have no idea how nice the weather is out there year round.

I'll second most of this, but eastern CO is pretty rough. I can't say that everything east of I-25 is a wasteland, but it does kind of feel that way.

Eastern CO is basically a Great Plains state.

Amazing how you can drive from eastern Kansas to Colorado and gain so much elevation without any major climbs. It's like the whole state of Kansas is tilted to the right.

Kansas topographic map, elevation, terrain

Average elevation: 601 m • Kansas, United States • The western two-thirds of the state, lying in the great central plain of the United States, has a generally flat or undulating surface, while the eastern third has many hills and forests. The land gradually rises from east to west; its altitude...

en-ca.topographic-map.com

That's pretty interesting. From the one time I drove (uphill) across KA, all I remember is the smell of animal excrement.

Now it's just a sea of windmills.

Long boring drive and then you realize somehow you got to 5000 ft.

 

[Major]

You should come check out Houston in July. It's amazing especially when the power goes out.

 

[Rodrigo Duterte]

Fort Collins, Colorado, is your answer. We've never been happier. I actually contemplated on even chiming in on this, lol, but whatever.

Consistently in the top of US News, Outside Magazine and a bunch of other rags each year of best places to live.

Surprised it wasn't on your radar to begin with, especially with some of the other Colorado towns on there, which aren't close.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Fort Collins, Colorado, is your answer. We've never been happier. I actually contemplated on even chiming in on this, lol, but whatever.

Consistently in the top of US News, Outside Magazine and a bunch of other rags each year of best places to live.

Surprised it wasn't on your radar to begin with, especially with some of the other Colorado towns on there, which aren't close.

Mr R loved Ft Collins. The mountain drives and the prairie dogs were great.

 

[Rodrigo Duterte]

Fort Collins, Colorado, is your answer. We've never been happier. I actually contemplated on even chiming in on this, lol, but whatever.

Consistently in the top of US News, Outside Magazine and a bunch of other rags each year of best places to live.

Surprised it wasn't on your radar to begin with, especially with some of the other Colorado towns on there, which aren't close.

Mr R loved Ft Collins. The mountain drives and the prairie dogs were great.

We have yet to see a prairie dog, but the mountain drives have been great, you're riright about that. Especially the Poudre River, with the camping and fishing. Oh, and Horsetooth Lake is awesome. The amount of trail running and open space, even for things like golf, is super underrated.

And breweries and the downtown area (literally copied by Walt Disney), is cool. Yet not over-done. Not yet anyway.

 

[Monty Burns]

I live in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins now is what the Springs was about 30-40 years ago, before the Springs population and hence development, exploded. Add nearby towns like Greely, Loveland and a few others that are similar to Fort Collins.

 

[Osaurus]

I live in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins now is what the Springs was about 30-40 years ago, before the Springs population and hence development, exploded. Add nearby towns like Greely, Loveland and a few others that are similar to Fort Collins.

I don’t even recognize anywhere along the Diagonal Highway these days. Looks so different than it did 20+ years ago.

 

[ChiefD]

Wisconsin. The northwoods.

Any particular town I could investigate further?

I live between Tomahawk and Rhinelander. Minocqua is a cool area, and Eagle River is nice too. It’s just soooooo nice up here. Now, I haven’t spent a winter here yet but that’s part of the reason we moved here.

We will see snow again and participate in winter hikes and ice fishing and such. Tons of hiking around here. No mountains per se, but there are a lot of hilly spots if you want to hike some elevation. And the UP of Michigan is very close, so there is that to explore.

And the fishing is world class here.

I absolutely love it here so far. Been here since April.

 

[steelerfan1]

I think you need two places, then you can jump with the weather.

You can get away with 1 that has good weather 9 months of the year and then rent other places other 3 months.

Makes sense too and a lot more doable.

So much easier these days as well with airbnb when you can rent a place for a month at a time for a reasonable price. Ideally youd be within driving distance but you can always use turo to rent a car at a reasonable price as well or just stay in a beach location where everything is walkable

Other than the 2 strange azz dogs my wife has this is a great option….

 

[steelerfan1]

You need to do a KT because it doesnt sound like you're going to tick every box on your list.

Objective: Find a retirement location
Define your criteria (you've done this with your list (e.g., taxes, crime)
Do you have any "musts"? For example, if you have to have a Costco within 50 miles, list it as a MUST. Or if a tax rate is above a certain figure, state it. This can help eliminate possibilities
For the rest of your items (WANTS), assign weighted values to them.

List your cities for the matrix, assign scores and voila (or "wa la" as some say around here), you have your answer

I haven't done a KT in a coon's age. The link above is a little more complicated and wordy than it really needs to be.

Very helpful. Never heard of this.

 

[steelerfan1]

Last couple time

Likely due to rain.

