Tell me about a warm weather place to retire

[Poiuyt]

Wisconsin winters are getting too hard for my wife and me so we are considering moving someplace warmer. I grew up going to Florida for our vacations, and that is where my heart is, but the political climate there has become unbearable. I get the impression that the entire southeast is too conservative and California is too expensive. I don't like the desert southwest.

What are your recommendations for a nice liberal place for a couple of 70 year olds to live? (Note: investment income and social security changes each year but usually nets us around $60K/year).

[RandySF]

1. Death Valley

[Think. Again.]

2. Are you open to Costa Rica?

I have never been there myself but hear good things about it from folks who have retired there on less than large incomes.

[Poiuyt]

12. United States only please

I've heard good things about Costa Rica, but we're not that adventuresome to move out of the country.

[spooky3]

3. How warm does it need to be? There are places in Virginia

and North Carolina that have relatively mild weather and are relatively affordable, and the states are purple though the GQP are doing their best to push them backwards.

[mopinko]

4. the n carolina triangle area is pretty blue.

if i was moving, near a good college town wd prolly work.

[GreenWave]

5. Costa Rica o Uruguay!

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-places-in-the-world-to-retire

[Elessar Zappa]

6. I live in Silver City in southwest New Mexico.

It’s actually located at the foothills of the Gila Forest and it’s a transition ecosystem meaning juniper, pinyon pine, etc. Town has about 10,000 people. It’s about 60% blue, 40% red as far as politics go. We have four seasons and we do get cold in the winter but the spring and summer are nice and warm, sometimes hot. Our max temp is usually in the low 90s but we can get higher than that some years. We don’t get much rain, we usually have 3-4 snows a year.

[Beachnutt]

7. Huatulco Mexico

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[LeftInTX]

8. Even New Jersey is warm compared to Wisconsin.

So, is St Louis, Memphis. Keep in mind summers are hotter.

There are also places in Nevada, like Reno which are probably not too expensive.

I would shoot for an affordable spot in any of the mid-Atlantic states.

[AmBlue]

9. Sadly, it doesn't exist in the U.S.

We are looking to come to New England from Florida, and bringing all our college age offspring along!! (It's actually our kids who are pushing for this!) We'll keep a small place in FL so we can be snowbirds if necessary.

Otherwise, we're thinking Portugal or Panama!!

[riverbendviewgal]

10. Progresso, mexico

That is the west coast of the Yucatan. Fly in Merida. My Canadian friends have been going there for about 5 winters rent an air n B from January to mid-March. They love it and said it is very, very safe. Lots of Americans, Canadians and some Europeans. Lots of restaurants, beautiful sandy beaches. Even visits from cruise ships. Merida has a Costco.

I would go but I have health problems presently. My friends used to go to the Florida Panhandle but decline to now because of the politics and guns.

Google it.

[mitch96]

13. "place in FL so we can be snowbirds" If you can swing being a snowbird that's the way to go

After living in Florida for 44 years being a snow bird is the way to go. Best of both worlds.
I have friends that are snow birds and weather wise and economically it makes sense to them. Finances for retirees is very attractive.
Yes in the summer the weather sucks, Yes the politics suck. Other than that, for me it works out just dandy.
Palm Beach, Broward and parts of Miami Dade are blue.
m

[bahboo]

28. we're headed there for 3 weeks in Nov. - Dec....

now we're even more excited. If we love, might consider a move. Key West was our original plan, but Covid....then Florida lost it's mind...

[patphil]

11. Raleigh-Durham area in NC. looks pretty good.

Much warmer than Wisconsin, but not anywhere near as hot as Texas or Florida. Also pretty liberal, and below national averages for cost of living.
And that was 10 minutes searching on the internet.

[multigraincracker]

14. Near the coast in Oregon.

Have several friends that moved there from Michigan.

[we can do it]

15. Delaware is pretty nice. We get very little snow, not too cold.

No giant bugs, 4 seasons- but winter not bad.

[LakeArenal]

16. Retired now in Costa Rica.

Many YouTube videos on living here.

[TexasDem69]

17. Warm weather, affordable and liberal

Aren’t a thing I can think of in the US. Savannah GA is a great city and the state is trending blue but still pretty conservative and not sure if it’s particularly affordable but almost certainly better than California. Charleston SC is similar though the state overall is more conservative than GA.

I’d just take California off the list altogether—used to be a decent place to live but now completely unaffordable with high taxes and inordinate amount of crime. There’s a reason people are fleeing CA to live in better places.

Nevada might be an option. Purple-ish politics but warm and maybe affordable?

[Elessar Zappa]

26. Many southern states have higher crime rates than California.

Last edited Sun Sep 24, 2023, 07:27 PM - Edit history (1)

https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/crime-rate-by-state/#:~:text=The%20ten%20states%20with%20the,South%20Carolina%2C%20and%20South%20Dakota.

[TexasDem69]

29. And many don't

[MOMFUDSKI]

18. I am in Florida. Tampa Bay Area.

Not EVERYONE living here is a MAGA. We actually enjoy some of our righty neighbors at the pool. We just don’t start on politics. Plenty of libs to do that with. Soon it will cool down and winter is glorious. No State income tax. Homestead holds your property tax down. Property tax is way lower than in Wisconsin. Come on down. The water is fine.

