If you retire early, where have you considered moving to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been looking at Cary, NC. It's diverse, near two biggish cities with a university and airport nearby. I'm not 100% about their taxes, though.

I struggle with where to retire. MoCo is too expensive, tax wise. But, MD has much better healthcare facilities. So, that's a big factor.

Current Cary resident here. Diverse, yes, about 180k people between Raleigh (430k-ish people) and Durham (smaller, but with Duke University.) Property taxes are reasonable...meaning I pay about 75% or less of what I would have in Nova. No state estate taxes (inheritance or estate), unlike Maryland which has both. VA has neither tax.

Very small property tax on vehicles and like Virginia's it goes down by the year.

Health care is very good but be prepared to really search for it unless you have Duke Concierge care. I don't and it took the better part of 3+ years to find good (diagnostically strong), easy to schedule and easy to get to people. In the meantime I just went back to DC for care as needed.

BUT...you must be ok with steamy (as in Singaporean weather) late June and all of July, or plan to be away every year then. RDU is expanding but it is not a hub airport. Schools are all over the lot, which matters for resale value even if you don't have kids at home. Also, most things to do are kid-centric.

Thanks for that detailed response. The medical care does give me pause. I hate the humidity now, but I'm thinking when I'm 75+, I'll want the humidity. My parents who are 80s/90s live in SoCal, and they are constantly cold. My MIL's house was a constant 80 degrees. As you age, you want very warm.

No. Older people are more vulnerable to heat illness.

You will also want to stay in the air conditioning instead of going outside for a walk.

I am 68 and hate humidity (like I always have!)

Older adults are much more vulnerable to extreme cold weather -- which is why exactly zero people move up to Maine to retire.

[Anonymous]

Too many marijuana grows there. I loathe the smell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been looking at Cary, NC. It's diverse, near two biggish cities with a university and airport nearby. I'm not 100% about their taxes, though.

I struggle with where to retire. MoCo is too expensive, tax wise. But, MD has much better healthcare facilities. So, that's a big factor.

Current Cary resident here. Diverse, yes, about 180k people between Raleigh (430k-ish people) and Durham (smaller, but with Duke University.) Property taxes are reasonable...meaning I pay about 75% or less of what I would have in Nova. No state estate taxes (inheritance or estate), unlike Maryland which has both. VA has neither tax.

Very small property tax on vehicles and like Virginia's it goes down by the year.

Health care is very good but be prepared to really search for it unless you have Duke Concierge care. I don't and it took the better part of 3+ years to find good (diagnostically strong), easy to schedule and easy to get to people. In the meantime I just went back to DC for care as needed.

BUT...you must be ok with steamy (as in Singaporean weather) late June and all of July, or plan to be away every year then. RDU is expanding but it is not a hub airport. Schools are all over the lot, which matters for resale value even if you don't have kids at home. Also, most things to do are kid-centric.

Thanks for that detailed response. The medical care does give me pause. I hate the humidity now, but I'm thinking when I'm 75+, I'll want the humidity. My parents who are 80s/90s live in SoCal, and they are constantly cold. My MIL's house was a constant 80 degrees. As you age, you want very warm.

No. Older people are more vulnerable to heat illness.

You will also want to stay in the air conditioning instead of going outside for a walk.

I am 68 and hate humidity (like I always have!)

Older adults are much more vulnerable to extreme cold weather -- which is why exactly zero people move up to Maine to retire.

go back a few pages and you will see there are some that move to Maine in retirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been looking at Cary, NC. It's diverse, near two biggish cities with a university and airport nearby. I'm not 100% about their taxes, though.

I struggle with where to retire. MoCo is too expensive, tax wise. But, MD has much better healthcare facilities. So, that's a big factor.

Current Cary resident here. Diverse, yes, about 180k people between Raleigh (430k-ish people) and Durham (smaller, but with Duke University.) Property taxes are reasonable...meaning I pay about 75% or less of what I would have in Nova. No state estate taxes (inheritance or estate), unlike Maryland which has both. VA has neither tax.

Very small property tax on vehicles and like Virginia's it goes down by the year.

Health care is very good but be prepared to really search for it unless you have Duke Concierge care. I don't and it took the better part of 3+ years to find good (diagnostically strong), easy to schedule and easy to get to people. In the meantime I just went back to DC for care as needed.

BUT...you must be ok with steamy (as in Singaporean weather) late June and all of July, or plan to be away every year then. RDU is expanding but it is not a hub airport. Schools are all over the lot, which matters for resale value even if you don't have kids at home. Also, most things to do are kid-centric.

Thanks for that detailed response. The medical care does give me pause. I hate the humidity now, but I'm thinking when I'm 75+, I'll want the humidity. My parents who are 80s/90s live in SoCal, and they are constantly cold. My MIL's house was a constant 80 degrees. As you age, you want very warm.

PP here.. also, Cary, with its issues, is rated high for best place to live and retire. I don't know that I would like that area, but on paper, it does seem appealing for when I'm 75+.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/cary-north-caroline-best-place-to-retire-usa-for-weather-affordability-11715452

https://www.wral.com/lifestyle/cary-apex-americas-best-places-live-2025/

Cary detailed pp here. Find good med care by relying on private clinics and the other med school (UNC) for primary care. Both Duke and UNC have Raleigh hospitals so that is only about 9-10 miles one way. I know Duke Health has some primary and some specialities in Cary and also in Raleigh.