Check Humidity in Asheville (NC) by Month | Accurate Insights

Get updates on average humidity in Asheville (NC) by month. From the most humid month, September, to the least humid month, April, know everything

weather-and-climate.com

Yes, it's apparently rain forest like (or nearby it) making morning and evening dew points higher, but it seems not (as) hot and humid like other places (here). 80% humidity when it's 75 degrees isn't unbearable. The temp and the "feels like" are usually about the same there according to that site. Taking Monday morning as an example, Asheville is 84 with 88 feels like, here is 90 with 99 feels like. Depends on perspective I guess.

Not really a big fan of Asheville either.

Really? Why not?

I love Asheville.

Last couple times I went it was dirty, fair share of homeless and medical care isn’t too good there other than the VA hospital which wouldn’t apply to me.

Medical care is going to be crap pretty much every where you would want to retire. We are going to over whelm the system. It will be worse in retirement areas. I'd be OK with inferior facilities in WNC if I could travel to Duke for something serious.

Asheville isn't affordable, but Marshall/Waynesville still are. I'd compare it to Statesville relative to Charlotte.

Boone will probably be amazing in another 20 years.

Sadly, my wife has a lot of clients in the medical field and quite a bit of them say that medical in the country in the near future is going to be hurting, so you may be right there my friend. I did work at App state briefly when I moved here so do have a fondness for the area.

 

[steelerfan1]

You should come check out Houston in July. It's amazing especially when the power goes out.

Rain check?

 

[steelerfan1]

Wisconsin. The northwoods.

Any particular town I could investigate further?

I live between Tomahawk and Rhinelander. Minocqua is a cool area, and Eagle River is nice too. It’s just soooooo nice up here. Now, I haven’t spent a winter here yet but that’s part of the reason we moved here.

We will see snow again and participate in winter hikes and ice fishing and such. Tons of hiking around here. No mountains per se, but there are a lot of hilly spots if you want to hike some elevation. And the UP of Michigan is very close, so there is that to explore.

And the fishing is world class here.

I absolutely love it here so far. Been here since April.

Adding this to the research bin. Thanks chief!

 

[steelerfan1]

Fort Collins, Colorado, is your answer. We've never been happier. I actually contemplated on even chiming in on this, lol, but whatever.

Consistently in the top of US News, Outside Magazine and a bunch of other rags each year of best places to live.

Surprised it wasn't on your radar to begin with, especially with some of the other Colorado towns on there, which aren't close.

Thanks RD, CO was limited initially to the Springs and after Redditing it there were enough negatives as well as reading CO may be one of the states dealing with water issues it was just put on the back burner. Thank you for deciding to chime in.

 

[steelerfan1]

I do not know about tax ramifications, but otherwise, Colorado.

The climate and terrain specs simply don't exist on the East coast. Anywhere that has the mild winters is going to be too hot in the summer. Too humid in the summer and winter. And the places that do fit the bill will be too expensive.

I say Colorado because I know it better than other states out there, but I am sure neighboring states fit the bill.

Colorado Springs is too expensive? Well, good news, the rest of CO has CO weather. Grand Junction has a lot of retirees, pretty much the high desert without pits of hell Arizona summer weather. Winters in CO are much easier than people think, if you aren't right in the mountains, it's almost never bitter cold.

If you haven't been out to that area of the country, you have no idea how nice the weather is out there year round.

I'll second most of this, but eastern CO is pretty rough. I can't say that everything east of I-25 is a wasteland, but it does kind of feel that way.

Eastern CO is basically a Great Plains state.

Amazing how you can drive from eastern Kansas to Colorado and gain so much elevation without any major climbs. It's like the whole state of Kansas is tilted to the right.

Kansas topographic map, elevation, terrain

Average elevation: 601 m • Kansas, United States • The western two-thirds of the state, lying in the great central plain of the United States, has a generally flat or undulating surface, while the eastern third has many hills and forests. The land gradually rises from east to west; its altitude...

en-ca.topographic-map.com

That's pretty interesting. From the one time I drove (uphill) across KA all I remember is the smell of animal excrement.

WELL, NOW I GUESS IM GOING TO NEED TO PUT KS ON THE LIST TOO!

 

[steelerfan1]

The climate aspect is a tough one to crack. Makes me think Appalachia is your best bet, but there really are not a lot big towns in there. West Virginia could fit a lot of the criteria but all of their cities are at lower elevations.

Easier out west, but pricier. This is an interesting one.

Yes it is. It’s almost impossible to get everything. Pick your poison on what you want to sacrifice. That’s why I’ve turned to the endless good folks here to get the ball rolling.

I think Ogden, UT comes kind of close.

Tax friendly to SS, pensions and 401k—Utah is moderately tax friendly There is a flat state income tax of 4.65% that is applied to SS and retirement account withdrawals.

Lowerish COL—Ogden has the 2nd lowest COL in Utah and Utah is above (below?) the national average in that category. On the good side of the average

Low crime— below the national crime rate for similarly sized cities. Not sure how good that is, though.

