Finding the best place to retire

Looking for the best place to retire means the best place for you. When contemplating retirement locations, consider factors like taxes, median home price, the local night life, sports teams, golf courses, culture, educational opportunities, crime rates and the overall environment. Remember, unlike some professional athletes, you're only going to retire once. So make the best choices the first time.

Finding the best place to retire

The best place to retire for you might be a college town. Many of those wondering where to retire were in college from the middle 1960s into the early '70s and so a college or university areas can be good retirement places. In addition, universities generate jobs and lend a youthful vibe. And they often come with arts centers, medical facilities, and good restaurants.

Finding the best place to retire

When house hunting for the best place to retire, don't worry about finding your dream home right away. You can always trade up later. If you have benefitted from the real estate boom in your first home, you can easily put your equity to work in a second place to retire. Or you can trade down to a smaller home.

Finding the best place to retire

Your search for the best place to retire might include a facor your parents never considered: work. A recent study found that 70 percent of those 45 and older plan to continue working in their "retirement" years, another survey found that the number may be as high as 80 percent. Surprisingly, pure enjoyment of work or a desire to try something new are significant considerations for choosing retirement locations.

Finding the best place to retire

One interesting trend among people looking for the best place to retire is to choose retirement places with appealing cultural and recreational lifestyles, then looking for ways to earn a living there. Some who make this jump wind up telecommuting, starting a small business, or working part-time.