Keep in mind that Durham, where many of Duke's practices are located (especially the specialties) is about 20 miles from Cary. The easy way is due west on 1-40 (schedule carefully to avoid driving into the setting sun) or a more convoluted way using state roads. Consider how long you will want to do highway driving for primary care.

[Anonymous]

Planning to retire at 50 (single, no kids) and split time between South Lake Tahoe, CA and Florianopolis, Brazil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been looking at Cary, NC. It's diverse, near two biggish cities with a university and airport nearby. I'm not 100% about their taxes, though.

I struggle with where to retire. MoCo is too expensive, tax wise. But, MD has much better healthcare facilities. So, that's a big factor.

Current Cary resident here. Diverse, yes, about 180k people between Raleigh (430k-ish people) and Durham (smaller, but with Duke University.) Property taxes are reasonable...meaning I pay about 75% or less of what I would have in Nova. No state estate taxes (inheritance or estate), unlike Maryland which has both. VA has neither tax.

Very small property tax on vehicles and like Virginia's it goes down by the year.

Health care is very good but be prepared to really search for it unless you have Duke Concierge care. I don't and it took the better part of 3+ years to find good (diagnostically strong), easy to schedule and easy to get to people. In the meantime I just went back to DC for care as needed.

BUT...you must be ok with steamy (as in Singaporean weather) late June and all of July, or plan to be away every year then. RDU is expanding but it is not a hub airport. Schools are all over the lot, which matters for resale value even if you don't have kids at home. Also, most things to do are kid-centric.

Thanks for that detailed response. The medical care does give me pause. I hate the humidity now, but I'm thinking when I'm 75+, I'll want the humidity. My parents who are 80s/90s live in SoCal, and they are constantly cold. My MIL's house was a constant 80 degrees. As you age, you want very warm.

No. Older people are more vulnerable to heat illness.

You will also want to stay in the air conditioning instead of going outside for a walk.

I am 68 and hate humidity (like I always have!)

Older adults are much more vulnerable to extreme cold weather -- which is why exactly zero people move up to Maine to retire.

Maine has the oldest population of any state in the U.S. Sorry you can’t hack it there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why do you have to move at all? we didn't and we retired early. and if you have to move where property taxes are lower just to retire early that's pretty pathetic and you're not ready to retire early . . .

How much are you paying in property taxes? My parents in are paying $21k for a home barely worth $1 million. I wish they could move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why do you have to move at all? we didn't and we retired early. and if you have to move where property taxes are lower just to retire early that's pretty pathetic and you're not ready to retire early . . .

How much are you paying in property taxes? My parents in are paying $21k for a home barely worth $1 million. I wish they could move.

PP New York

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why do you have to move at all? we didn't and we retired early. and if you have to move where property taxes are lower just to retire early that's pretty pathetic and you're not ready to retire early . . .

How much are you paying in property taxes? My parents in are paying $21k for a home barely worth $1 million. I wish they could move.

Holy taxation hell.

[Anonymous]

Will be retiring next year at 50 and was planning on spending most of the year in Colombia and returning to the US for a couple months in the summer. Only problem is their relatively new wealth tax (10-15k/yr) which you have to pay if you are in country for more than 6 months/year. So will likely do 6 months in Colombia, 3 months in Philippines or Thailand, then 3 months in US to visit friends/family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been looking at Cary, NC. It's diverse, near two biggish cities with a university and airport nearby. I'm not 100% about their taxes, though.

I struggle with where to retire. MoCo is too expensive, tax wise. But, MD has much better healthcare facilities. So, that's a big factor.

Current Cary resident here. Diverse, yes, about 180k people between Raleigh (430k-ish people) and Durham (smaller, but with Duke University.) Property taxes are reasonable...meaning I pay about 75% or less of what I would have in Nova. No state estate taxes (inheritance or estate), unlike Maryland which has both. VA has neither tax.

Very small property tax on vehicles and like Virginia's it goes down by the year.

Health care is very good but be prepared to really search for it unless you have Duke Concierge care. I don't and it took the better part of 3+ years to find good (diagnostically strong), easy to schedule and easy to get to people. In the meantime I just went back to DC for care as needed.

BUT...you must be ok with steamy (as in Singaporean weather) late June and all of July, or plan to be away every year then. RDU is expanding but it is not a hub airport. Schools are all over the lot, which matters for resale value even if you don't have kids at home. Also, most things to do are kid-centric.

Thanks for that detailed response. The medical care does give me pause. I hate the humidity now, but I'm thinking when I'm 75+, I'll want the humidity. My parents who are 80s/90s live in SoCal, and they are constantly cold. My MIL's house was a constant 80 degrees. As you age, you want very warm.

No. Older people are more vulnerable to heat illness.

You will also want to stay in the air conditioning instead of going outside for a walk.

I am 68 and hate humidity (like I always have!)

Older adults are much more vulnerable to extreme cold weather -- which is why exactly zero people move up to Maine to retire.

Maine has the oldest population of any state in the U.S. Sorry you can’t hack it there.

This isn't because people are deliberately moving to Maine to retire...it's because young people have left and Maine is a relatively poor state so the old people can't afford to move anywhere.

Obviously, there are 38 million people that live in Canada where except for the Vancouver / West Coast is basically always either freezing or f**king freezing.