Mild summers. We hate heat and humidity—the average high temperature for the 3 summer months is 87F. But low humidity. Rarely an uncomfortable heat.

Not violent winters. Prefer no minus 20’s but like snow—the average low temperature for the 3 winter months is 23F. And lots of snow.

4 seasons—definitely

Close to lakes and fairly close to mountains. Closer the better. Both would be great— it’s a 25 minute drive, door to door, from Ogden to Snow Basin ski resort, various great hiking and snowmobiling spots. There’s that big lake just to the west of Ogden. But several reservoirs in the area for better swimming and boating.

Close to hiking/state/national parks and possible 4 wheeling/snow mobile access—see above. And Southern Utah has some of the greatest National parks in the country.

Close to good medical facilities—check. In both Ogden and just 30 minutes south in SLC.

Close to airport—30 minute drive to SLC International airport.

Close to Costco/dining—there’s a Costco in Ogden. Plenty of good dining in town and even more in SLC.

Water abundance and good drinking quality. No worries about shortage/restriction/drought/tainted—not currently an issue. Tough to predict the water issues city by city going forward anywhere in the country.

Housing less than ours. Our house estimate is $435k—-housing cost is 3% higher than the national average. Not knowing the specs of your house I can’t make a better comparison.

Fair car/house insurance rates—auto insurance average is $133/month. Average home insurance is $95/month.

Fair utility rates—6% lower than the national average. An average of $268/month.

Not impossible to own a gun—much to my chagrin, Utah is a permitless open-carry/concealed-carry state. It’s Utah. Not an issue at all.



So, depending on what your house/lot size requirements are, the “housing less than yours” might be the criteria furthest from your desired.



HTH. Good luck!

Wow! Thanks Marco! Super helpful. So, we have a 2000 sq foot 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath on .67 acre lot in a great area, minus living down the street from DaBaby

Utilities for us here on a bad month is about 225, so a tad higher where you are, but we are on a well so don’t pay water fees.

What are your property taxes if you don’t mind me asking? We are low at about 2k.

Thanks again! Googling some photos it looks like a beautiful area.

My BIL has a house in east Ogden that is about the same size as yours but on a much smaller lot—-0.2 acres. It’s currently valued at $390,000. 4br, 2 ba. It’s in a great neighborhood abutting the mountains.

His property tax is the same as yours.

Not bad at all!

My one major concern, and desert power eludes to, I’ve heard as well that salt lake water is dwindling and may be in trouble which was why initially UT was off the list. Water to me is a biggie. Again, hard to say what the future holds and maybe we as a population figure it out. Fingers crossed…

 

[massraider]

Thanks RD, CO was limited initially to the Springs and after Redditing it there were enough negatives as well as reading CO may be one of the states dealing with water issues it was just put on the back burner. Thank you for deciding to chime in.

Think you need to read up on the water thing a bit more, maybe aside from Reddit.

Colorado has issues for sure, but we are talking decades-- they think.

 

[NutterButter]

I think you need two places, then you can jump with the weather.

You can get away with 1 that has good weather 9 months of the year and then rent other places other 3 months.

Makes sense too and a lot more doable.

So much easier these days as well with airbnb when you can rent a place for a month at a time for a reasonable price. Ideally youd be within driving distance but you can always use turo to rent a car at a reasonable price as well or just stay in a beach location where everything is walkable

Other than the 2 strange azz dogs my wife has this is a great option….

Yeah. We love dogs too but once ours pass we're holding off on getting more until our traveling days are behind us. Hard to have em when you're on the road 4-5 months of the year.

 

[steelerfan1]

I think you need two places, then you can jump with the weather.

You can get away with 1 that has good weather 9 months of the year and then rent other places other 3 months.

Makes sense too and a lot more doable.

So much easier these days as well with airbnb when you can rent a place for a month at a time for a reasonable price. Ideally youd be within driving distance but you can always use turo to rent a car at a reasonable price as well or just stay in a beach location where everything is walkable

Other than the 2 strange azz dogs my wife has this is a great option….

Yeah. We love dogs too but once ours pass we're holding off on getting more until our traveling days are behind us. Hard to have em when you're on the road 4-5 months of the year.

Yes, we were down to 1 older one 5 years ago, and I said I was done after that. She wanted two more puppies, so we compromised…and got 2 puppies….strangest dogs I’ve ever seen. They are hers and I don’t claim them but have a feeling they will live to 17 just to spite me.

 

[ChiefD]

I am on a well here in Wisconsin, and there is a crap ton of water all around us. We will be fine up here as far as water goes. One of the many reasons we wanted to move here.

 

[Judge Smails]

I live in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins now is what the Springs was about 30-40 years ago, before the Springs population and hence development, exploded. Add nearby towns like Greely, Loveland and a few others that are similar to Fort Collins.

