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Where to Retire: Boulder, Colorado |
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Where to Retire: Charlottesville, Virginia |
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Where to Retire: Asheville, North Carolina |
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Where to Retire: Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Where to Retire: Bellingham, Washington |
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Where to Retire: Austin, Texas |
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Where to Retire: Burlington, Vermont |
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Where to Retire: Brevard, North Carolina |
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Times are tough: How Can I Retire Now? |
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Where to Retire: Chico, California |
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Where to Retire: Colorado Springs, Colorado |
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Where to Retire: Eugene, Oregon |
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Do Not Toss My Memories in the Trash |
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Where to Retire: Fayetteville, Arkansas |
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Where to Retire: Fort Collins, Colorado |
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Where to Retire: Ithaca, New York |
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Where to Retire: Hendersonville, North Carolina |
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Where to Retire: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Ed. Note: Where to Retire shares desired destinations for those wishing to relocate after retirement. Provided by author Warren R. Bland, these summaries offer a quick overview of the most desired retirement communities.
By Warren Bland
Founded in 1795 as the home of the University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill’s civic life is very much intertwined with that of its academic community. Downtown Chapel Hill is one of the most vibrant downtowns in America and a delightful place to shop, dine or be entertained. Chapel Hill is a unique place well worth considering for an active retirement.
Landscape: Chapel Hill is located toward the eastern edge of the Piedmont Plateau in the central part of North Carolina. Much of the city is sheltered by a canopy of large deciduous trees, whereas suburban areas are enveloped in pine forest.
Climate: Winters are cool and summers average between 60 and 80 degrees. Spring and autumn are very pleasant. Annual precipitation of 48 inches is well distributed. Chapel Hill is frost free 200 days and sunny about 60% of the time.
Quality of Life: Excellent. Chapel Hill is well planned to minimize disruption of the village atmosphere of the traditional downtown. Neighborhoods feature a good variety of housing. Residents seem friendly and content with their lifestyle.
Housing: Housing costs are about 25% above the national average but prices reflect the high quality of Chapel Hill houses and the prestige value of the community. Comparable, lower-priced housing is available in the Raleigh–Durham area.
Goods and Services: Most goods and services are priced higher than the national average.
Taxes: State and local taxes in Chapel Hill are about 10.1% of income compared to the U.S. average of 9.7%. Property, sales and excise taxes are somewhat below national norms whereas income taxes are above average.
Transportation: Most residents drive or take the bus. Greyhound provides bus service to more distant cities. Rail and jet service is found in nearby Durham.
Retail Services: Downtown Chapel Hill is busy and exciting. University Mall, Chapel Hill’s largest shopping center, is anchored by Dillard’s and A Southern Season, an exquisite 59,000-square-foot gourmet specialty store. A farmers’ market operates in downtown Carrboro.
Health Care: The UNC teaching hospitals offer excellent and comprehensive health care services. Only 10 miles away in Durham are a VA hospital and the outstanding Duke University Medical Center, noted especially for cardiac care and surgery.
Community Services: Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County provide an excellent array of community services.
Cultural and Educational Activities: UNC offers musical concerts, musical theater, dance, an art museum, vast library resources, lectures and art exhibits. Additional resources include historic downtown and the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.
Recreational Activities: Passive and active sports and recreational interests are plentiful and include golf, swimming, boating and fishing, ice skating, summer outdoor concert and movie series, street fairs and a fine selection of excellent restaurants and movie houses.
Work and Volunteer Activities: Some paid work exists. The YMCA, SCORE, local libraries, North Carolina Botanical Gardens, UNC Hospitals and RSVP are among the many organizations dependent on volunteers.
Crime Rates and Public Safety: Crime rates are moderate in Chapel Hill. The city’s property crime rate exceeds the national average but violent crime is below the national average.
Conclusion: Chapel Hill earns excellent ratings in quality of life, transportation, health care, community services and leisure activities. Residential neighborhoods, the downtown commercial core and the UNC campus are attractive. Chapel Hill is one of America’s best choices for an upscale, and active retirement.
Ratings courtesy of “Retire in Style, 60 Outstanding Places Across the USA and Canada” by Warren R. Bland, PhD (www.nextdecade.com)
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