By Cathy Severson, MS There’s been a long held notion that when people are planning to retire, they have an urge to pull up stakes and move to a sunny climate. However, this is not the case. When retired, 75% of people stay in their own home and for those who move, 13% stay in the same county. There are three primary reasons why retirees stay put. First of all, if family and friends have remained in the area, retirees want to stay close. A second reason is that many people simply can’t afford to move from their home. Finally, for people who have lived in a community, retirement living is enhanced by strong ties and familiarity they don’t want to give up. If you are one of the wanderlusts who are thinking about how to retire to a new location, there are a number of factors to consider. Many people will move to be closer to family and friends. For some, there is a wide open sense of possibility that needs to be filled. There are a number of retirement living communities that are ready and willing to open their arms to these transplants. What are the factors you need to consider before making the move? While there are various retirement books that review and rate active communities for retirees, one of the most respected is
What is the size of the Population of a community? Do you want to live in a smaller community or are you interested in being in a large metro area?
What kind of atmosphere or Ambiance do you want to live around? Do you want a sense of history, lots of outdoor recreation areas, or cultural activities?
The Cost of Living is concerned with how far your dollar will go. Many people retire from high cost living areas to lower cost living areas so that their money will go further. Things to consider in cost of living are taxes, cost of housing, health care and transportation.
Climate is concerned with the weather which includes precipitation, temperature, humidity, wind and the number of days of sunshine. Traditional retirement was viewed as moving from cold climates to warmer, sunnier climates. As people’s interests expand, they look at climate from different perspectives. Climate includes seasons, temperature, and humidity.
Personal Safety is concerned with the risk of being a victim of a crime. There are a number of factors that affect the crime rate including climate, average age of population, economic conditions and the number of police. While the perception that older people are more vulnerable to crime is not actually true, it is a factor in deciding where to live.
Services can be affected by the population of the community. In almost all cases a smaller town will not have access to the variety and quality of services as a larger town. With that said, there are number of communities that are specifically catering to the older person by focusing on providing adequate support services. Services you might find important are medical, public libraries, and continuing education options.
Economic conditions can have a profound affect on the appeal of a community. Research indicates that over 75% of current and new retirees are interested in both part and full time work. Is the community growing and thriving or stable, or declining? What types of industries and jobs are available? Do they cater to the older worker?
What addition Personal factors do you want to take into consideration? This can include anything from support for a particular hobby or leisure activity to the proximity of family or friends. While visiting one city recently, I discovered I don’t want to live in a suburb. I want to live where there is a sense of community and physical center. I didn’t know that until I actual started visiting different locations around the country.
Cathy Severson, MS helps you make the most of your retirement. Find out how to make the rest of your life the best of your life with the complimentary e-book 7 Ingredients for a Satisfying Retirement at http://tinyurl.com/8moymb