9 Best Towns In The Southern United States For Retirees
Down South, January means a light jacket instead of a snow shovel. The doctor, the diner, and the pharmacy are all a short walk away. Your car will start to feel a little neglected. A couple of these states skip the tax on retirement income, leaving more for the grandkids. Your neighbors will have your coffee order memorized by week two. The mild weather and the early-bird specials handle the rest.
Mount Airy, North Carolina
Mount Airy was the real-life model for "Mayberry." The pace has not picked up much since. Boomers who grew up on the show feel right at home. Summers in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina are mild and easy on the joints. Main Street puts brunch and bluegrass within an easy walk.
Lovills Creek Lake is a flat one-mile walk away, full of bass and trout. Dozens more fishing streams lie within a half-hour drive. The Yadkin Valley wineries make an easy afternoon when the grandkids visit. Northern Regional Hospital handles everyday care. Winston-Salem's specialists are 35 miles out. RidgeCrest offers assisted and independent living.
Dahlonega, Georgia
Dahlonega built its life around one compact square, easy to circle on foot. The Holly Theatre handles the cultural calendar a block away. Tasting rooms from the nearby vineyards line the streets.
Georgia is kind to retirees at tax time. Residents 65 and up exclude up to $65,000 of retirement income. A homestead exemption trims the property tax bill. Gibbs Gardens and Amicalola Falls State Park make gentle day trips. Northeast Georgia Medical Center Lumpkin is the hospital in town. Gainesville's larger hospital is 20 miles away. Dahlonega Assisted Living & Memory Care and Foothills Retirement Home take the senior-living side.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Eureka Springs never bothered to install a single traffic light. Family diners pack the Victorian downtown on an Ozark hillside. The Opera in the Ozarks gives retirees concerts all summer.
Lake Leatherwood Park and the Blue Spring Heritage Center are minutes out for a gentle day. Eureka Springs Hospital has a 24-hour emergency room. The Blossoms at Eureka Springs Rehab & Nursing Center handles longer-term care.
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Ocean Springs is a Gulf Coast art town with a flat, walkable downtown. The Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival takes over the streets each fall. Local boats land shrimp and oysters daily. Aunt Jenny's Catfish Restaurant has served fried platters under the live oaks for decades.
Flat paths along Front Beach suit easy strolls and slow rides. The Gulf Islands National Seashore protects quiet beaches offshore. The Ocean Springs Senior Center plans weekly outings for retirees. Singing River Hospital is in town. Biloxi's bigger hospital is 10 miles away. Truewood by Merrill and Ocean Springs Health & Rehabilitation Center give residents two senior-living options.
Waycross, Georgia
Oak trees shade the flat sidewalks across downtown Waycross. The City Auditorium books theater and concerts close to home. Each year the town hosts the Gram Parsons Guitar Pull.
The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge starts at the southern edge of town. Retirees take slow boat rides through the swamp and watch the birds. Laura S. Walker State Park is under 10 miles out. Its golf course draws seniors. The beaches of St. Simons and Jekyll Island are an hour away. Memorial Satilla Health is the main hospital. Magnolia Manor of Waycross and Summerhouse on the Lake offer senior living nearby.
Kilmarnock, Virginia
Locals call Virginia's Northern Neck the "forgotten corner." Kilmarnock is its quiet hub. The Chesapeake Bay and two rivers wrap the peninsula in calm water. Shops and cafes line a few flat blocks of Main Street. Fewer than 2,000 people live here. The crowds never found it. Retirees count that a plus.
Kilmarnock Town Centre Park hosts community events on level grounds. Hughlett Point Natural Area Preserve has easy trails along the bay. A summer carnival and a Christmas parade fill the calendar. Bon Secours Rappahannock General Hospital serves the area from town. Commonwealth Senior Living operates here.
Litchfield Beach, South Carolina
Litchfield Beach is the South Carolina coast without the high-rises or the crowds. Next-door Pawleys Island has taken USA Today's "Best Beach in South Carolina" three years straight. The shoreline is low and quiet.
Golf fills the days around Litchfield by the Sea, a magnet for retirees. Litchfield Country Club and Pawleys Plantation add more tee times nearby. Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital is 15 miles away. Pawleys Island Assisted Living and Indigo at Pawleys Island are the local senior-living options.
Florence, Alabama
Florence hosts a blues festival every summer for native son W.C. Handy. First Fridays bring music and art downtown. The Shoals Community Theatre stages plays and concerts. The Florence Senior Center, nicknamed "The Club," fills the week with activities for retirees.
The University of North Alabama adds concerts and lectures a short walk from downtown. The Tennessee River and Pickwick Lake give seniors flat spots to fish and walk. North Alabama Medical Center is the main hospital. Florence Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and Arbor Landing at Florence provide senior living.
Danville, Virginia
Danville rebuilt its downtown along the Dan River. The Riverwalk Trail follows the water for miles of flat, easy walking. The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History fills the Sutherlin Mansion, the Last Capitol of the Confederacy.
The Danville Symphony Orchestra plays a full season. A city of about 40,000 puts doctors and services close at hand. Sovah Health is the main hospital. Roman Eagle Rehabilitation and Health Care Center and Stratford House serve local retirees.
Good Years on Southern Time
Picking a retirement town comes down to the small stuff. In Florence, that is a blues set downtown before an early dinner. In Waycross, it is a sunrise paddle through the Okefenokee. Kilmarnock has quiet water and an unhurried Main Street. Litchfield Beach has dune grass and golf carts instead of high-rises. Danville has a flat riverwalk and a full symphony season. None of these towns ask for much. They give back mild winters, short walks, and neighbors who already know your name.
