Ian
priscilla 1Best Places to Retire
November 1st 2010 02:41
Most Popular Destinations for Retirees in the USA
For this year’s edition of Best Places to Retire, CNN-MONEY identified towns with notable lifelong-learning programs, as well as other attributes that retirees can appreciate, from low taxes to affordable housing to high-quality health care.
Here are some of the top ranking towns.
Hanover, NH
Median home price: $401,000
State income tax: 5%*
Where to take classes: Dartmouth College
New England is chock full of charming villages. But few are as welcoming to retirees as Hanover, home of Dartmouth College and its 20-year-old senior education program.
Outdoor enthusiasts can kayak on the Connecticut River or hike in the White Mountains. Winter, of course, brings 94 inches of snow on average, so residents make the most of the cold (five ski hills are within an hour's drive) or head south.
Home prices can be high, but you can find less expensive houses within 20 minutes of town in Lyme, Lebanon, or Norwich, Vt. There's no sales tax, and the state doesn't tax retirement plan withdrawals (only interest and dividends). Adding to its retiree friendliness is the standout health care at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock medical centre.
Boise, ID
% over 50: 29%
Median home price: $140,100
State income tax: 7.8%*
Where to take classes: Boise State University
Boise State University is central to life in this Western city, and there's plenty to do on and off campus. The school offers life-long learning classes, field trips, clubs and recreational activities to residents over the age of 50, and more than 500 people take advantage. They also take in shows at the Morrison Centre for the Performing Arts and catch sporting events at Bronco Stadium.
Boise has a 25-mile Greenbelt path system that connects five parks and follows the Boise River through town. Hikers and mountain bikers enjoy more rugged terrain along the Boise Front, the foothills just to the north of city. For arts lovers, the city has its own opera company, philharmonic orchestra and ballet. Every summer, Boise hosts the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, which runs dozens of performances of plays in an outdoor amphitheatre.
Prescott, AZ
% over 50: 49%
Median home price: $230,500
State income tax: 4.54%*
Where to take classes: Yavapai College
Prescott, a popular retiree destination 100 miles north of Phoenix, is dotted with Victorian homes, 19th-century Whisky Row saloons, and a leafy Courthouse Plaza. With the world's oldest rodeo and more than 70 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, the town's cowboy heritage is hard to miss.
The weather here is hard to beat: plentiful sunny days, but also four distinct seasons, thanks to the town's elevation at 5,400 feet. That lures residents out to 650 miles of trails in the adjacent 1.25-million-acre Prescott National Forest. Plus they enjoy half a dozen golf courses, and a revolving door of art shows, film festivals, craft fairs, and outdoor concerts.
Of course, until recently, high home prices were a drawback to settling here. But with the market down 35% since 2007, Prescott has become a decidedly more affordable retirement haven. And for those comers who are education minded, Yavapai College's 17-year-old lifelong learning program offers roughly 200 classes a year.
Lexington, KY
% over 50: 29%
Median home price: $144,200
State income tax: 6%*
Where to take classes: University of Kentucky
Downtown Lexington boasts plenty of entertainment options for retirees, including the circa-1922 Kentucky Theatre -- which shows independent and classic films -- the Lexington Farmers Market, dozens of restaurants, and the Rupp Arena, home to the university's storied basketball program. Plus, for the equestrian minded, the city isn't far from Kentucky's famed horse country and is just 90 minutes from Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby.
In addition to a deep-seated horse and bourbon tradition, the city also has strong roots in life-long learning. In 1964, before retirees became regular fixtures on college campuses, the University of Kentucky invited them to take up empty seats in classrooms. Today, the school continues the tradition, offering locals 65 and up free access to university classes that have open space.
While most fellows choose to audit courses, many have pursued degrees. A sister program for area residents 50 and over organizes about 100 classes a year on topics ranging from painting to U.S. history.
Durham, NC
% over 50: 25%
Median home price: $163,000
State income tax: 7.75%*
Where to take classes: Duke University
Durham would rank as a retiree Mecca even without Duke University's stellar lifelong-learning program. Residents enjoy four seasons -- but without them being too extreme. Homes are affordable, the area is dotted with golf courses and parkland, and the region is home to a renowned university medical centre.
This former tobacco town also is a budding cultural haven. Duke's Nasher Museum of Art has a growing contemporary art collection. Concerts and Broadway hits, such as Billy Elliot and the Lion King, frequently make their way to the newly built 2,800-seat Durham Performing Arts Centre.
Duke's 33-year-old senior learning program is one of the largest in the country, with more than 1,500 members. There are 100-plus courses offered every term, covering topics from Introduction to China to Alexander the Great. Plus, because most courses are offered on campus, members can mix with the younger generation in the student centre, libraries, and dining halls.
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