You lost me completely at Greeley. Lived there one year in HS. Come on. That’s south Wyoming. Having UNC there is cool but unless you love Montfort meat packing plant downdrifts 24X7 avoid like the plague.

 

[Judge Smails]

Never heard this much emphasis on water for a retirement spot. Especially when not talking boating etc

 

[The Dreaded Marco]

The climate aspect is a tough one to crack. Makes me think Appalachia is your best bet, but there really are not a lot big towns in there. West Virginia could fit a lot of the criteria but all of their cities are at lower elevations.

Easier out west, but pricier. This is an interesting one.

Yes it is. It’s almost impossible to get everything. Pick your poison on what you want to sacrifice. That’s why I’ve turned to the endless good folks here to get the ball rolling.

I think Ogden, UT comes kind of close.

Tax friendly to SS, pensions and 401k—Utah is moderately tax friendly There is a flat state income tax of 4.65% that is applied to SS and retirement account withdrawals.

Lowerish COL—Ogden has the 2nd lowest COL in Utah and Utah is above (below?) the national average in that category. On the good side of the average

Low crime— below the national crime rate for similarly sized cities. Not sure how good that is, though.

Mild summers. We hate heat and humidity—the average high temperature for the 3 summer months is 87F. But low humidity. Rarely an uncomfortable heat.

Not violent winters. Prefer no minus 20’s but like snow—the average low temperature for the 3 winter months is 23F. And lots of snow.

4 seasons—definitely

Close to lakes and fairly close to mountains. Closer the better. Both would be great— it’s a 25 minute drive, door to door, from Ogden to Snow Basin ski resort, various great hiking and snowmobiling spots. There’s that big lake just to the west of Ogden. But several reservoirs in the area for better swimming and boating.

Close to hiking/state/national parks and possible 4 wheeling/snow mobile access—see above. And Southern Utah has some of the greatest National parks in the country.

Close to good medical facilities—check. In both Ogden and just 30 minutes south in SLC.

Close to airport—30 minute drive to SLC International airport.

Close to Costco/dining—there’s a Costco in Ogden. Plenty of good dining in town and even more in SLC.

Water abundance and good drinking quality. No worries about shortage/restriction/drought/tainted—not currently an issue. Tough to predict the water issues city by city going forward anywhere in the country.

Housing less than ours. Our house estimate is $435k—-housing cost is 3% higher than the national average. Not knowing the specs of your house I can’t make a better comparison.

Fair car/house insurance rates—auto insurance average is $133/month. Average home insurance is $95/month.

Fair utility rates—6% lower than the national average. An average of $268/month.

Not impossible to own a gun—much to my chagrin, Utah is a permitless open-carry/concealed-carry state. It’s Utah. Not an issue at all.



So, depending on what your house/lot size requirements are, the “housing less than yours” might be the criteria furthest from your desired.



HTH. Good luck!

Wow! Thanks Marco! Super helpful. So, we have a 2000 sq foot 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath on .67 acre lot in a great area, minus living down the street from DaBaby

Utilities for us here on a bad month is about 225, so a tad higher where you are, but we are on a well so don’t pay water fees.

What are your property taxes if you don’t mind me asking? We are low at about 2k.

Thanks again! Googling some photos it looks like a beautiful area.

My BIL has a house in east Ogden that is about the same size as yours but on a much smaller lot—-0.2 acres. It’s currently valued at $390,000. 4br, 2 ba. It’s in a great neighborhood abutting the mountains.

His property tax is the same as yours.

Not bad at all!

My one major concern, and desert power eludes to, I’ve heard as well that salt lake water is dwindling and may be in trouble which was why initially UT was off the list. Water to me is a biggie. Again, hard to say what the future holds and maybe we as a population figure it out. Fingers crossed…

The past two years have done wonders for the GSL water level but obviously that’s a very short window and means nothing going forward given the unpredictability of year-to-year precipitation and climate change.

What is encouraging is that the Utah State legislature has finally sat up and taken notice of what is occurring and I am cautiously optimistic that beneficial changes in legislation will continue to pass with overwhelming bipartisan support.

 

[SFBayDuck]

I know I've said it in other retirement threads here before, partly because it's what we did, but college towns can be a great place to look if one of your concerns is having enough to do.

If you're into sports at all you've got events to attend eight-nine months of the year, and other than football and men's basketball, tickets are free to really cheap. My women's hoops season tix are just over $500 for two seats in the lower level, which breaks down to about $17 a ticket. Pretty cheap entertainment for about 15 evenings during the dark winter months when otherwise it can be tough to get yourself out of the house as much.

If it's not too small of a town you may get some touring events coming through like concerts, stand up acts, hell we have bull riding/rodeo every year at the basketball arena.

