Members TampaYankee Posted January 5, 2014 Members Posted January 5, 2014 7 Worst Places To Retire In America | By Ashley Neglia SPECIAL FROM Grandparents.com Based on high crime, poor air quality, natural disasters, and more, we rated places you might want to rethink spending your golden years. St. Louis, MO Getty The Gateway to the West and home of Anheuser-Busch is a beautiful all-American city, but if you're retiring, there are a few things to keep in mind. With high violent and property crime rates (it ranks as the second-most dangerous city in the U.S.), poor air quality, and nearly a 20 percent vacancy rate for homes and apartments (the national average is 11.38 percent), St. Louis might need to be crossed off your retirement list. Las Vegas, NV Getty Sin City might be a tempting retirement option for people who are drawn to the city’s glitz and glam. However, with one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country, particularly when it comes to bank-seized “vampire” and homeowner-abandoned “zombie” foreclosures, Las Vegas might not be as attractive as it seems, according to RealtyTrac. While the roulette wheels spin, the Las Vegas economy continues to suffer with negative job growth and an unemployment rate that’s 6 percent higher than the national average, according to Sperling’s BestPlaces. Worse, though, is locals’ poor access to doctors. Only 69.7 percent of Las Vegans have a usual source of health care, which is much lower than the national average at 82.4 percent, according to a study by the Commonwealth Fund. Modesto, CA Tom Hilton/flickr With access to beaches, mountains and some of the best wineries in the country, the Golden State might seem like an appealing place to retire. Unfortunately, not all California cities are made equal. With one of the highest foreclosure rates in the U.S., Modesto’s proximity to Yosemite National Park isn’t enough to make up for its failing economy and high air pollution rate – it’s ranked sixth most-polluted city in the country, according to the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report. Atlanta, GA Getty Southern charm might be enticing, but there are a few things to think about with Atlanta. With public transportation ranking as one of the country’s worst, Atlanta and its non-pedestrian-friendly streets are difficult to navigate without a car. Beyond the high violent and property crime rates, Atlanta gets 54 inches of rain per year—a full foot and a half more than the national average—and was even ranked number one in a Sperling’s BestPlaces study measuring the most irritation-prone cities due to pest control, average heat index, and overall traffic congestion. Houston, TX Getty If rest and relaxation are among your retirement must-haves, you may want to rethink Houston. Residents of the number two most-irritated city in the U.S. report sleepless nights and long commutes, according to a study conducted by Sperling’s BestPlaces. Plus, living in Texas means always being prepared for the occasional natural disaster, including tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and coastal hurricanes, making it one of the most natural disaster-prone states in the country. Miami, FL Getty With its hot weather, proximity to beaches, and vibrant nightlife, Miami might seem like a retirement dream. Unfortunately, the Magic City is one of the most dangerous cities for pedestrians, according to Transportation for America, suffers from high crime rates, and even has a higher-than-average cost of living to boot! Little Rock, AR Getty Little Rock isn’t only the hometown of President Bill Clinton, it’s also one of the most dangerous small cities in America and has one of the highest murder rates in the country, according to Law Street Media. Beyond its high crime rate, Little Rock still has some additional health and transit challenges. Although it ranks high in water quality with a score of 89—100 is best—its poor air quality may cause or aggravate respiratory conditions in older adults. What’s more, even though its downtown is walkable, the city has few public transit options and is mainly a car-dependent area, according to Walk Score. See original article at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/05/worst-places-to-retire_n_4531494.html Quote
Members TampaYankee Posted January 5, 2014 Author Members Posted January 5, 2014 None of them were on my list but I'm a bit surprised by Miami being so tarnished. Even if it weren't Ft Lauderdale is much better for retirees IMO. Quote
paulsf Posted January 5, 2014 Posted January 5, 2014 I just retired to Ft.Lauderdale from San Francisco last year. The cost of living in Miami is nothing compared to SF. But my two biggest surprises when moving here were the crime rate and car insurance rates. Way to many home invasion robberies here. Car insurance rates doubled here. I was paying $900 a year in SF, now paying $1500. a year. But while I am watching the cold and snow around the country this morning, I am sitting in the sun on my balcony and it's 80 degrees. KYTOP 1 Quote
