Downtown Amenities Seem To Attract Retirees

Recognition of the vital role played by downtowns in America’s communities appears to be growing.

Increasingly, downtown revitalization occupies the national spotlight as well as local front pages.

Now the quality of downtown life has emerged as a top priority in choosing where to retire.

A national survey of subscribers to Where to Retire magazine by CDS Research of Houston asked readers to rank the importance of various considerations involved in choosing a retirement destination.

Number one is crime.

Number two - downtown.

“An active, clean, safe downtown is the second-most important factor in selecting a new hometown, a finding that supports the growing emphasis on Main Street redevelopment projects at the state and national levels,” the magazine reports.

This is a shocker. I’ve never seen downtown ranked in any other survey of factors influencing where people choose to retire.

“Nor have I,” said Karen Northridge consulting editor to the magazine, which has a subscriber base of half a million. “This is the first time we’ve ever asked the question.

“We asked it because more and more of our subscribers tell us they really do want to know about and retire in communities that have interesting and livable downtowns.

“They want downtowns that are reminiscent of the old, traditional town square, with lots of interesting little shops and nooks and crannies and places to eat and things to do.

“In the future,” said Northridge, “when editors pick places to feature in the magazine, how downtown rates will figure prominently in our selection criteria.”

According to the survey, the top attributes of the ideal retirement town are:

1 - Low crime rate.

2 - Active, clean, safe downtown.

3 - Good hospitals nearby.

4 - Low overall tax rate.

5 - Low cost of living.

6 - Mild climate.

7 - Friendly, like-minded neighbors.

8 - Low housing cost.

9 - Scenic beauty nearby.

10 - Good recreational facilities.

Subscribers ranked a total of 18 factors. In descending order of importance, the others are: no state income tax, active social and cultural life, major city nearby, proximity to a commercial airport, availability of continuing-care retirement communities, presence of friends and relatives, employment opportunities, availability of adult education.

Half of those surveyed would choose a small town or rural area for retirement. Most others prefer the suburbs. Only 6 percent would like an urban locale.

Nearly a third said the ideal retirement town’s population would be under 15,000. Almost half prefer somewhere between that and 50,000. Just 4 percent would opt for a community of half a million and up.

“Retirees are revitalizing small towns across America,” says Where to Retire’s editor in chief, Alan Fox. “Every year, nearly 400,000 people retire to a new town in a new state, bringing skills, time, energy and disposable income. They are searching for a better quality of life and a chance to belong to a community.

“The survey results,” he said, “are a checklist of what the next generation of retirees will seek in a town and also a blueprint for success for the hundreds of small- to medium-size towns that are trying to attract retirees as a source of economic development.”

Launched in 1992, Where to Retire magazine profiles top retirement towns, both undiscovered and well known, and master-planned communities that cater to retirees. For more information write Where to Retire, 1502 Augusta Drive, Suite 415, Houston, TX 77057, or call (713) 974-6903.

Correction: In last Sunday’s column about life insurance for seniors, a statement attributed to industry veteran Gene Bronson was incorrect. It said that in his experience, a traditional whole-life policy typically will outperform over a lifetime a combination of stocks and bonds. According to Bronson, the statement should have said a whole-life policy will outperform a combination of bonds.