The website ChamberOfCommerce.org has released their annual list of Best Cities to Retire to in 2019.
No cities in the Bay Area were on the list, and the only cities in California to make the top 100 were both in Southern California (Torrance and Alhambra).
Below is the top 10.
- New Bedford, MA
- Quincy, MA
- Warwick, RI
- New York, NY
- Fall River, MA
- Troy, MI
- Cambridge, MA
- Livonia, MI
- Cranston, RI
- Largo, FL
To view the full list, click ON THIS LINK.
40 comments
Most East coast and dinky little states. Hardly enough room to move around in them.
Whoever creates the list gets to determine the criteria for that list. Here is another list that shows the most tax-friendly states for retirees (notice that California, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts figure prominently in the “States to Avoid” list) : https://www.thebalance.com/best-states-for-retirees-3193239
Much better. Thanks Cowellian.🙂
I’ve seen a lot of different lists of best places to retire, and they each have their own criteria. And most are written to promote an agenda.
I retired to Tennessee because my family is here, and I got three additional years with my Dad. The fact that Tennessee doesn’t have an income tax is a bonus. And having much lower property taxes and utility cost means I can still afford a house large enough to entertain California family and friends when they come to visit.
And say what you will about the South, it has been my observation that nobody retires and moves to the North, unless they have to.
I’m glad Tennessee has been good to you, and it’s so very beautiful too! You were wise and lucky making the time with your dad happen. Priceless.
None of these lists matter, it’s what’s important to you. I moved from Texas to California first to be closer to family. Second, my house, more of a cabin really, needed a lot of work. I bought here during the housing crisis and in a cheaper area so it made a lot of sense financially. Third the weather, I avoided last weeks flooding.
NY, NY? I don’t think so!
I tend to agree. NYC is expensive. However, if you own your home with parking then the wort of it i covered. Everything else is expensive but lord they have a lot of culture.
Yeah, great place to visit, for sure.
The top nine have long, cold winters. I’ve lived near the two suburban Detroit cities on the list and was thrilled when I managed to escape. Brrrr…
All those places save for Largo, Florida have snow-snow-snow-cold-cold-cold. Just what old people want to deal with (not).
Kinda makes you wonder why the Chamber of Commerce is sending elderly retirees to inhospitable, colder areas of the country … to get rid of them quicker? And, I don’t know about Alhambra, but Torrance sucks.
B/R in SoCal…Torrance? I’ll pass. Lived in Alhambra for 5 years, not bad. They call it AlChanbra now!
Torrance Ca is a crime ridden pile of crap.It borders Carson,Wilmington,and is 2 miles from Compton.There is no place in LA county you would ever want to spend your golden years in,and Torrance is terrible.
Massachusetts ? NY ? Obviously no consideration for taxes and dysfunctional State Government, no way on 80% of the list
This looks more like the list of where to never retire…
Exactly!
Recommendation for folks looking at states with low-income taxes – be sure to check the other ways in which those states raise money – they don’t work for free.
I have had friends move to other states with low or lower states taxes and suddenly find out that property taxes are high and there are fees for everything that they never expected.
I think that weather is worth a great deal and would gladly pay more to live with a great climate.
Nothing worse than living where is sub-zero for part of the winter or where it’s an outdoor sauna during the summer.
Alhambra CA ha 85,000 people living in 6.7 square miles.How is that any quality of life?No different than 240,000 people crammed into 30 square miles(Concord)
Concord’s population is 129,688.
It was 103,000 in 1984.I think they are fibbing a little by saying that in 35 years,they’ve only gained 26,000 people in Concord..Think about it.
Thousands refuse to fill out the census for fear of discovery.
I understand the need for accuracy dawg, but you can’t deny it feels like 240,000 with our increasing traffic problems. What with crouches and refrigerators falling onto the freeways every day.
High home prices, high gas prices and high taxes, who would want to retire in California?
I wouldn’t place CA in the top of any list of desirable places to retire, so not surprising. High taxation for which you get nothing in return except poor schools and roads, high regulation, crime goes unpunished, a heavy-handed “nanny state”, etc. etc.
These lists are a crock. For the average person, CA, NY, MA are not good choices for retirement. More people are leaving these states when they retire, if not sooner.
I don’t know anyone in their right mind who wants to retire in the cold New England Area as this list suggests.
The best place to retire isn’t any different than the best place to live before you retire. People live where they want to live, and where they can afford to live. It really is that simple.