[sinkingfeeling]

19. Having lived in both Florida and Arizona, go to the Southwest. Humidity in FL sucks.

[MOMFUDSKI]

22. I like the humidity. Great for my

skin. Lived 1 year in Las Vegas and hated the dry air. To each . . .

[jmowreader]

21. Mecklenburg County, NC

The county seat is Charlotte.

Biden drew 67 percent of the vote in 2020. It's far enough inland that hurricanes aren't a huge issue. It's a nice city. Plus, they have sort of an NFL team (okay, it's an NFL team that has played three preseason games, two regular season games and lost all five, including a 27-point stomping at the hands the New York Jets and a nine-point shellacking by the Detroit Lions) and a NASCAR track that is very high on my "must go there" list.

[T_A]

23. Taos New Mexico

The Southern, lower-elevation parts of the state only get down to the mid-50s in the middle of Winter, as opposed to the desert sections.

All the executive state offices are held by Dems.

[snowybirdie]

24. Live in Florida

But given another new choice would check out New Mexico

[Emile]

25. Puerto Rico

Because Puerto Rico is a territory of the US, no special visas or work permits are necessary for US citizens. Think of it as an extension of the US with beautiful beaches and a Caribbean vibe with none of the paperwork and red tape hassle of moving to a foreign country.

[mike_c]

27. we retired to Sun City, Arizona in the Phoenix west valley...

...and we like it. Honestly, we both had misgivings; we lived on California's rural North Coast behind the redwood curtain for 25 years before retiring here for better health care and overall lower cost of living. It's hard to imagine an environment less like the North Coast!

There's tons of stuff to do here. I belong to a woodworking club providing access to a very well supplied shop, and a camera club with free studio space and lights, pro printers, matting and framing, computers and software, sponsored field trips, etc. I'm planning to join a hiking club as soon as I train up to their minimum physical standards! My club memberships each cost $20/year (there is also an annual fee for all residents for the rec centers where clubs and other facilities are located).

Summers are hot, but eight months or so are lovely. There's none of that Florida humidity, thankfully. I dislike humidity more than cold, lol.

Edit: it's a 55+ aged community and they're strict about it, so grand kids can visit, but they cannot live here. There are no schools in Sun City and we don't pay school taxes. For couples, at least one partner must be 55+.

[yellowdogintexas]

34. I've been looking at greater Phoenix off and on since my daughter moved out there

Sun City is one of the places which interested me. I did find one thing which I have now learned to check for right off the bat: be sure you know if the land comes with the property or is leased. You can get a nice manufactured home at a reasonable price then find out the lot lease is pretty high.

Those communities seem quite nice.

[Trailrider1951]

30. You might consider western Washington State

If you're looking for a blue area with plenty of diversity, this is the place, at least for me. I moved here from central Texas in 2017 because my children and their families are here. It's about the same cost of living as Austin, TX. You will find better prices for housing away from the big cities, and there is excellent public transportation "around the Sound". Winters are a bit colder and rainier than Texas, too, but not that bad. We will have about 4 or 5 days around 20*F, and maybe 2 good snow days (4 inches or so) this winter. It certainly doesn't get as hot as Austin here. 3 or 4 days of 100+*F, with most days under 95*F in the summer. It's much less humid and NO BUGS! And if you like the outdoor life, you'll find it here. Fishing, hiking, biking, boating, camping, we have it all. You might come for a visit

[Poiuyt]

31. I think the Pacific Northwest is beautiful, but doesn't all the rain get to you?

And you mention snow - do you get a lot of ice to go with it? That's our biggest complaint about the WI winters.

[Trailrider1951]

32. I'm going to tell you a secret

It does not rain all the time here. Our summers, from May to the end of September are sunny and dry, so we have pretty much a rainy season (Fall and Winter) and a dry season (Mid-Spring to the end of Summer). The rains just started up again a few days ago, and it's good to see the rain return.

We do get some icy conditions, generally because of freezing fog putting a glaze of ice on things, but it melts pretty quickly when the temperature gets above 32*F in mid-morning. We had about 2 or 3 days like this last year. Generally, the Winter low temps are in the 30's with the highs in the 40's, with a few "cold snaps" in January and February. I grew up in central Ohio and the winters here are milder and a bit wetter than there, with much less snow.

One thing I like to do, if I'm thinking of relocating or planning an extended visit to an area, is to watch the area's local news and weather report to get a feel for the area. Here are links to the Seattle-Tacoma local TV stations (non-Fox):

www.kiro7.com
www.komonews.com
www.king5.com

Hope this helps!

[Poiuyt]

33. Thanks!

[ailsagirl]

35. California!!

Frankly, it’s often too warm for me (summer) but otherwise it’s just fine.

[mentalsolstice]

36. We live in the FL panhandle, but we're considering moving to Gainesville

It’s not on the coast. However, it’s a beautiful vibrant college town. Politically, it’s bright blue. Tremendous healthcare. And I can’t even describe the live oaks that are all over and protected. Beaches are about 1.5 hours away for a day trip or a long weekend.

[Celerity]

37. Mar Vista/Palms/Playa Vista/Culver City/Del Rey/Playa del Rey/Sunkist Park, etc area of west LA

you can find fairly affordable places for rent and it's all near the ocean