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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved to MidCoast Maine. Heaven.

We are looking at this! Have you found any downsides?

DP here. Some might consider 6 months of winter a downside.

+1 we have friends who bought their retirement home in Maine but they also maintain a DC condo and spend winters here. And, now have a new grandchild here so they are spending even less time in Maine.

This is a big factor for me. I like where we live so, for now, my only moving motivation would be to live near any future grandchildren. That's what my parents did when they retired. All us kids had left their city, so when it was time to retire they considered either DC to be near me or a different city where my sister lived. My dad had lived in her city long ago and liked it, and it is more affordable than DC, so they ended up there. If you'd asked them 10 years earlier that city would never be a place they came up with on their own. But it has a nice quality of life and that's where the babies are so nothing else really matters. One of their friends moved to Portland for the same reason and a couple of my friends' parents are in DC for the grandchildren.

I will likely follow my only child, whether she has children or not.

[Anonymous]

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.

Serious question -- why are several of you so focused on the taxes? How much of a difference do you anticipate it making each year?

Why do you think retirees move to lower tax states like FL?

The 10 lowest-ranked, or worst, states in this year’s Index are:

Massachusetts
Hawaii
Vermont
Minnesota
Washington
Maryland
Connecticut
California
New Jersey
New York
https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/state/2025-state-tax-competitiveness-index/


MD
Individual Income Taxes - the rate for income at $100K is around 4.75%. That's not bad, but every county in MD assesses income tax - ranging from like 2.75% to 3.35%. So, now your income tax is about 8%.

Then there's the inheritance and estate tax, though most of people don't have $5mil in estate, enough around here do.

NC
Individual Income Tax - flat rate 4.5%, no county tax

Income tax difference is almost half. Also, I want to buy a smaller place when I retire, so my property taxes are lower.

Cary is expensive but not as expensive as MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’ll stay in Arlington. We love our home and our large group of friends. But, my plan is to stay im various other places for a month to 6 weeks at a time:

January in Central or S. America or Miami
March out West to ski
July in New England
Sept/Oct somewhere in Europe

Hopefully our budget can swing it!

How long do you think skiing will be an option (and how old are you now)?

[Anonymous]

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.

Serious question -- why are several of you so focused on the taxes? How much of a difference do you anticipate it making each year?

Why do you think retirees move to lower tax states like FL?

The 10 lowest-ranked, or worst, states in this year’s Index are:

Massachusetts
Hawaii
Vermont
Minnesota
Washington
Maryland
Connecticut
California
New Jersey
New York
https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/state/2025-state-tax-competitiveness-index/


MD
Individual Income Taxes - the rate for income at $100K is around 4.75%. That's not bad, but every county in MD assesses income tax - ranging from like 2.75% to 3.35%. So, now your income tax is about 8%.

Then there's the inheritance and estate tax, though most of people don't have $5mil in estate, enough around here do.

NC
Individual Income Tax - flat rate 4.5%, no county tax

Income tax difference is almost half. Also, I want to buy a smaller place when I retire, so my property taxes are lower.

Cary is expensive but not as expensive as MoCo.

Now rank services for people.

[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.

Serious question -- why are several of you so focused on the taxes? How much of a difference do you anticipate it making each year?

Why do you think retirees move to lower tax states like FL?

The 10 lowest-ranked, or worst, states in this year’s Index are:

Massachusetts
Hawaii
Vermont
Minnesota
Washington
Maryland
Connecticut
California
New Jersey
New York
https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/state/2025-state-tax-competitiveness-index/


MD
Individual Income Taxes - the rate for income at $100K is around 4.75%. That's not bad, but every county in MD assesses income tax - ranging from like 2.75% to 3.35%. So, now your income tax is about 8%.

Then there's the inheritance and estate tax, though most of people don't have $5mil in estate, enough around here do.

NC
Individual Income Tax - flat rate 4.5%, no county tax

Income tax difference is almost half. Also, I want to buy a smaller place when I retire, so my property taxes are lower.

Cary is expensive but not as expensive as MoCo.

Now rank services for people.

what kinds of services? Are they free?

[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.

Serious question -- why are several of you so focused on the taxes? How much of a difference do you anticipate it making each year?

Why do you think retirees move to lower tax states like FL?

The 10 lowest-ranked, or worst, states in this year’s Index are:

Massachusetts
Hawaii
Vermont
Minnesota
Washington
Maryland
Connecticut
California
New Jersey
New York
https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/state/2025-state-tax-competitiveness-index/


MD
Individual Income Taxes - the rate for income at $100K is around 4.75%. That's not bad, but every county in MD assesses income tax - ranging from like 2.75% to 3.35%. So, now your income tax is about 8%.

Then there's the inheritance and estate tax, though most of people don't have $5mil in estate, enough around here do.

NC
Individual Income Tax - flat rate 4.5%, no county tax

Income tax difference is almost half. Also, I want to buy a smaller place when I retire, so my property taxes are lower.

Cary is expensive but not as expensive as MoCo.