I'm not even retired yet, but we've been to at least 50-60 events a year the last two years. I've been to over a dozen track and field events in just the past two months, although that's pretty unique to Eugene. Once I am retired, I can see wandering over to campus for some random softball/baseball/lax/soccer games on nice fall or spring days. I think you can grab a baseball/softball ticket for like $10, and the others are free.

Another potential bonus for retirees, which unfortunately we don't have here, is that some schools have great hospitals associated.

 

[Terminalxylem]

The climate aspect is a tough one to crack. Makes me think Appalachia is your best bet, but there really are not a lot big towns in there. West Virginia could fit a lot of the criteria but all of their cities are at lower elevations.

Easier out west, but pricier. This is an interesting one.

Yes it is. It’s almost impossible to get everything. Pick your poison on what you want to sacrifice. That’s why I’ve turned to the endless good folks here to get the ball rolling.

I think Ogden, UT comes kind of close.

Tax friendly to SS, pensions and 401k—Utah is moderately tax friendly There is a flat state income tax of 4.65% that is applied to SS and retirement account withdrawals.

Lowerish COL—Ogden has the 2nd lowest COL in Utah and Utah is above (below?) the national average in that category. On the good side of the average

Low crime— below the national crime rate for similarly sized cities. Not sure how good that is, though.

Mild summers. We hate heat and humidity—the average high temperature for the 3 summer months is 87F. But low humidity. Rarely an uncomfortable heat.

Not violent winters. Prefer no minus 20’s but like snow—the average low temperature for the 3 winter months is 23F. And lots of snow.

4 seasons—definitely

Close to lakes and fairly close to mountains. Closer the better. Both would be great— it’s a 25 minute drive, door to door, from Ogden to Snow Basin ski resort, various great hiking and snowmobiling spots. There’s that big lake just to the west of Ogden. But several reservoirs in the area for better swimming and boating.

Close to hiking/state/national parks and possible 4 wheeling/snow mobile access—see above. And Southern Utah has some of the greatest National parks in the country.

Close to good medical facilities—check. In both Ogden and just 30 minutes south in SLC.

Close to airport—30 minute drive to SLC International airport.

Close to Costco/dining—there’s a Costco in Ogden. Plenty of good dining in town and even more in SLC.

Water abundance and good drinking quality. No worries about shortage/restriction/drought/tainted—not currently an issue. Tough to predict the water issues city by city going forward anywhere in the country.

Housing less than ours. Our house estimate is $435k—-housing cost is 3% higher than the national average. Not knowing the specs of your house I can’t make a better comparison.

Fair car/house insurance rates—auto insurance average is $133/month. Average home insurance is $95/month.

Fair utility rates—6% lower than the national average. An average of $268/month.

Not impossible to own a gun—much to my chagrin, Utah is a permitless open-carry/concealed-carry state. It’s Utah. Not an issue at all.



So, depending on what your house/lot size requirements are, the “housing less than yours” might be the criteria furthest from your desired.



HTH. Good luck!

Wow! Thanks Marco! Super helpful. So, we have a 2000 sq foot 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath on .67 acre lot in a great area, minus living down the street from DaBaby

Utilities for us here on a bad month is about 225, so a tad higher where you are, but we are on a well so don’t pay water fees.

What are your property taxes if you don’t mind me asking? We are low at about 2k.

Thanks again! Googling some photos it looks like a beautiful area.

My BIL has a house in east Ogden that is about the same size as yours but on a much smaller lot—-0.2 acres. It’s currently valued at $390,000. 4br, 2 ba. It’s in a great neighborhood abutting the mountains.

His property tax is the same as yours.

Not bad at all!

My one major concern, and desert power eludes to, I’ve heard as well that salt lake water is dwindling and may be in trouble which was why initially UT was off the list. Water to me is a biggie. Again, hard to say what the future holds and maybe we as a population figure it out. Fingers crossed…

What water issues concern you?

Are we talking Road Warrior here?

ETA Agree with those that believe it will be decades, if ever, before water scarcity will be an issue many places in the US.

 

[BassNBrew]

The climate aspect is a tough one to crack. Makes me think Appalachia is your best bet, but there really are not a lot big towns in there. West Virginia could fit a lot of the criteria but all of their cities are at lower elevations.

Easier out west, but pricier. This is an interesting one.

Yes it is. It’s almost impossible to get everything. Pick your poison on what you want to sacrifice. That’s why I’ve turned to the endless good folks here to get the ball rolling.

I think Ogden, UT comes kind of close.

Tax friendly to SS, pensions and 401k—Utah is moderately tax friendly There is a flat state income tax of 4.65% that is applied to SS and retirement account withdrawals.

Lowerish COL—Ogden has the 2nd lowest COL in Utah and Utah is above (below?) the national average in that category. On the good side of the average

Low crime— below the national crime rate for similarly sized cities. Not sure how good that is, though.

Mild summers. We hate heat and humidity—the average high temperature for the 3 summer months is 87F. But low humidity. Rarely an uncomfortable heat.

