My previous column, "Retire overseas on $1,200 a month," nominated two places in Asia and three in Latin America where a couple could live comfortably on a $1,200 monthly Social Security check.
In the U.S., your dollars won't stretch as far. But there are many pleasant communities across America where retirees can find a reasonable cost of living. I asked Bert Sperling of Sperling's Best Places to nominate five places that combined affordable housing, a decent economy, reasonable access to medical care and a wealth of leisure activities.
His picks:
| Rogers, Ark. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Median income | $47,725 | Average number of sunny days | 214 |
Median home price | $125,900 | Rainfall (inches) | 45.2 |
Median rent, two-bedroom unit | $733 | Snowfall (inches) | 10.7 |
Unemployment rate | 5% | Cost-of-living index (100 is national avg.) | 86.2 |
Sales tax | 9% | Health cost (100 is national avg.) | 90.8 |
Top state-local income tax | 7% |
Rogers is part of a metropolitan area that includes Springdale and Fayetteville, home of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. Proximity to the university and to recreational facilities of the Ozarks make the area desirable for retirees, while the economy is supported by the university and by Wal-Mart, which has headquarters in nearby Bentonville.
- Read more about Rogers.
- Check the weather.
- Check out the local housing market.
| Moon Township, Pa. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Median income | $71,073 | Average number of sunny days | 162 |
Median home price | $139,500 | Rainfall (inches) | 36.8 |
Median rent, two-bedroom unit | $710 | Snowfall (inches) | 43.7 |
Unemployment rate | 7.3% | Cost-of-living index (100 is national avg.) | 92 |
Sales tax | 7% | Health cost (100 is national avg.) | 88 |
Top state-local income tax | 3.6% |
Moon Township is one of a series of small towns outside Pittsburgh, which itself "is going through a sort of a resurgence," as Sperling put it. The industrial city's up-and-down history has been on the upswing lately, in sharp contrast to many other Rust Belt cities. "People (in Pittsburgh) are fiercely loyal to their town," Sperling said.
Moon has a number of major employers, including FedEx Ground and GlaxoSmithKline, as well as being home to Robert Morris University.
- Read more about Moon Township.
- Check the weather.
- Check out the local housing market.
| Noblesville, Ind. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Median income | $68,960 | Average number of sunny days | 185 |
Median home price | $140,800 | Rainfall (inches) | 36.8 |
Median rent, two-bedroom unit | $864 | Snowfall (inches) | 22.9 |
Unemployment rate | 8.1% | Cost-of-living index (100 is national avg.) | 92 |
Sales tax | 6% | Health cost (100 is national avg.) | 99 |
Top state-local income tax | 4.9% |
Noblesville is a fast-growing area whose population of 38,000 is 35% higher than in 2000. It's less than an hour outside Indianapolis, which, like Pittsburgh, is "doing pretty well," having avoided most of the housing boom that led to the subsequent bust, Sperling said. The centerpiece of Noblesville's historic downtown is Courthouse Square, with numerous Victorian homes lining the streets nearby.
- Read more about Noblesville.
- Check the weather.
- Check out the local housing market.
Continued: Florida and Washington