Where Should I Live?
If you're thinking about picking up the stakes and relocating in your retirement years, it's never too early to start planning. Moving touches every part of your life, and not all aspects are for the better. You'll want to weigh the benefits and pitfalls of each potential new location and choose one that strikes the right balance for you. There is no absolute Shangri-la. If you want to live in a city where you can take advantage of cultural attractions, convenient mass transit and excellent doctors and hospitals, you must be prepared to pay up for real estate and endure higher taxes and expenses across the board. Meanwhile, that affordable country home may take you many miles from friends and family, and while a carefully chosen retirement community would certainly provide security (and lots of action if you lean toward organized sporting and social activities), you may find that you miss being near young people. Only you can decide what's important. The good news is that there is a wealth of material on the Web and in print to help with your research. Start with CNNMoney.com, USNews.com and Forbes.com — all of which update annual features on the best places to live and retire. You can also go to a website like TopRetirements.com, which aggregates much of what has been published on the subject. These sites will give you plenty to think about and offer specific suggestions once you've identified what's most important to you. Here are some of the key questions you should ask yourself.
See more questions about where you should live:
Should I Move Abroad?
Should I Move to a Low-Cost Region?
What Are the Tax Implications of a Move?
Should I Move into a Retirement Community?
Should I Just Stay Put?