The Best & Worst Cities for Retirement in 2023 – Mark Huffman

Retire Smarter. Don’t miss an episode in this free Retirement School: Follow on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS ________________________ Pete, the main character in my book Win The Retirement Game and his wife Melissa, decide to move to the city for their next chapter. If you're considering that, you'll want to hear about the research done by ConsumerAffairs.com on the best and worst cities for retirement in 2023. The criteria they use can spark your curiosity about what's most important to you and highlight some factors you haven't considered yet. Mark Huffman joins us to discuss their analysis. Mark joins us from Kentucky. _________________________ Bio Mark Huffman has written about consumer issues for ConsumerAffairs.com since 2004. Previously, he was a news correspondent for the Associated Press Radio Network, Westwood One Radio Networks and Marketwatch.com. Huffman also produces video segments for ConsumerAffairs.com and, in 2006, produced a 20-minute DVD, “Senior Scam Alert,” a training tool to help seniors avoid scams. He received a B.A. degree from the University of Kentucky. He and his family live in a historic rowhouse in Richmond, VA, and have a weekend home on Chesapeake Bay ________________________ For More on Mark Huffman Best and worst cities for retirement in 2023 ConsumerAffairs.com ________________________ Podcast Episodes You May Like Where to Retire – Silvia Ascarelli The New Age of Aging – Maddy Dychtwald Where Will You Live Next? – Ryan Frederick Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff – Matt Paxton _________________________ Wise Quotes On College Towns and Retirement "Well, I think people like to be around people their own age. But also if you have a large population of people over 65, there's going to be more services for those people. Businesses that cater to that population will be where their customers are. So they will come in and be in those areas. And then finally, it's a university town. And if you look at the top four on our list, it was Lincoln, St. Louis, Champaign, Illinois, and Des Moines. All four have major universities. And what does a major university provide? Well, there's cultural activities. If you're a sports fan, there's Division I college sports. There's a lot to like. I think that probably the biggest factor is people want to be close to family. And I think that drives a lot of moves."   On Baby Boomers and Walkability "I just think our generation is just aging differently than any in the past, and maybe the ones coming behind us will change even more, but we're sort of breaking the mold. It is. And as well as public transportation, as you age, you may not want to drive as much and being able to get around and want be able to walk to where you want to go. We bought a place in one of Richmond's oldest neighborhoods, and I'd never lived in a city before. And it was great because you could walk everywhere. You could walk to restaurants, you could walk to the grocery, and I really got a kick out of that. I liked it. We didn't specifically address that point, but I can tell you just from observation what's interesting is, as I mentioned, the top cities are in the Midwest."   On Doing Your Homework "I just think our generation is just aging differently than any in the past, and maybe the ones coming behind us will change even more, but we're sort of breaking the mold. It is. And as well as public transportation, as you age, you may not want to drive as much and being able to get around and be able to walk to where you want to go. We lived briefly before we moved to Richmond full time. We bought a place in one of Richmond's oldest neighborhoods, and I'd never lived in a city before. And it was great because you could walk everywhere. You could walk to restaurants, you could walk to the grocery, and I really got a kick out of that. I liked it.