[S. cerevisiae]

Retirement seems to be on my mind quite a bit lately.  I still have several years to go, but I believe that I have reached the point in my life where I need to start to think about life after work.  One of the big questions that haunts me is whether to retire in place or move to a more retiree-friendly state after retiring.  Maryland is not exactly a retiree-friendly state.  I would like start a discussion of retiree-friendly, especially brewing retiree-friendly places to live. 

Currently, I am looking at Bloomington, Indiana.  After ruling out the Southeast, I started looking at the Mid-West.  I discovered that Bloomington, Indiana is listed as one of the best places to retire.  I have never been to Bloomington, but compared to Maryland real estate, Indiana real estate is a bargain.  I know that Bloomington is a college town.  I only hold a masters degree (MS), but many universities hire MS degree holders with professional work experience as adjunct lecturers, which would come in handy if I got bored with retirement. 
 

[hopfenundmalz]

Not a bad town, near Indy if you want bigger city feel. Weather is milder than MI for sure.

Then there is this dish I crave once in a while. schnitzel on a bun.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/hoosier-pork-tenderloin-sandwich-recipe.html

That area is where the high grade Bedford-Oolitic limestone is quarried. That type of stone faces many important buildings and memorials.

[yso191]

One word: Yakima.

[klickitat jim]

One word: Yakima.

What do you have against Wapato?

[yso191]

One word: Yakima.

What do you have against Wapato?

Now that's funny.

[majorvices]

I see you have ruled out the southeast, but believe it or not Huntsville, AL has made the "best places to retire" list in several publications. It actually is a pretty cool place to live. Cost of living is extremely reasonable. Nashville 1 hour 30 minutes away. 5.5 hours from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Thriving beer culture (better selection here than I saw at a BevMo in San Diego this summer) and if you love the mountains you are right at the base of the Cumberland Plateau. I'm fortunate to live literally on the edge of a million-plus acre wilderness. It's the south, and it is hot as hell for about 2.5 months during the summer, but it is a very cosmopolitan town with lots of arts and entertainment.

Also, in spite of the stereotypes of the south, Huntsville is one of the smartest towns in the nation. There are more engineers and rocket scientists per capita than probably anywhere else in the nation.

[MDixon]

I had planned to retire to the foothills of NC where I grew up, but now I'm thinking the Asheville area might be where we land. I want to be in an areas where tornadoes are rare and hurricanes are virtually nonexistent. Oddly enough Asheville has had both come through in recent years. The weather is mild with summer being bearable and winter only hitting hard at times. The area has all four seasons and fall is magnificent. And oh, there is beer too.

[HoosierBrew]

Currently, I am looking at Bloomington, Indiana.  After ruling out the Southeast, I started looking at the Mid-West.  I discovered that Bloomington, Indiana is listed as one of the best places to retire.  I have never been to Bloomington, but compared Maryland real estate, Indiana real estate is a bargain.  I know that Bloomington is a college town.  I only hold a masters degree (MS), but many universities hire MS degree holders with professional work experience as adjunct lecturers, which would come in handy if I got bored with retirement. 
 

Bloomington is just a great college town. As an IU alum, I can vouch for the quality of the college, the beauty of the campus (prettiest campus in the Big Ten IMO), and the endless array of good places to eat. Two good brewpubs with good food and several excellent taprooms and pubs. It's on my short list of places to retire.

[klickitat jim]

Our dream is sell it all, buy an RV lot in western Montana and one in Arizona. Bounce back and forth.

[redbeerman]

I hear Delaware is retiree friendly, too.  I know the taxes are favorable.  Milford was rated as one of the best places to retire.  Close to beaches, downside - as flat and uninteresting as Kansas.  I live in rural Maryland currently and really like it here.  The big downside here is the tax burden, not as bad as New York or California, but they are trying very hard. 

[S. cerevisiae]

I hear Delaware is retiree friendly, too.  I know the taxes are favorable.

Pennsylvania has a lower retiree income tax load than Delaware.  Retirement income is state income tax free in addition Social Security income.  The low cost of living areas in Pennsylvania are much colder than Maryland in the winter.  Pennsylvania has all of those funky township taxes.

[AmandaK]

...compared Maryland real estate, Indiana real estate is a bargain... 

Welcome to the midwest!  Sh*t is super cheap here. For what we have in KC, we would pay 500-600% more in Denver/East Coast/etc. One of my friends visited from Denver and was pretty appealed at the low price of it all.

[curtism1234]

I can't imagine myself voluntarily staying in the mid-west; however the wife, future kids/grandkids, and aging parents may put a damper on that. It's central to a lot of things in a 12-15 hour drive, but daily scenery is very bland imo unless you really find a sweetspot with a premium lot/acreage.
I'm a sucker for the mountains

Make a list of what is important to you - urban vs rural, touristy vs local, mid-west vs mountain vs ocean, cold vs hot, etc. Now come up with some specific places that you can go on vacation and just get a feel for the area. When you find a place you seem to like, go back and rent a house for a month and see how the newness wears off. Then pull the trigger if it feels good.

[Slowbrew]

For a long time my dreams were northern South American locations.  My wife has started mentioning European cities.

Odds are we'll end up right here in Central Iowa, assuming my kids stick around and start generating grand kids. 

It's an interesting thought exercise but still 15 years away for me at this point.

Paul

[hopfenundmalz]

I retired early, and am still in the same place. One more brutal winter and I might change my mind.

One tax strategy that I read about is to retire in Vancouver WA, no state income tax, and then shop in Portland OR, no sales tax.