45 Affordable Retirement Towns: 1, #1

By Kris Kelley

UPDATED September, 2021!  Looking for great places to retire on a budget?  A warm seaside town?  A cozy mountain hamlet?  A relaxing lakeside locale?   Here we have 45 U.S. towns with living costs below or equal to the national average, as determined primarily by housing costs.  These towns also have safe neighborhoods, recreational areas and/or cultural amenities, nearby accredited medical facilities and more.  Included are each town's population, climate, percentage of people age 45 or better, cost of living, median home price, political leanings, public transit availability and even drawbacks (because no place is perfect).  Reviews are short and to the point for quick reading.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Webwerxx Inc
• Release date: Nov 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781533797056

Kris Kelley

Kris Kelley lives in beautiful Colorado has been finding and reviewing great places to retire since 2006. She is an avid traveler, always looking for that hidden gem of a town, whether it be along an ocean, in a desert or on a mountaintop.

Book preview

45 Affordable Retirement Towns

Best U.S. Towns for Retirement on a Budget

Written and Edited by Kris Kelley

Copyright © 2015-2021 by Webwerxx, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the express written consent of Webwerxx, Inc.

Notice

This publication contains information from numerous sources.   Great effort went into verifying the accuracy of the information in this book, but some information, particularly median home prices and cost of living numbers, may have changed since publication.  As a result, Webwerxx, Inc. cannot guarantee the accuracy of the content contained within this publication. 

Cost of living numbers are primarily determined by housing prices but also include medical, transportation, food, utilities and taxes.  For simplicity’s sake, population numbers and home prices have been rounded off.

Cover Image: © tasia12/123RF.COM

Table of Contents

Introduction

Spanish Fort, Alabama

Apache Junction, Arizona

Casas Adobes, Arizona

Sahuarita, Arizona

Yuma, Arizona

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Grand Junction, Colorado

Beverly Beach, Florida

Carrabelle, Florida

Floral City, Florida

Lakeland, Florida

North Port, Florida

Palm Bay, Florida

Riverview, Florida

Ruskin, Florida

Tavares, Florida

Athens, Georgia

St. Marys, Georgia

Idaho Falls, Idaho

Ankeny, Iowa

Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Morehead, Kentucky

Murray, Kentucky

Hernando, Mississippi

Laughlin, Nevada

Mesquite, Nevada

Banner Elk, North Carolina

Beaufort, North Carolina

Jamestown, North Carolina

Norman, Oklahoma

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Mount Joy, Pennsylvania

Goose Creek, South Carolina

Irmo, South Carolina

Lexington, South Carolina

Northlake, South Carolina

Port Royal, South Carolina

Loudon, Tennessee

Sewanee, Tennessee

White House, Tennessee

Canyon, Texas

Conroe, Texas

Nacogdoches, Texas

Christiansburg, Virginia

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Introduction

Great places to retire exist throughout the United States, but many of these places are expensive and out of reach for the average American.   Many retirees are seeking towns where their budget will stretch further.   A less expensive town, however, must have more than just low or average living costs.   

Any town considered as a retirement destination should also have well-tended neighborhoods, recreational and/or cultural amenities, a local or nearby public library, a low or average crime rate, local or nearby accredited medical facilities and a welcoming quality that makes it a desirable place to live. 

It is worth noting that housing prices have greatly increased in the last year or two, and affordable means different things to different people.  These 45 towns, however, meet the above criteria and have a cost of living below or equal to the national average as determined primarily by housing costs.  No one town is perfect, however, so we also look at each town's drawbacks.   

Generally, the South and the Midwest are the most affordable regions of the United States.  Most of the towns included in this book are in these regions, and most of the towns are in states that are considered tax-friendly for retirement.  The few towns that are in less tax-friendly states may have living costs low enough to offset the higher taxes.

For simplicity’s sake, housing prices and population numbers are rounded off.

Alabama

Spanish Fort, Alabama

Inviting Spanish Fort sits across the bay from Mobile on Mobile Bay's eastern shore.  It has a history that reaches back to 1712 and today is primarily residential. 

Neighborhoods have wooded lots, small ponds and well-kept brick ranch ramblers and raised ranch ramblers. The town's five boat ramps all have access to the bay or lower delta, and local piers are popular with bank anglers.

A boardwalk trail snakes through the wetlands of Meaher State Park, and Blakeley State Park maintains old breastworks and fortifications from Spanish Fort's early days. The Five Rivers Resource Center sits on acres of cypress-tupelo swamp and hardwood bottomland, and the new Spirit Park has walking paths and tennis courts.

High school sports are a town highlight, as the high school football and baseball teams have been state championships in recent years.

Eastern Shore Centre is a regional shopping hub and lifestyle center, with Belk, Dillard's, World Market, Barnes and Noble, Bed, Bath and Beyond and more (Publix is across the street).

Population:  8,800 (city proper)

Percentage of Population Age 45 or Better:  42%

Cost of Living:  8% below the national average

Median Home Price: $340,000

Climate:  Summer temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, and winter temperatures are in the 40s and 50s.  On average, the area receives 65 inches of rain per year.

At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients?  No, but Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, about 12 miles away, accepts Medicare patients.

At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission?  No, but Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, about 12 miles away, is accredited.

Public Transit:  No

Crime Rate:  Meets the national average

Public Library:  Yes

Political Leanings:  Very, very conservative

Is Alabama Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement?  Yes

Cons:  The tornado risk is 77% higher than the national average, and hurricanes are always a possibility.

Notes:  Spanish Fort has grown by 20% during the last decade.

Arizona

Apache Junction, Arizona

Tucked into a corner of the Superstition Mountains about 35 miles to the east of downtown Phoenix, modest, sun-soaked Apache Junction grew up around the intersection of the Apache Trail and U.S.