Do you have a long neglected passion–or a new one–you’re keen to spend more time on during retirement? Then consider choosing a place to retire where you can pursue with gusto the leisure time activities you enjoy the most.
To help you scout out potential locales, Forbes offers a new edition of our chase-your-bliss list: 25 Great Places to Follow Your Passions in Retirement In 2016.
We chose seven rather broad categories: arts, fine dining, lifelong learning, volunteering, outdoor activities on water, outdoor activities on land, and the sub-category of golf. Then we examined statistical databases (serious crime rate data, for instance, comes mainly from the FBI, volunteer data from volunteeringinamerica.gov) and published assessments of enthusiasts, adding our own metrics. We looked hard for towns that excel in more than one category. After all, you might enjoy feeding both body and brain. Or, you and your spouse might have different interests.
To review the list, click on the photo above.
While most of the places on our list are noteworthy for three or more passions, two cities–Austin, Tex., and Seattle–rate high in six of our seven categories. At the other extreme, Bend, Ore. stands out for just one thing–outdoor land activities–and Pinehurst, N.C. for golf. But oh, does Pinehurst have golf; there are 40 courses beyond Pinehurst Resort, plus golf schools. Traverse City, Mich. made our list by scoring in just two categories: outdoor water activities and cultural offerings at the nearby Interlochen Academy of the Arts, which hosts a remarkable 600 events a year.
Since we realize you may not want to move too far from family, our picks are spread across 20 states and the District of Columbia in all four continental time zones. Tellingly, a new study of the primary reason why people retire, found 31% of those quitting work at a normal retirement age (between 65 and 67) had activities they wanted more time for, while 38% were primarily interested in spending more time with family.
Note that this list is very different from our annual selection of the 25 Best Retirement Places.
Those are chosen for not only a high overall quality of life, but also
affordability, and the strength of the local job market, since two
thirds of Americans now say they want to work part-time in retirement.
The passions list is less pragmatic. While we note which of our picks
have high costs, expense alone didn’t keep a place off this
lifestyle-first list.
So, for example, San Francisco, with a median home price of $809,000 and a cost of living 143% above the national average, made this new list. As a mecca for foodies (one restaurant for every 250 homes), an arts and education center, and great place for outdoor water activities, it simply can’t be denied. It’s walkable, too, and those hills will keep you in shape. Naples, Fla., with a cost of living 81% above the national average, also made the list, for its golf courses, water sports and arts scene. Pricey New York and Boston are on our list too. Of course, not everyone wants to retire to the big city. Because of our focus on lifelong learning and the arts, such college towns as Ann Arbor and Chapel Hill made the cut.
There are also choices on our list with quite reasonable costs, including Athens, Ga.; Las Vegas, Traverse City, and Tucson. Each entry in the slide show notes median home price and cost of living. We also make mention of the periodically issued Milken Institute List of Best Cities for Successful Aging. That report ranks 352 metropolitan areas on 84 indicators deemed relevant to a good quality of life for senior citizens, such as health care, crime rates and transportation systems. A high or above-average rank is good.
While we didn’t factor in job opportunities, if you’re really passionate about something, why wait until retirement to move? Forbes contributor Nancy Anderson, a financial planner, learned to ski when she was 50 and then moved from California to Park City, Utah—in large part so she could ski. She still works full time, but is fitting in more than 25 days of skiing this season. Moving early, Anderson points out, gives you more years to put down roots and enjoy what it is you’re passionate about.
To help you scout out potential locales, Forbes offers a new edition of our chase-your-bliss list: 25 Great Places to Follow Your Passions in Retirement In 2016.
We chose seven rather broad categories: arts, fine dining, lifelong learning, volunteering, outdoor activities on water, outdoor activities on land, and the sub-category of golf. Then we examined statistical databases (serious crime rate data, for instance, comes mainly from the FBI, volunteer data from volunteeringinamerica.gov) and published assessments of enthusiasts, adding our own metrics. We looked hard for towns that excel in more than one category. After all, you might enjoy feeding both body and brain. Or, you and your spouse might have different interests.
To review the list, click on the photo above.
While most of the places on our list are noteworthy for three or more passions, two cities–Austin, Tex., and Seattle–rate high in six of our seven categories. At the other extreme, Bend, Ore. stands out for just one thing–outdoor land activities–and Pinehurst, N.C. for golf. But oh, does Pinehurst have golf; there are 40 courses beyond Pinehurst Resort, plus golf schools. Traverse City, Mich. made our list by scoring in just two categories: outdoor water activities and cultural offerings at the nearby Interlochen Academy of the Arts, which hosts a remarkable 600 events a year.
Since we realize you may not want to move too far from family, our picks are spread across 20 states and the District of Columbia in all four continental time zones. Tellingly, a new study of the primary reason why people retire, found 31% of those quitting work at a normal retirement age (between 65 and 67) had activities they wanted more time for, while 38% were primarily interested in spending more time with family.
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So, for example, San Francisco, with a median home price of $809,000 and a cost of living 143% above the national average, made this new list. As a mecca for foodies (one restaurant for every 250 homes), an arts and education center, and great place for outdoor water activities, it simply can’t be denied. It’s walkable, too, and those hills will keep you in shape. Naples, Fla., with a cost of living 81% above the national average, also made the list, for its golf courses, water sports and arts scene. Pricey New York and Boston are on our list too. Of course, not everyone wants to retire to the big city. Because of our focus on lifelong learning and the arts, such college towns as Ann Arbor and Chapel Hill made the cut.
There are also choices on our list with quite reasonable costs, including Athens, Ga.; Las Vegas, Traverse City, and Tucson. Each entry in the slide show notes median home price and cost of living. We also make mention of the periodically issued Milken Institute List of Best Cities for Successful Aging. That report ranks 352 metropolitan areas on 84 indicators deemed relevant to a good quality of life for senior citizens, such as health care, crime rates and transportation systems. A high or above-average rank is good.
While we didn’t factor in job opportunities, if you’re really passionate about something, why wait until retirement to move? Forbes contributor Nancy Anderson, a financial planner, learned to ski when she was 50 and then moved from California to Park City, Utah—in large part so she could ski. She still works full time, but is fitting in more than 25 days of skiing this season. Moving early, Anderson points out, gives you more years to put down roots and enjoy what it is you’re passionate about.
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