Not violent winters. Prefer no minus 20’s but like snow—the average low temperature for the 3 winter months is 23F. And lots of snow.

4 seasons—definitely

Close to lakes and fairly close to mountains. Closer the better. Both would be great— it’s a 25 minute drive, door to door, from Ogden to Snow Basin ski resort, various great hiking and snowmobiling spots. There’s that big lake just to the west of Ogden. But several reservoirs in the area for better swimming and boating.

Close to hiking/state/national parks and possible 4 wheeling/snow mobile access—see above. And Southern Utah has some of the greatest National parks in the country.

Close to good medical facilities—check. In both Ogden and just 30 minutes south in SLC.

Close to airport—30 minute drive to SLC International airport.

Close to Costco/dining—there’s a Costco in Ogden. Plenty of good dining in town and even more in SLC.

Water abundance and good drinking quality. No worries about shortage/restriction/drought/tainted—not currently an issue. Tough to predict the water issues city by city going forward anywhere in the country.

Housing less than ours. Our house estimate is $435k—-housing cost is 3% higher than the national average. Not knowing the specs of your house I can’t make a better comparison.

Fair car/house insurance rates—auto insurance average is $133/month. Average home insurance is $95/month.

Fair utility rates—6% lower than the national average. An average of $268/month.

Not impossible to own a gun—much to my chagrin, Utah is a permitless open-carry/concealed-carry state. It’s Utah. Not an issue at all.



So, depending on what your house/lot size requirements are, the “housing less than yours” might be the criteria furthest from your desired.



HTH. Good luck!

Wow! Thanks Marco! Super helpful. So, we have a 2000 sq foot 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath on .67 acre lot in a great area, minus living down the street from DaBaby

Utilities for us here on a bad month is about 225, so a tad higher where you are, but we are on a well so don’t pay water fees.

What are your property taxes if you don’t mind me asking? We are low at about 2k.

Thanks again! Googling some photos it looks like a beautiful area.

My BIL has a house in east Ogden that is about the same size as yours but on a much smaller lot—-0.2 acres. It’s currently valued at $390,000. 4br, 2 ba. It’s in a great neighborhood abutting the mountains.

His property tax is the same as yours.

Not bad at all!

My one major concern, and desert power eludes to, I’ve heard as well that salt lake water is dwindling and may be in trouble which was why initially UT was off the list. Water to me is a biggie. Again, hard to say what the future holds and maybe we as a population figure it out. Fingers crossed…

What water issues concern you?

Are we talking Road Warrior here?

ETA Agree with those that believe it will be decades, if ever, before water scarcity will be an issue many places in the US.

I'd be interested in hearing about this too. I know he has plenty of water where he lives now, but it's pretty polluted.

 

[NutterButter]

I know I've said it in other retirement threads here before, partly because it's what we did, but college towns can be a great place to look if one of your concerns is having enough to do.

If you're into sports at all you've got events to attend eight-nine months of the year, and other than football and men's basketball, tickets are free to really cheap. My women's hoops season tix are just over $500 for two seats in the lower level, which breaks down to about $17 a ticket. Pretty cheap entertainment for about 15 evenings during the dark winter months when otherwise it can be tough to get yourself out of the house as much.

If it's not too small of a town you may get some touring events coming through like concerts, stand up acts, hell we have bull riding/rodeo every year at the basketball arena.

I'm not even retired yet, but we've been to at least 50-60 events a year the last two years. I've been to over a dozen track and field events in just the past two months, although that's pretty unique to Eugene. Once I am retired, I can see wandering over to campus for some random softball/baseball/lax/soccer games on nice fall or spring days. I think you can grab a baseball/softball ticket for like $10, and the others are free.

Another potential bonus for retirees, which unfortunately we don't have here, is that some schools have great hospitals associated.

I think I'd enjoy women's volleyball. Boulder is a cool town but expensive. Would be awesome having RMNP and Red Rocks so close. I wonder if these places become more affordable as the boomers die off.

 

[steelerfan1]

I know I've said it in other retirement threads here before, partly because it's what we did, but college towns can be a great place to look if one of your concerns is having enough to do.

If you're into sports at all you've got events to attend eight-nine months of the year, and other than football and men's basketball, tickets are free to really cheap. My women's hoops season tix are just over $500 for two seats in the lower level, which breaks down to about $17 a ticket. Pretty cheap entertainment for about 15 evenings during the dark winter months when otherwise it can be tough to get yourself out of the house as much.

If it's not too small of a town you may get some touring events coming through like concerts, stand up acts, hell we have bull riding/rodeo every year at the basketball arena.

I'm not even retired yet, but we've been to at least 50-60 events a year the last two years. I've been to over a dozen track and field events in just the past two months, although that's pretty unique to Eugene. Once I am retired, I can see wandering over to campus for some random softball/baseball/lax/soccer games on nice fall or spring days. I think you can grab a baseball/softball ticket for like $10, and the others are free.

