10 Affordable Places to Retire

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I retired to New Mexico.. five years ago.. like most I was drawn here by climate and a low cost of living in most cities in the State but I regret it.
In some reports you'll see Las Cruces as a purported on the top ten list. It has great climate and affordable housing... lots of artsy things to do... BUT! Las Cruces is the most lawless city I have ever lived in (and I spent most of my life in Washington DC) law enforcement here is a joke.. the neighborhoods are noisy.. traffic is not that heavy but dangerous.. especially for an older person that want to obey posted speed limits and stop lights etc.
The Las Crcues Police Department is not corrupt, just lazy.. as they see themselves as on call for shootings and such.. so the streets are a war zone.. the neighborhoods are congragtion points for Harley riders to cruise and rattle windows.. sub woofers are standard equipment in vehicles so that creates another source of pollution. City Government reacts in disbelief if you point out the lack of order or safety.
My summary opinion is that Las Cruces is like New Mexico... it functions as a 19th century frontier territory.
Example: a couple of years ago City of Albuquerque put up traffic light cameras (stop lights are generally thought of a liberal intrusions) after several hundred tickets were handed out in the first 2 weeks of operation. a public outcry lead to city council meeting where hundreds showed up declaring it unreasonable for them to be paying multiple $100 fines as they summarily refuse to stop. Not one city council member pointed out the all the offending drivers had to do to avoid fines was to stop. They id not get it... on and on testimonies that cited "I'm just a working amn and I cna;t afford to pay your fines."
I see Roswell is listed as an "ideal" place to retire.. it isn't. It was taken over by east LA biker gangs 5-6 years ago and they immediately setup a local drug trade... in 2004 there were 120 drive by shootings there.. their drug business expanded in 2005 to Carlsbad, 75 miles south where it took hold. Sit in a drive-in restaurant early on a Friday night... and what the drug sales go on.
In summary, if you think that New Mexico is a 21st century part of the US.. you are wrong.
I regret the day I bought a home here... and at my age, it will be difficult to sell and move when the real estate market improves.

Gringo Viejo of NM 3:26PM March 31, 2009

I knwo thsi list is fixed there is no way in heck you could even pay anyone to live in pittsburgh. Other than the steelers there isnt jack to live for there, its depressed gangs are running the town and teh democrats tax the living hell out of you. Did I mention the taxes... yeah move to pittsburgh I wipe my a$$ with thsi report.

Joe Daddy 2:10PM March 31, 2009

I started planning for retirement when I was about 27 when I bought my first and only home. I think it is important for anyone to think ahead, make decisions when you are young that take into account what the future holds. Jumping around is never very smart, no matter how you look at it. There is a myth that you can live here and then there and it will all work out financially. Best to pick a place you really like while you are young, work hard, and don't live beyond your means. Buy a modest home from the start, then you will eventually be happy with the smaller space. Kids grow up and leave, that big house isn't going to work for you when you retire. Besides, at 51, I own my home outright, so now I do not have to worry about a mortgage. I would rather keep all the money wasted on brokers, appraisers, and related fees for myself. I also bought a sensible car, nothing too fancy, but well made, I maintain it and have driven it for 15 years. It should last at least another 5 years, so no car interest payments or leasing fees, I bought with cash. I have no financial training, but I was raised by grandparents who had lived through the great depression(the last one) and taught me how to make smart choices.

wren of CA 12:06PM March 31, 2009

There is nothing 'free' in New York State - unless of course you're a state pensioner. Taxes are incredibly high and you get nothing for them. Those self-serving politicians make it impossible to get ahead or even stay even. If you move to NYS you are an idiot. If you were born here and don't leave, you're just plain stupid - a product ( I'm sure) of the state's dumbed down educational system (which our politicians are proud to point out as improved over what they've delivered over the last 2 decades). If you are promoted to the next grade, consider yourself an overachiever - the teachers will despise you. The weather sucks. NYC is a nice place to visit - expensive but nice. At a time when the rest of the country is in a recession, NYS has had the balls to present a 10% ( or 7 billion dollar) increase in it's state budget proposal. Of course you'll enjoy paying a 2 cent deposit on your bottled water - the list goes on. Your quality of life depends on what you do with your life - in this state the Democrats will make you want to believe that they gave it to you when, in fact, you find a way to be happy in spite of them. Life is not easy in NYS unless you're on welfare. Anybody want to challenge that statement?? If so I challenge you to get off of it. See if your life gets better or worse. If you can't - why not. Didn't Hillary guarantee 200,000 jobs during her tenure? Best guess is that we LOST 200,000 jobs during her tenure. New Yorkers would have annointed her queen. That's how dumb we are. Upstaters pay for the mistakes of downstaters. Downstaters blame upstaters for their mistakes/ screwings. 3 people run this state and they ain't the poor folk. Dumb maybe but not poor. In closing, if you even think about retiring here - forget about it. Woodstock has been gone for a long time - the dope smoking days are over. And you'd have to be on it if you ever think of retiring here.

Dr Bob of NY 12:55AM March 31, 2009

Apparently, this doesn't take into account taxes. I live in Omaha, when we move to our retirement home on Norris Lake in Tenn, I will save about $6,000 in income taxes along with a significant amount of property taxes. We do not get to vote on most taxes in Nebraska, as an example the local school district, sets its tax rates with NO vote of the the tax payers. There are meaningless caps. The city of Omaha just started construction of a new 125 million dollar baseball park that will be used two weeks a year for the College World Series, without a vote of the tax payers. There are many more examples of the heavy tax load in Omaha.

Thomas Lammers of NE 8:48PM March 30, 2009

Taxes are sure to follow new housing-starts in laid back attractive communities
containing vintage old development, little density and traffic. But when the spotlight
points to these restful places, ah sure the Great Gatsby Hamptons are no more,
rendered by the nouveau claptrap seeking the Hollywood Mac-Mansions. Best places to live is what the once Native Americans had. Binghamton, New York doesn't need
Hollywood, despite the poverty.

Old-timer Democrat of NY 5:18PM March 30, 2009

The article doesn't mention departing from the USA.
I will be retiring to my wife's southern Mexican hometown. What little I get from a federal pension and the few extra social security bucks/month just won't cut it in the USA, but will do quite well, thank you, in Mexico. Costs of luxury items are much higher there, but fresh foods and medical costs are a bargain.
There are quite a number of thriving blogs by U.S. and Canadians now resident in Mexico, including the Yucatan.

Alan O. of MD 11:51AM March 29, 2009