Not everyone wants to retire where they’ve been living for the last few years. For many of us, it can feel fun to think of retiring in a different location. A great way to enjoy new adventures, meet new people, and have everything we need close by.
But where are the best places to retire?
And is Florida the only option, or can you move to other locales? Even to other countries?
If you’ve been toying with the idea of retiring somewhere other than where you live, then you’ll love this comprehensive guide from Senior Living.
Plan Your Best Retirement
Before you think about an exact location (and just jump at that fancy community brochure you saw), Senior Living recommends that you think through a few key factors:
- How important is it for you to live near family and friends? Or are you comfortable with making an entire new social circle?
- Love the cold or want to retire somewhere it’s always sunny and 75? Are you OK dealing with more severe weather or do you want to spend your time somewhere drier?
- How do you plan to spend the majority of your time? What kinds of activities do you like?
- Do you need more frequent healthcare or visits with any kind of medical specialist?
When you know how you feel about the above questions, you’ll be able to start narrowing down where you want to live and the types of environments you want to look for.
Remember, where you retire is about more than just superficial choices. You need to think about how you want your life to feel and what you need from it as much as anything else.
Cost-Effective Retirement Locations
For many of us, ensuring that we have enough money through retirement is a real concern and cost of living will probably be one of your biggest factors.
You want to retire somewhere inexpensive that you still love to live in. Recent data shows that a few states are very budget-friendly for retirees, including:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Ohio
Senior Living put together some great information on tax rates, affordable housing, and health care that you can review, but each of these states has its benefits to being your retirement destination.
Think you want to head outside of the US and see some new places? These are the 10 cheapest countries you can retire to:
- Panama
- Ecuador
- Mexico
- Costa Rica
- Thailand
- Columbia
- Indonesia
- Nicaragua
- Malaysia
- Cambodia
Of course, with any country, you’ll want to research any safety concerns and look for different retirement communities that might be more suitable for ex-pats.
Retire to a Place You Love
If you want to find a great combination of affordable and fun, then Senior Living has even more in its guide to help you find the right place for you to make your home during retirement.
This is a great place to start – whether you want to move or are thinking about aging in place at home – so you have all the facts to make the right decision for you.