Another potential bonus for retirees, which unfortunately we don't have here, is that some schools have great hospitals associated.

Not really too concerned about hitting sporting venues at all. Much more in tune to outdoors and to be able to have good dining and a bit of shopping for the wife.

 

[steelerfan1]

@BassNBrew @Judge Smails @Terminalxylem

Maybe I’m a little bit overboard on the water. Do I think we have a road warrior scenario….probably not, but I can see some states that are growing crazy in areas where water isn’t plentiful having issues. Maybe meaningful restrictions, higher costs etc. again, maybe I’m overthinking, but it seems like there a few of us who think this is in the future.

Also wanted to mention 2 areas in my current location have had specific cancer clusters where it is being blamed on the water. More than likely something to do with our energy company, but I’d like to not worry about that down the road.

Maybe they are doom and gloom articles, but some think salt lake could be gone in the next 10 years.

And, yes Bass, you couldn’t get me to go into lake Norman lol. We’re on a well and have had water tested, but I don’t get the fascination with that lake.

 

[NutterButter]

I'd be more concerned about forest fires and overall air quality as a result of them.

 

[Desert_Power]

@BassNBrew @Judge Smails @Terminalxylem

Maybe I’m a little bit overboard on the water. Do I think we have a road warrior scenario….probably not, but I can see some states that are growing crazy in areas where water isn’t plentiful having issues. Maybe meaningful restrictions, higher costs etc. again, maybe I’m overthinking, but it seems like there a few of us who think this is in the future.

Maybe they are doom and gloom articles, but some think salt lake could be gone in the next 10 years.

And, yes Bass, you couldn’t get me to go into lake Norman lol. We’re on a well and have had water tested, but I don’t get the fascination with that lake.

As I understand it, the Salt Lake problem is there are toxic chemicals in it that would exposed to wind as it evaporates.

 

[Rodrigo Duterte]

I live in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins now is what the Springs was about 30-40 years ago, before the Springs population and hence development, exploded. Add nearby towns like Greely, Loveland and a few others that are similar to Fort Collins.

You lost me completely at Greeley. Lived there one year in HS. Come on. That’s south Wyoming. Having UNC there is cool but unless you love Montfort meat packing plant downdrifts 24X7 avoid like the plague.

Yeah, that's simply off. I honestly thought the poster was joking. Fort Collins blows away those other Northern Colorado towns, on a number of levels. It's not like they're "bad" places, but the difference of what Fort Collins has to offer is glaring, no question. The only argument that could be made is real estate is getting pricey, for, well, obvious reasons. But I would argue, in the end, property values in "Fort Fun" will rise more. And not by a little. We are actively searching for any type of fixer-upper (preferably the old Victorian-type homes) in the downtown area we can possibly find. There are also great opportunities, imo, with more land, in the north part (also closer to the Poudre River and mountains, yet also still near downtown). Anyway, that's my opinion of where to pinpoint, and where also values will rise the most.

The Downtown area is charming and offers everything. But again, not overdone. Yet just blocks away you can be and feel like you are in an old-school, peaceful neighborhood with a vibe you just can't find in "modern" communities. Adorned with big trees everywhere, wide streets and super quiet. You just have to see for yourself, and feel it, period. Ride your bikes to everything, including some awesome microbreweries and great restaurants.

Unless you've actually spent time there, you really can't speak for/against it. I mean, that goes for every place, right? And yes, I've spent plenty of time in all the Colorado towns mentioned in this thread. The Fort is a gem, especially given what the OP/topic is looking for, no question. Just do research on it, and you'll see, it checks off all your boxes and then some. But you have to go to really feel what I am poorly expressing. Anyway, good luck with your search!

 

[steelerfan1]

I'd be more concerned about forest fires and overall air quality as a result of them.

Yes, this is another concern I overlooked. Believe this is mostly an out west concern, so will need to update my list.

 

[steelerfan1]

I live in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins now is what the Springs was about 30-40 years ago, before the Springs population and hence development, exploded. Add nearby towns like Greely, Loveland and a few others that are similar to Fort Collins.

You lost me completely at Greeley. Lived there one year in HS. Come on. That’s south Wyoming. Having UNC there is cool but unless you love Montfort meat packing plant downdrifts 24X7 avoid like the plague.

Yeah, that's simply off. I honestly thought the poster was joking. Fort Collins blows away those other Northern Colorado towns, on a number of levels. It's not like they're "bad" places, but the difference of what Fort Collins has to offer is glaring, no question. The only argument that could be made is real estate is getting pricey, for, well, obvious reasons. But I would argue, in the end, property values in "Fort Fun" will rise more. And not by a little. We are actively searching for any type of fixer-upper (preferably the old Victorian-type homes) in the downtown area we can possibly find. There are also great opportunities, imo, with more land, in the north part (also closer to the Poudre River and mountains, yet also still near downtown). Anyway, that's my opinion of where to pinpoint, and where also values will rise the most.

