8 Under-The-Radar Retirement Towns In The United States
One of the biggest challenges facing retirees today is the cost of living, and for retirees, this is no exception. In fact, it's arguably worse, as retirees are also looking for nice places to settle down. Well, despite the climbing prices of retiring within the United States, this list is meant to help. Below, we've handpicked several key towns where living is well below the cost of living in that state on average and even in the entire United States. We've even considered the town further to ensure that these are primary places that other retirees are already living at and want to live there, ensuring there are plenty of other people to form social networks, have senior-friendly activities, and have reliable transportation.
So, whether you want to live in a cozy coastal town like Punta Gorda in Florida or the extremely welcoming community at Corning, Iowa, you'll find plenty of additional perks in the towns we've picked that stretch your golden year dollars even further.
Red Wing, Minnesota
South of the Twin Cities is a town that is a true representation of the Midwest: Red Wing. It sits against the Mississippi River and borders Wisconsin, making it a photogenic coastal town that's nice and secluded. The affordability of this town is also quite reasonable, with the average home value set to about $278,417, which is nearly $50,000 cheaper than Minnesota's average home value of $335,820. Beyond that, the day-to-day costs are 7% lower than the Minnesota average and nearly 10% lower than the national average.
You'll find the history of this place to be quite rich, with museums like the American Ski Jumping Museum to offer unique details of local history. In the case of the American Ski Jumping Museum, it's all about the Norwegian ski jumpers from Red Wing that emerged in the early 1900s. Beyond that, because this town is a little more populated than other towns on this list, you can find some more effective health and wellness facilities here than most, such as the Innovative Chiropractic Center, which can keep your body aligned, or the Anytime Fitness Center, to maintain general fitness with personalized fitness plans, coaching, and strength and cardio equipment. And if you want to enjoy the sights, Central Park is perfect for that. Especially during the summer, as the summer months include local art displays and the occasional concert in the Band Shell at Central Park.
Punta Gorda, Florida
For the lover of traditional retirement on the cheap and with just as much entertainment, Punta Gorda in the Sunshine State of Florida is a solid option. Sitting on the west coast of Florida, Punta Gorda is a beach town that's largely been unaffected by the price hike that other beach towns experience. According to Zillow, the average home value in Punta Gorda is $331,488, which is lower than the state average of $369,996.
Living in Punta Gorda, you can enjoy a nice family-friendly atmosphere, which makes it perfect for family visits. Another part of the town's beauty is that it's highly walkable, saving you on costs of transportation. Beyond that, the attractions are beautiful. If you're a lover of art or botanical gardens, the Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens offer about 30 acres of artistic sculptures and five ecosystems to explore and appreciate. This beauty is naturally transferred to the area's golf courses, too, with the Charlotte Harbor Gulf Island Coast area offering over 20 courses you can enjoy all year round. Even the food is delicious, with places like Laishley Crab House and the Salty Tarpon offering delicious meals for crowds of all ages.
Ocean Shores, Washington
With the Pacific Ocean serving as the backdrop to this town, Ocean Shores in Washington is quite the affordable place to live despite its appearance. With Washington having a high average home value of $585,576, Ocean Shores comes at a quarter of a million less than that, at about $337,537 for average home values. In addition, the day-to-day expenses are 24% lower than the rest of the state and 8% lower than the national average.
As you might be expecting, a lot of leisure activities in Ocean Shores involve the water, with pontoon cruising, fishing, and bird-watching being chief among them. You have access to delicious seafood at restaurants like Bennett's Fish Shack, offering up locally caught seafood for you to enjoy. For something different to do on the beach, you can always take horseback riding on the sand, with the Oyhut Bay Seaside Resort offering those exact services and more. And if you want to escape the sandy beaches, you can always take a quick trip to places like the Weatherwax Nature Preserve to enjoy the vibrant greenery of the area. This area in particular stretches 121 acres and has a 1.2-mile looping trail system that skims across a wetland ecosystem, making it an even more unique experience to observe wildlife there.
Boonville, Missouri
Leave it to the Show Me State, Missouri, to offer a truly remarkable place to retire in Boonville. Not only is it a great place to visit, with it being settled right by the shores of the Missouri River, but it's also great to retire here. According to Zillow, the average home value in Boonville is about $187,877, which is significantly lower than Missouri's home value average of $254,019.
Aside from prices, Boonville has plenty going on, even in the past. You can get a piece of that history from museums like the Rivers, Rails & Trails Museum, which offers exhibits and memorabilia of the surrounding area. There are also numerous festivals and events throughout the year to keep you entertained, such as the Steam Engine Festival held in September, the longest-running festival in Boonville. This festival features blacksmithing, tractor pulls, and several historical demonstrations as a celebration of the town's history. And if you're looking for a nice escape, the Katy Trail State Park is perfect for that, as it offers 237 miles of trail that you can walk or bike along. They even have a bike rental and repair area.
