My sister is always struggling with money and drugs: I own a house with my husband and mother. Q and A Could you live in the mountains, or would you prefer lower altitudes or the coasts. Livability explores what makes small-to-medium sized cities great places to live. Blacksburg, Virginia. Take a look at our list of the cheapest places to live in America for city dwellers. The scenery in the surrounding mountains is spectacular, and so are the recreation possibilities. With a national network of hand-selected real estate experts, plus comprehensive information, unbiased content, and on-the-go insight about thousands of communities across the country, were a trusted resource paving the way from here to home. This range is home to some of the best views in the region with popular sites such as Mt. Americans are living longer than ever, and that creates some challenges for retirees. Weve gathered 25 of the best places for snowbirds, including cities in Florida, Arizona, California, Texas, South Carolina, and Nevada. If youre willing to look beyond the Aspens,Park CitiesandJacksonsof the country, there are a number of mountain towns with a cost of living you can actually afford. To get the No. Curt Gowdy State Park is just 24 miles west of Cheyenne and offers more than 35 miles of trails and elevations ranging from 6,800 to 7,900 feet. Seems like a fair trade. And many people aren't able to strike a balance: The poverty rate in Albuquerque among residents age 65 and up is 9.9%, compared with 9.3% for the U.S., but better than the 11.9% rate for New Mexico. The city is also home to several popular skiing resorts and ample parks and greenspaces. But Anchorage is the least expensive metro area in the state, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research. You forgot Hot Springs Village, Arkansas in the Ouitchita mountains. Housing is notably affordable: The median home value in the city is $173,200, compared with $407,400 for all of Massachusetts and $592,300 for Boston proper, according to Zillow. We dont spend money but look to nature as our entertainment. Spirit Lake, IA. We can't think of a better place to put down new roots than these fun-loving, laid-back communities. Explorethevillage.com. Visit a quote page and your recently viewed tickers will be displayed here. The overall cost of living is 19.8% above the national averagestill pricey to be sure, but much more affordable than Portland's living costs at 47.8% above average. Pigeon Forge, one of Tennessee's favorite towns, is a longtime favorite spot for vacationers, but it's also a great spot to retire. College towns such as Blacksburg, Va. generally offer a high level of amenities at affordable prices. 25 Small Towns With Big Millionaire Populations. Niche reports some of the most economical real estate for retirees in the area, with the median home value at $175,400 way under the $244,900 national average. That means plenty of beaches and water-related activities for you in the warmer months. Read the in-depth tour our very own Flo Williamson wrote up on the area. Asheville, North Carolina is located in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a part of the larger Appalachian range. Cadence at Lansdowne is a brand new 55+ active adult community offering a vibrant lifestyle in Lansdowne, Virginia. Average summer highs are in the upper 70s to 80 degrees. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, home sales averaged $260,000, as of May 2022, making beach living seriously affordable. and its nearly 700,000 residents 8th among its list of best places to retire . Hiawassee, Georgia. But if you're willing to look beyond the most well-known. Welcome to Cresswind Charlotte! With 9,000 people, Presque Isle is the largest community in Maines northernmost county and the areas commercial center. These Southern spots are real jewels in the landscape, and it's high time you started exploring one or two (or all of them!). Brigham Young University offers intellectual stimulation to complement the physical activity. Chitr. Years before either of these we stayed at 8000 feet in Montana and climbed above 9000 with no remarkable distress. This small town in western Mass. Mount Rainier National Park is about 150 miles away, but you can find plenty of peaks, including Badger Mountain, Candy Mountain and Jump Off Joe Butte, nearby. Nearby Mount Humphrey is Arizonas tallest mountain and hosts a big ski resort. Buyers Market vs. Sellers Market: Whats the Status Right Now? Here are some of the best mountain townswith nearby communities for active adults. Gunstock Mountain Resort in neighboring Gilford, for example, offers camping, ziplining and snow sports, as well as fairs, events and dining options. Here's a look at the most recent IRA and 401(k) tax reform laws. Alabama's quintessential mountain town is Mentone, which is set atop Lookout Mountain and filled with charming spots, including the Wildflower Caf, Mentone Log Cabin Village, and Mentone Arts and Cultural Center. It is known for its outdoor recreation, especially fishing. You have plenty of outdoor diversions, such as miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding; fishing and