Retirement state?

[Newtosavage]

This is a great post.

My parents recently sold their retirement farm and moved back to town because their local small town hospital shut down and emergency care was an hour away. They also got less and less interested in busting ice and working the stock into their 70s.

Watching it play out has been educational. I have always dreamed of a big spread in the middle of no where, I’m now leaning towards a smaller place within 30 minutes of a stable hospital.

I'm pretty sure we'll end up with a two phase retirement. Phase 1 will be out west so I can spend 20 years fulfilling my childhood dreams of being in the mountains. Phase 2 will probably be back in southern Illinois where we have very close friends and a church community we love, and easy access to public land and water that you don't have to risk your life to enjoy.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I have to travel to my tractor supplier fir parts today. As I walked into a restaurant for lunch, I met a gent I worked with before I retired. He lokked me up and down and said " I see you are wearing a Montana tuxedo".

I was plowing snow this morning and my attire is pacs, insulated carhardt bibs; a heavy carhardt vest and a heavy carhardt coat plus a wool hat. My response? No just a Montana uniform for 6-7 months on the continental divide. It was -30 yesterday.

Keep that in mind while making the decision.

 

[IdahoElk]

Or in our case, oppressive heat and humidity and 5 months of summer?

You know, there is no such thing as paradise, wish I could afford to have two places.

 

[TxxAgg]

If you buy in TX, look at North Central....Graham is a nice town.

Lots of deer, pigs, predators, and birds. You get 4 seasons. Deer are much bigger than the hill country deer.

 

[isu22andy]

South Dakota .

 

[Newtosavage]

You know, there is no such thing as paradise, wish I could afford to have two places.

There is no such place as paradise. You are spot-on. Best weather I ever lived in was Roswell, NM, EXCEPT for the 2 months/year when the wind blew what felt like 100 mph. non-stop. I hated that. I have a low tolerance for wind.

Southern Illinois had four distinct seasons, but the summers were nearly as hot and humid as east Texas, and the winters lasted too long and were very dark and damp.

SE Texas is great in the winter, but from mid-April to mid-November, expect to sweat through your clothes nearly every day.

I think the best we can do is identify the weather we dislike the most and that which we can tolerate the best and let that guide us. We're fortunate to have so many choices in this country.

 

[IdahoElk]

There is no such place as paradise. You are spot-on. Best weather I ever lived in was Roswell, NM, EXCEPT for the 2 months/year when the wind blew what felt like 100 mph. non-stop. I hated that. I have a low tolerance for wind.

Southern Illinois had four distinct seasons, but the summers were nearly as hot and humid as east Texas, and the winters lasted too long and were very dark and damp.

SE Texas is great in the winter, but from mid-April to mid-November, expect to sweat through your clothes nearly every day.

I think the best we can do is identify the weather we dislike the most and that which we can tolerate the best and let that guide us. We're fortunate to have so many choices in this country.

I want to split my time between Idaho and the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica, Sailfishing is off the charts

 

[Pocoloco]

We traveled the country in our Airstream for close to a year to find our new home. Wound up in Boise and love it, but being in construction we needed a city for income. That being said we put 34k miles on the truck… we experienced the country. Angel Fire NM is beautiful and cheap, taos sucks but if you want a tiny town Check out Chama NM. Gorgeous and just south of the most wild portion of Colorado. Chama to east side of Telluride Coloroda is not crowded. Arizona, most of it is cactus and too warm for me, but the mountains east of Phoenix are worth a look.

Idaho is amazing, but as soon as our kids can run our business we will winter in Cabo or Florida, lack of sun in winter is depressing. Arizona South Co and NM dont have that problem as much so your thoughts of moving there would work good, but lower elevations AZ summer is brutal. 115… but its dry heat… f-that, I could barely walk more than a couple 100 yards before my survival was in doubt

 

[Tesoro]

Brookings Oregon! painted in red. 7000 people in the area. most northern mediterranean climate anywhere. never too hot never too cold. It rains hard in winter 3mos off n on for a day or two then we get blu skies for a few days. 10,000's of acres of govt land to hunt bear deer cougar and elk right behind town. Pigeon and grouse as well. This is the one town that is the farthest away from any metro area on the west coast. It is 2 hrs drive on crap roads to nearest large town or freeway. You can live in the counrty or on the coastal flat depending if you want warm or cool. No Mosquitos or noseeums on the coast.
Ocean is on our doorstep with protected harbor from nw summer winds. Abundant Chinook and silver salmon, halibut and the whole gamut of bottom fish. Lots of dungeness crab. Albacore tuna in the summer.
River fishing = our Chetco river for world class steelhead. Smith and Rogue river 1/2 dr away for more world class fishing. Jetboat fun on the Rogue. River bar camping in the summer.
Look up the demographics of curry county if that is a concern.
Downside = property real expensive comparatively speaking so just live in a smaller house than used to. Thats what I am doing. Also the back county is very rugged and steep but fs logging roads everywhere so can navigate them. Shoot your game on the uphill side of a road!

 

[Burnsie]

I've always said if San Diego were anywhere but California it would be the perfect place weather-wise. Almost all of the year mid 70s and sunny. An occasional hot or cold spell, but overall pretty consistent. Find me a place like that in a better location, and I'm there.
I've also looked into Ashville or Boone, NC. Higher elevations in the Appalachians make for cooler summers and manageable winters. But the area is crazy liberal.

 

[Tesoro]

Considering the way people act anymore, this might help.

 

[KitsapDan]

LOL. This was actually on my list of possibilities.

Check out Payson and Show Low. Particularly the latter. Good sized town, lots of seniors there, big hospital. You’ll need healthcare as you grow older. Four season weather too.

 

[Bow daddy]

South Dakota .

Do people even know that it is a state?!? Hahaha wait that’s perfect!

 

[CoStick]

Amazing how people let politics run their lives.

 

[Tesoro]

Amazing how people let politics run their lives.

well there is something to say about having like minded neighbors and city council in a man bun free zone.

 

[KitsapDan]

Amazing how people let politics run their lives.

Amazing how politics affects peoples lives.

 

[PowerHunter]

If you are a whitetail or turkey family Iowa is looking to change our tax code such that there is no tax on retirement income. Healthcare at the University of Iowa is some of the best in the nation. Iowa City/Cedar Rapids is pretty expensive for land, but 30 minutes away and prices come down. Still high if you aren't used to looking high quality farm ground prices, but there are some deal out there for timbered or rough acres.

 

[CoStick]

Amazing how politics affects peoples lives.

Guess it depends on how much you let it. Regardless of what party or administration is in office it hasn’t changed my quality of life. That falls on me.

 

[KitsapDan]

Guess it depends on how much you let it. Regardless of what party or administration is in office it hasn’t changed my quality of life. That falls on me.

If you’re into guns, it can clearly change the quality of your life depending on the state. Same for property & income tax rates.

 

[cuerro viejo]

There is no such place as paradise. You are spot-on. Best weather I ever lived in was Roswell, NM, EXCEPT for the 2 months/year when the wind blew what felt like 100 mph. non-stop. I hated that. I have a low tolerance for wind.

Southern Illinois had four distinct seasons, but the summers were nearly as hot and humid as east Texas, and the winters lasted too long and were very dark and damp.

SE Texas is great in the winter, but from mid-April to mid-November, expect to sweat through your clothes nearly every day.

I think the best we can do is identify the weather we dislike the most and that which we can tolerate the best and let that guide us. We're fortunate to have so many choices in this country.

Retired in TX means wade fishing the coast from April to Aug

But property Taxes are terrible from a retirement standpoint