The Downtown area is charming and offers everything. But again, not overdone. Yet just blocks away you can be and feel like you are in an old-school, peaceful neighborhood with a vibe you just can't find in "modern" communities. Adorned with big trees everywhere, wide streets and super quiet. You just have to see for yourself, and feel it, period. Ride your bikes to everything, including some awesome microbreweries and great restaurants.

Unless you've actually spent time there, you really can't speak for/against it. I mean, that goes for every place, right? And yes, I've spent plenty of time in all the Colorado towns mentioned in this thread. The Fort is a gem, especially given what the OP/topic is looking for, no question. Just do research on it, and you'll see, it checks off all your boxes and then some. But you have to go to really feel what I am poorly expressing. Anyway, good luck with your search!

Would you mind sharing your property tax and a rough value of your home. What you describe sounds right up there with Marcos Ogden. Thanks again!

 

[steelerfan1]

Also adding to my list traffic. I don’t want a DC type issue….

 

[The Z Machine]

Likely due to rain.

Check Humidity in Asheville (NC) by Month | Accurate Insights

Get updates on average humidity in Asheville (NC) by month. From the most humid month, September, to the least humid month, April, know everything

weather-and-climate.com

Yes, it's apparently rain forest like (or nearby it) making morning and evening dew points higher, but it seems not (as) hot and humid like other places (here). 80% humidity when it's 75 degrees isn't unbearable. The temp and the "feels like" are usually about the same there according to that site. Taking Monday morning as an example, Asheville is 84 with 88 feels like, here is 90 with 99 feels like. Depends on perspective I guess.

Not really a big fan of Asheville either.

Wut? That place is amazing.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Somewhere in PA. Not tax on retirement distributions

Whoa, what? Thank you for mentioning this.

 

[Rodrigo Duterte]

I'd be more concerned about forest fires and overall air quality as a result of them.

If air quality is an issue, then take Boise off that list.

 

[steelerfan1]

Likely due to rain.

Check Humidity in Asheville (NC) by Month | Accurate Insights

Get updates on average humidity in Asheville (NC) by month. From the most humid month, September, to the least humid month, April, know everything

weather-and-climate.com

Yes, it's apparently rain forest like (or nearby it) making morning and evening dew points higher, but it seems not (as) hot and humid like other places (here). 80% humidity when it's 75 degrees isn't unbearable. The temp and the "feels like" are usually about the same there according to that site. Taking Monday morning as an example, Asheville is 84 with 88 feels like, here is 90 with 99 feels like. Depends on perspective I guess.

Not really a big fan of Asheville either.

Wut? That place is amazing.

I’m more of a blowing rock type guy.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I'd be more concerned about forest fires and overall air quality as a result of them.

If air quality is an issue, then take Boise off that list.

Can you elaborate? What makes it bad? And how does it compare to rest of country?

 

[Gally]

Coeur d'Alene ID

Take a look at Hayden, ID. It's about 20 minutes away from Coeur d'Alene and is cheaper. We are on the same path at you (about 5 years away) and we just bought a 1.25 acre lot near Avondale Lake in Hayden. The historical weather info seems to match what you are looking for as well.

We weren't planning on buying land right now but an opportunity presented to us so we decided to take the chance. Worst case scenario we decide we want to go somewhere else we can sell the land later. But by doing this it cuts down on the back end costs as all we have to do is build now. The land is taken care of.

 

[steelerfan1]

Thank you. Added to the list.

 

[arrow1]

Omaha

 

[AAABatteries]

Never heard this much emphasis on water for a retirement spot. Especially when not talking boating etc

Same - it's an interesting thought/discussion but was never something I was concerned about. Maybe I'm naive and should be.

 

[Gally]

Never heard this much emphasis on water for a retirement spot. Especially when not talking boating etc

Same - it's an interesting thought/discussion but was never something I was concerned about. Maybe I'm naive and should be.

Count me as another one that has no idea what this water concern is about. I am familiar with drought conditions in CA but didn't figure Colorado or Idaho or ???? had an issue.

 

[SFBayDuck]

I'd be more concerned about forest fires and overall air quality as a result of them.

If air quality is an issue, then take Boise off that list.

Can you elaborate? What makes it bad? And how does it compare to rest of country?

I believe that, much like SLC, the geography leads it to be prone to temperature inversions where cold air gets trapped beneath warmer air, and traps the pollutants (wood smoke, exhaust) near the ground. This doesn't happen all of the time, but it does happen throughout the year.

Add in the wildfire smoke issues that have become the new normal out here in the west during summer and early fall, and it can lead to poor air quality off and on throughout the year.

ETA: a couple of links, if you really want to dig in: Inversion season is back, Boise. But what exactly is it? and Air quality in Boise