boating; and birding and other wildlife viewing. Idaho Fallsmight not be a mountain town in the literal sense, but asthe closest metropolitan area to any of Yellowstone National Parks entrances, it serves as a gateway to some of the countrys most stunning mountain terrain. The gateway to Snowbasin, Powder Mountain and Nordic Valley, this hidden gem, just 35 minutes north ofSalt Lake City, sits at 4,280 feet and is adjacent to 170,000 acres of national forest. Ogden, Utah. Burlington, Vermont. Asheville is a popular retirement spot, and over a quarter of the population is age 60 or older. Train aficionados can enjoy the area's railroad history and displays of locomotives, including the world's largest steam engine (also retired). You also may want to be close enough to potential jobs, should you decide to seek some extra income. Batten the hatches for continued market tumult without eating high fees with these six Vanguard ETFs and mutual funds. Taking classes keeps your mind sharp, helps you network and may even be free. The 10 Best Mountain Towns for Retirement, Password requires min. One potential drawback is there are only 2 ways to get here by sea or air. You could scout rural Pennsylvania and West Virginia for options within your budget, but Ive focused on St. Marys in the northern part of the state. Next: 25 . With a population of about 9,500 and an average home price of $223,500 (home appreciation is up 13.5 percent), the average commute time, at 33 minutes, is a bit higher than the national average, with workers heading into San Bernardino for their jobs. The city itself is at nearly 7,000, making it one of Americas highest cities. From most of them you can look up and see mountains rising above, while in others they are just a short drive away. I love to trail walk. From his University of Virginia's hollering Hoos to the artists on the downtown promenade, the Charlottesville community is an unexpected blend of Southern charm and liberal edge, a nice choice for a range of retiree personalities. Fans of the TV series Breaking Bad will recognize the scenery around this town butting up against the Sandia Mountains. Learn which one is right for you. 10. And residents could certainly use the extra cash. Many active adults want to live downtown, but urban 55+ communities are hard to find. Keep up to date with our latest rankings and articles! Published 23 January 23. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Local crime may be worth noting: While the state sports a low rate of 1.99 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, Laconia's rate is 4.68, even slightly higher than the national median of 4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, according to NeighborhoodScout.com. Tucked between Lake Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam Lake, Laconia has been dubbed "The City on the Lake," home city to New Hampshire's Lakes Region. With a population of 84,000,Ogdenis on the smaller side, but when it comes to outdoor adventures, the opportunities are massive. They describe it as home to millions of acres of unspoiled forests and mountains. It is the county seat and boasts a community college. While a median rent of $1,484 does seem super low, the median price tag of a home is only $364,100, John has some of the most affordable homes for sale in colorado. This mountain resort town in Colorado draws tourists for its sports and views. When you live here, each day can be as active or laid Bon Ayre is a 55+ active adult, manufactured home land lease community located in Smyrna, Delaware, a town which was recently ranked 31st Showcase Listing Richland's metro area includes Kennewick, both of which qualify as great retirement destinations. ) Fewer cultural resources. Holly Hills has been rated as a rare "triple crown". Boasting a small-town feel with big-city amenities, the locale proclaims itself "The Biggest Little City in the World." The median home value is $312,514, Zillow says. Homebuyers hoping to find their ideal Tennessee mountain home should consider looking to Knoxville. Don't miss Staunton's Main Street, which has countless opportunities for shopping, dining, and browsing. The hot springs in the area provide a retreat for relaxation while the areas plentiful golf courses and hiking trails allow residents to easily stay active. To pinpoint one great retirement destination in each state, we weighed a number of factors: Rapacon joined Kiplinger in October 2007 as a reporter with Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and became an online editor for Kiplinger.com in June 2010. Small towns with lesser-known mountains (some might call them really big hills) may have to substitute. The city tends to get 310 sunny days each year through all four seasons. Whether or not you like to gamble, retiring to Reno can make you feel like you've hit the jackpot. Visit our corporate site. Or consider Piscataquis County to the west (nearly 17,000 people). 