That’s not necessarily true. Some places (like California) have a much higher cost of living. That is offset by the fact that California salaries (particularly in the Bay Area) are much higher than most parts of the country. But when one retires and doesn’t work anymore, their income generally remains the same, regardless of where they live. So, why not live someplace where that fixed income buys quite a bit more?
Why not live someplace where that fixed income buys quite a bit more? Lack of desire. A long with higher incomes in CA, you have the opportunity to SAVE a lot more. If you haven’t saved for retirement, you’re living beyond your means, and have no one to blame but yourself. If your house is paid for, your car is paid for, and your kids are grown (the norm for retirement) a little extra on groceries and gas is no big deal. It’s not uncommon for retirees to travel a lot, and they’re certainly not traveling on their SS money. The people that can’t afford to live where they live when they retire probably couldn’t afford their area in the first place, and should’ve been living someplace more economical. I understand why people move, but if you’re WISE with your money, you shouldn’t have to. A long with the opportunity to save more, some people have nice pensions that pay 90%. There are also reverse mortgages that seniors take advantage of, and they stay put and live comfortably where they’re at. A lot of equity in CA homes. So… there you have it.
No matter how well you can afford to live on your fixed income in California, you can afford to live better somewhere else. You can live in your paid off 3-bedroom home on 1/4 acre, or you can sell it and pay cash for a 6-bedroom on 25 acres somewhere else, while still having money left over to buy a couple of horses. And you won’t have to deal with awful Bay Area traffic, either.
This country is full of beautiful places to live that aren’t California. I swear sometimes, Californians think the only reason people live in other states is that they can’t afford to live in California.
A lot of us can afford to live well in retirement in CA, are very happy in CA, with no desire to leave. Living “cheaper” doesn’t mean living “better.” We can sell our home(s) and live cheaper in Pittsburg or Antioch, but we won’t be doing that either. Snow, heat (and humidity), higher crime rates (cheaper cities in general), nothing to do, etc. doesn’t interest me. Either does raising horses at the age of 80. Horses are a lot of work, and we’ll be traveling.
I agree that there are beautiful places to live besides CA, but if you’re happy here, and you can afford it here, there’s no reason to leave. So we’re supposed to move to Montana or Michigan because our money will go farther? And what am I supposed to do if I hate snow? Send text messages asking everyone to help us move back to CA? You’re moving, and we’re staying. Different strokes for different folks…
Good, stay in California. I hope everyone else follows your example.
Wow. Are you in for a surprise!
We’re not in for a surprise at all. We’re financially set for retirement, and we have been for years. All it takes is living below your means, and most people don’t want to do it. To each his own…
Okay, good luck with that!
I agree that most of these cities do NOT meet my retirement needs. The Bay Area isn’t perfect but I looked at returning to beautiful Grand Rapids, MI at one point and realized that, other than family and friends, I’d be soooo bored. Yes, I’d have a beautiful house and affordable golf club to use a few months a year, but … Here, I take advantage of the books and many activities for all ages at our 24-branch CC Library System and have a card in SF, too. I go to free outdoor concerts May-Sept in Concord, Clayton, and PH. I take academic Osher Lifelong Learning classes at CSU East Bay, Concord. I belong to a film club. I live 7-minutes from BART (yay for public transit). I take advantage of free walking tours in SF and senior rush tickets at SF Opera and SF Symphony. There are lots of free days at museums, tho I have a senior membership at several. I have over 150 theatre tickets, so far, this year. Yes, I could have enjoyed these things had I stayed in NYC, but I doubt they’d be as affordable. Our weather is better. As I wrote, every place has its downsides, but I feel we have more “ups.”
Well, so much for truthfulness from ChamberofCommerce.org. I heard reported just the other day on a local news broadcast that homes located near a Trader Joes or a Whole Foods were generally higher priced in the market. It was considered a sales feature like the schools nearby. Bunch of BS. Fake news. Home values are a factor of supply and demand. If there are fewer of them, it drives the price up. If there just happens to be a special grocery store nearby it is merely a coincidence. It’s this junk science that is reported as “news” that destroys journalistic integrity. Apparently, there isn’t enough real, factual news to fill the overly abundant broadcasts, so they make things up and use “filler” manufactured and “invented” specifically for that purpose. Disingenuous to say the least.
The houses are more expensive near a TJ and WF because that’s where the corporation wants the store to be. These guys do lots of research when planning a new location. I expect the price of nearby houses which indicates wealth and likelyhood to shop at their store plays into it. Not everything is a conspiracy.
New York City???? Get a rope!
What a joke of a list. Hilarious! Cold, snow, high taxes, expensive housing. The real title should be, “cities the New England realtor guild would like you to move to rather than going to FL or AZ.”
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