Now rank services for people.

what kinds of services? Are they free?

NP here, but think beautiful parks, lakes, public transportation, safe/repaired roads, hospitals, well trained and responsive public safety officials.

I also want to live in a place where the young people all have access to good public schools. I don’t only think of my family. I think of the larger community.

[Anonymous]

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.

Cary is not diverse!!!

It is white white white vacation bible school white stupids.

NC has terrible politics and now that there will be no hurricane warnings good luck with that .. and no fema monies. Yes Cary gets hurricanes and it sucks.

I just looked on Wikipedia and Cary, NC is 57% white, 22% Asian, 8% black, 8% hispanic, 4% mixed race. That's not the most diverse but honestly is more diverse than many jurisdictions in the DMV. Of course if you're white and go to white vacation bible school, I'm sure your bible school is close to 100% white...I grew up in NC and know how that goes.

[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 . . .

Why? If I lived in NJ or NYcity area where property taxes are insanely high, I'd consider moving when I'm ready. In NJ a $1M home can have $35K+ yearly property taxes. Where I live, my $3M home has only $15K/year (and I'm near a major city) property taxes on $1M would be about $5-7K. So sell your $1M home and move somewhere that property taxes are affordable. That's almost $30K you'd save per year.

I see you have not disclosed where you live - could that be because no one in their right mind would retire there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In reality moving in retirement will be a thing of the past. People are buying homes later and later in life and the average age of first time home buyers is now 38 and average age of all home buyers is now 56. Gone are the days you buy a house at 25, have kids at age 26-30 and by 55 are an empty nestor mortgage free with fully launched kids ready to move on.

I am guilty myself. I bought my first home at 38 and my trade up home at 55. My 30 year mortgage is done when I am 85. My kids are all college educated, getting career going no rush to get married till around 30. Meaning my house is still thanksgiving, Xmas, birthday parties and hang out till they are married and have homes.

I will be around 70 when youngest kid is fully out, done grade school, place of her own maybe engaged and by then oldest two maybe getting married or maybe later.

I am not packing up a house at 70-75 and moving. My block most of new owners have been 45-60. All this is their second or third home.

A few of them including my spouse is open to a little condo to be a snowbird or a place near grandkids when they come. But packing up a large house in my 70s no way.

Why not "pack up at 70+"? Why would you want to daily have to deal with a large home? I'd prefer a 2 bedroom/2bath condo or home somewhere. If kids are not nearby, you can rent a place for the holidays for sleeping.
Also, you don't have to keep a huge home just because your kids still rent apartments. I don't want to deal with a huge house once the kids are done with college. You can sell your home, pay off the mortgage and take your cash value and purchase something affordable/smaller

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’ll stay in Arlington. We love our home and our large group of friends. But, my plan is to stay im various other places for a month to 6 weeks at a time:

January in Central or S. America or Miami
March out West to ski
July in New England
Sept/Oct somewhere in Europe

Hopefully our budget can swing it!

How long do you think skiing will be an option (and how old are you now)?

NP. My parents are early 70s, have a ski house, and ski about 100 days a year. They've been lucky to avoid injuries.

[Anonymous]

So, good luck with planning. You'll likely end up where your kids are...my family started in Greensboro, NC and now several decades later we're all in Maryland - AACO, Baltimore and PG. Our parents have followed us around to wherever we move to be near the grandkids. The kids who are working choose the location, and there are great jobs here.

[Anonymous]

We are going to Manhattan

[Anonymous]

I am thinking to move from McLean to Woodbridge for 1 level small single house for our retirement. Maybe, cheaper but still in Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’ll stay in Arlington. We love our home and our large group of friends. But, my plan is to stay im various other places for a month to 6 weeks at a time:

January in Central or S. America or Miami
March out West to ski
July in New England
Sept/Oct somewhere in Europe

Hopefully our budget can swing it!

How long do you think skiing will be an option (and how old are you now)?

Personally I would not choose a ski destination because the snow and ice is so inconvenient day-to-day. But people can cross country ski until they're about 85 if they're healthy, in my experience.

Or are you asking about climate change affecting skiing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Need to clarify what "some diversity" means to you. Diversity is in the eye of the beholder. There's plenty of Latinos living in rural Virginia working at chicken plants. Does that count? Suspect not so be a bit more specific.

+1 These posts seeking diversity are ridiculous. Explain specifically what criteria you need to meet because no one place will have every kind of diversity.

Are you a lesbian and need a lesbian community? Japanese and want more than a few token Asians? Is religiously or socioeconomically diverse important to you for a certain reason?

Or are you just an UMC, straight, white woman who's virtue signaling?

Those of us who seek it recognize it.

I'm going to take a stab at understanding what you're trying to imply. Diversity = superblue progressive bubble where people proudly wave rainbow flags and still have BLM signs in front of their house (and incidentally tends to be a pretty white area). The Latinos in rural Virginia or multigenerational black families in the deep south or the Cubans of South Florida or the professional South Asians in Atlanta or Charlotte suburbs probably don't count, am I right?