10. The metro area of Fayetteville, which includes Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville, offers low costs but plenty of attractions. There are plenty of cultural attractions, from a sculpture trail to a symphony orchestra. Bethel, Maine Population: 2,650 Average Age: 48.8 Median Home Price: $178,500 Median Rental Price: $1,310 (3-bedroom) Retirees living in Bethel, Maine will have no problem convincing the family to come visit! By Kyle Woodley Charlottesville also ranks fifth for overall well-being, out of all 187 metro areas included in the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, with above-average scores in all categories, including physical health and resident satisfaction. Only 10.1% of the entire state's population is age 65 and up compared with 14.9% of the whole U.S. And Huntsville, in northern Alabama, is one of the best. Not that there are really seasons in Carlsbad: Throughout the year, average highs fall between 62 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit, and average lows only go down to between 45 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Weather.com. The content If a move from one state to another is in your future, you could save big bucks by relocating to one of these states where the tax bite is light for middle-class families. Its a city of 12,000, about 45 miles north of Interstate 80 and 2 hours south of Buffalo, N.Y., in an area the tourism people call the Pennsylvania Wilds region. Of course, you have to be able to afford it. It also helps that you can refuel at one of Asheville's many innovative restaurants and breweries. And rainy days are rare. Tax Breaks The small city of Corvallis, located about 85 miles south of popular Portland, offers a similarly laidback lifestyle, but with smaller crowds and relatively lower costs. Retirement may afford you the perfect time to gain some perspective in lifeand what better place to do it than in the mountains? Robbie Caponetto. Coravllis is home to more than a dozen wineriesnaturally, being in the heart of the Willamette Valleyas well as four craft distillers for whiskey, vodka and more and six breweries right in town. and have not been previously reviewed, approved or endorsed by any other The cost of living in both areas runs nearly 14% below the national level. Newsletter Archive | Situated approximately 40 miles southwest of Knoxville, this gated lakefront community offers space to grow and explore the iconic wilderness of the region. I admit Im concerned about utility bills in colder places unless you find a well-insulated home. The capital of Alaska is on the coast beneath mountains as they rise away from the coast. In 2018, the payment was $1,600 per person. Most of Colorado is mountainous, but this town in the southwestern part of the state is different and more out of the way. And taxes throughout Cali also weigh heavily on your wallet. (By comparison, the country's smallest state in size, Rhode Island, hosts more than a million peopleabout 871 people per square mile.) The city and surrounding area provide many outstanding recreation activities in the adjacent Sandia Mountains, which you can get to from a city gondola. NY 10036. Best Parent Student Loans: Parent PLUS and Private. A trip to Colorado a few years back to test as a possible new home proved very stressful for my lungs with severe hard breathing, coughing and general fatigue. Of course, outdoor enthusiasts have more than enough to enjoy, too: The Phoenix Mountains Preserve alone, including Piestewa Peak (2,608 feet) and Camelback Mountain (2,707 feet), offers many hiking and biking trails just 20 minutes from downtown. Contact Us | Escanaba, which bills itself as one of the safest natural harbors in the upper Great Lakes, is the larger town, with about 12,000 people and without the triple-digit snowfall totals elsewhere in the region. The problem? Knoxville is particularly affordable for retirees, compared with, say, Nashville, where living costs among retired people are about the same as the national average. Do be very careful to test outmountain elevations before committing. Phoenix residents enjoy warmth and sun year-round with a variety of options for indoor and outdoor entertainment. In general though, the city's violent crime rate is a low 175.4 reported incidents per 100,000 residents, compared with a 297.8 rate for all U.S. cities of similar size, according to the FBI. Another feather in its cap: The Milken Institute rates Provo as the best large city for successful aging, noting the area's vibrant economy and safety, as well as the population's healthy lifestyles and high levels of volunteering among older adults. And beyond the college campus and city center, you can find plenty of options for outdoor recreation in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including more than 100 miles of of the Appalachian Trail in nearby Shenandoah National Park. That gives you plenty of opportunities to explore the many hiking and biking trails in and around the city, go hot air ballooning and play the variety of golf courses in the area. Biggest Little city in the mountains affordable prices the capital of Alaska is on the smaller side but! Short drive away a brand new 55+ active adult community offering most affordable mountain towns to retire vibrant lifestyle in Lansdowne,.... 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