Raton, New Mexico
Just south of the Colorado border in the northern part of New Mexico, you'll find the small town of Raton. With about 6,000 people, the affordability of this town is stellar, with the average home value set at about $146,221, over half of the state average in New Mexico, which hovers around $306,813. Even the cost of living is staggering, with Raton being 13% lower than the New Mexico cost of living and 23% lower than the national cost of living.
But just because Raton is cheap to live in doesn't mean it cuts corners on the area and things to do. To begin, you're surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery, and the locals have made a point of creating memorable visuals scattered throughout the area. Visually, you can capture the area's beauty through the highly travelled Old Raton Pass, which served as a historical landmark for the main route of the Santa Fe Trail. The downtown is incredibly vibrant due to the aforementioned memorable visuals created by artists, but also due to the numerous shops, which are housed in Victorian-style houses and preserved over the years. One stop is the Raton Museum, which has Native American, coal mining, and ranching artifacts and talks about the area's history.
In addition, the town also becomes quite lively around its events and festivals. Their annual Fourth of July celebration is unlike traditional events, with that celebration coinciding with their International Santa Fe Trail Balloon Rally. Attendees can enjoy a free pancake breakfast, watching hot air balloons rise into the air, a parade, and evening fireworks.
Weirton, West Virginia
Tucked between Pittsburgh and Steubenville is the sliver of land that is Weirton, West Virginia. It's a particularly unique town, as it sits between two counties in the state, Hancock and Brooke. That aside, living here is still cheaper, with the average home value in Weirton being about $141,033, which is below the already-low state average home value of $168,655.
This town has historical roots that date back to the 1700s, with the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center documenting and sharing that history. Beyond that, quaint shops, a welcoming community, and ample outdoor activities are available to residents and visitors alike. For shopping, the SerenDipity Boutique is a specialty neighborhood boutique for classy and casual items. Another iconic spot to check out is the Homer Laughlin China Company in Newell, a company that's been around since 1871. To explore the full extent of the wilderness, the Tomlinson Run State Park is a local favorite, with the park stretching 1,398 acres. It's broken into two sections: a wilderness area with forested hills, overhanging sandstone and shale cliffs, and several wildflowers and fauna, and a developed area offering your traditional park offerings.
Paducah, Kentucky
A designated UNESCO Creative City and a beautiful river town, Paducah, Kentucky, is a melting pot of cultural heritage and creativity in addition to a wonderful place to retire. In terms of affordability, the average home value in Paducah is about $184,557, which is a cut below the average home value of Kentucky, locked in at about $224,082.
The town overall lives and breathes for creativity as its core identity. It's one of the nine creative cities in the United States to be offered this designation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and it's easy to see why. The National Quilt Museum is one of its artistic flagship spots with exhibits displaying the skilled artwork of experienced and emerging quilt artists. They also host workshops by those very same artists. There is also the Carson Center, a state-of-the-art performing arts center with shows from touring Broadway productions, well-known entertainers, dramas, dance, and popular faith-based and family-friendly performances shown year-round.
This creativity also stretches to other areas beyond art centers, with spots like the Land Between The Lakes offering a wide variety of activities and beautiful scenery in their national recreation area. Activities include mountain biking, cycling, camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, off-highway vehicle trails, and water sports.
Corning, Iowa
With roughly 1,500 people, Corning, Iowa, is a cozy town with a welcoming community, a beautiful main street with local eateries and shops, and a simple encouragement to slow down and take it all in. The laid-back and simpler days are baked into the average home values as well, with Corning's average home value hovering around $140,960, a stark comparison to the state's average home values of $225,028.
The sense of community becomes apparent in the display seen on Davis Avenue, the mural art called Birds of Icaria. This mural is near Sally's Alley, an area where people can sit, relax, and view the beautiful mural featuring local birds of Iowa, Lake Icaria, and Corning. Another fantastic spot to feel connected to the community is the Corning American Theater, which showcases the best movies Hollywood has to offer in a historical theater setting. And if you're a casual golfer, you can enjoy a nice 9-hole round of golf at Happy Hollow Country Club. The club itself has been a cornerstone of the community since 1923 and is a great place to meet new people and create memorable moments.
As you can tell from these towns, you don't have to sacrifice luxury or cozy living with affordability. From the picturesque spots in Raton, New Mexico, to the surprising high life in Ocean Shores, Washington, you can find a nice balance if you're willing to look around. So if any of these places caught your eye, pack your bags, and make it a day trip or a weekend out of it. Get a feel for these places before finally settling in. You won't regret it.
