Today we present 3 of the best places to retire in America…
Key West, Florida
Maybe not all of Florida is a good place to retire but you simply can’t overlook Key West as it offers many of the same advantages as places like Belize and Panama but is right here in the good, old USA.
When you retire to Key West, you won’t have to learn a new language or master a new currency. You can enjoy a tropical climate and great beaches but still be only a short plane ride away from your friends and family back home in Elmhurst, Illinois or where ever it is you’re retiring from.
Key West is the southernmost city in America and has a really interesting history. At one point the city tried to secede from the US and become the Conch Nation. It was the home of world-renowned author Ernest Hemingway and also at least one of the wildest festivals in America.
Living in Key West is not cheap (we said best places to retire not cheap places to retire). It is on a par with other southern cities such as Charleston South Carolina or Raleigh, North Carolina. However it offers some positives that neither of these cities do, Not the least of which are its superb weather and Duval Street which boasts 22 bars and restaurants within walking distance of one another, including Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Our choice for a small town to retire in is Hendersonville, North Carolina. It lies in the foothills next to the North Carolina Mountains, the Blue Bridge Parkway and the Great Smokey Mountains National Forest. Hendersonville has become a magnet for retirees due to its mild climate, the diversity of its topography, its charming downtown area and all of the outdoor activities it has available, which includes horseback riding, water sports, fishing, skiing, cycling and just about anything else you can do outside.
Hendersonville’s downtown features historic Main Street, which is charming, vital and a place for every generation. In fact, the city’s downtown area has been designated a National Historic District.
As of 2009, Hendersonville’s population was 12,223. Its architecture reflects the late 19th and early 20th centuries and there has been much revitalization of the town since the early 1990s. The city’s largest street festival is its annual North Carolina Apple Festival, which culminates in the Apple Parade that regularly draws as many as 50,000 spectators. The city’s climate is moderate–due to its elevation, Its temperatures range from a mean high temperature of around 47° in January to a high of 84° in July.
Maui, Hawaii
Throwing all money concerns to the wind, we choose Maui as another great place to retire. It’s the second largest island in the Hawaiian islands. The seat of Maui County is Wailuku and its largest city is Kahului with a population of 20,146.
Maui’s climate is characterized by a two-season year, but with mild and uniform temperatures almost everywhere except its higher elevations. Maui has a wide range of climactic conditions and weather patterns that are determined by the ocean, elevation and orientation towards the Tradewinds. It has a rugged, irregular topography that produces large variations in conditions.
Throughout 2007, Maui experienced rapid population growth and its city of Kihei was one of the fastest growing towns in United States. The island has attracted many retirees and people who came to provide services to them. There’s also been a big upswing in the number of tourists visiting the island.
Maui offers some amazing beaches, including Kiaka Beach Park, Waimea Bay Beach Park and Offers Surfing Support Park on the island’s North Shore. Its East Shore has Makaua Beach Park and Temple Beach among many others. And Maui’s South Shore has Diamond Head Beach Park, Wai’alae Beach Park, Fort DeRussy Beach and numerous others.
As we warned you up front, this is a sort of dream list of places to retire and is totally subjective. The magazine International Living has a report that lists what it considers to be the 100 Best Places to Retire and you probably wouldn’t find any of our choices on that list. But this should give you some things to think about and maybe start you dreaming about your ideal best place to retire in the world.