Members Suckrates Posted January 5, 2014 Members Posted January 5, 2014 I just retired to Ft.Lauderdale from San Francisco last year. The cost of living in Miami is nothing compared to SF. But my two biggest surprises when moving here were the crime rate and car insurance rates. Way to many home invasion robberies here. Car insurance rates doubled here. I was paying $900 a year in SF, now paying $1500. a year. But while I am watching the cold and snow around the country this morning, I am sitting in the sun on my balcony and it's 80 degrees. I couldnt move to a climate thats always warm.... What would I do with all my "cock cozies and Ball warmers" ???? Quote
Members RA1 Posted January 5, 2014 Members Posted January 5, 2014 Various comments herein are the very reason I could not live in SAN aka San Diego. The weather is too warm and too uniform year round. I do not lie extremely cold weather and some think that such as MEM has too much warm aka hot weather but one has to adjust or so I suppose. One just has to look around and evaluate what one could put up with and be happy with and go from there. Good luck to all. Best regards, RA1 Quote
paulsf Posted January 5, 2014 Posted January 5, 2014 I admit I like the seasons. But I knew going into retirement, San Francisco was going to be way to expensive. I'm from Boston originally and get back there monthly. Was only 10 degrees when I got off the plane for Thanksgiving. In a couple of weeks I'll be in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Have to believe I will get my cold weather quota then. Last night I was at Swinging Richards and talked to quite a few customers from up north they were loving the warmth. And as I get ready to watch San Francisco play at Green Bay today, have to admit it was nice having coffee and reading the Sunday paper outdoors. Summer can be tough, but I'm lucky enough to travel quite a bit and spend half the time away from So.Fla. (First cold wave of season arriving Tue. 60 for a high). msclelovr 1 Quote
AdamSmith Posted January 5, 2014 Posted January 5, 2014 New Forced-Retirement Community Opens For Local 60-Year-Olds News in Brief • Local • senior citizens • healthcare • ISSUE 50•01 • Jan 4, 2014 TAMPA, FL—Offering a “safe and friendly environment” for newly jobless older residents, the Pine Meadows Forced-Retirement Community opened its doors Friday to local 60-year-olds who have been hastily ousted from their workplaces by downsizing. “We here at Pine Meadows are proud to welcome all of you who aren’t quite in your golden years, but who nevertheless have no choice but to accept that your productive days are suddenly a thing of the past,” said facility director Phil Garsten at the grand opening, noting that the community offers a variety of residence and meal packages at price ranges to suit any substandard severance package. “Our facility offers satellite television, fully equipped game and exercise rooms, nightly social activities, and dozens of other entertaining diversions from the ignominious disgrace you’ve suffered after decades of thankless service to your former employer. And our attentive staff is ready around the clock to listen to you try to make sense of how things could have ended up like this.” Garsten added that the facility also features its own replica office environment, where residents can perform basic work tasks during the day to make them feel as if their lives still retain some semblance of purpose. http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-forcedretirement-community-opens-for-local-60y,34862/ lookin and MsGuy 2 Quote
Members RA1 Posted January 6, 2014 Members Posted January 6, 2014 The above is what I am doing now, except my retirement home serves beer on Saturday nights. Best regards, RA1 AdamSmith 1 Quote
Guest CharliePS Posted January 6, 2014 Posted January 6, 2014 I found some of the reasoning for naming these cities as worst places to retire rather strange. Why are long commutes to work or high unemployment rates a big concern for retirees? Most of the other negatives cited would be of concern to anyone, not specifically to retirees. And seriously: do many people contemplate retiring to St. Louis or Modesto from somewhere else? Quote
Guest FourAces Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 And seriously: do many people contemplate retiring to St. Louis or Modesto from somewhere else? well, if you live in Little Rock you might Quote
caeron Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 Or the high foreclosure rate? If you're moving in, this should be a plus because real estate is cheap! KYTOP and AdamSmith 2 Quote
AdamSmith Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 Or the high foreclosure rate? If you're moving in, this should be a plus because real estate is cheap! My thought too. Br'er Fox, don't throw me into that foreclosure patch! Looks like a generic worst-cities rundown that some hack at a web-content mill repurposed for that retirement-themed site without overexertion of his grey matter. Quote
Members RA1 Posted January 8, 2014 Members Posted January 8, 2014 I hate overexerting my grey matter. Re-setting all the circuit breakers is a pain. Then I have to start drinking again. Best regards, RA1 AdamSmith 1 Quote
