Looking for a great place to retire? There are a number of communities where LGBT people can spend their golden years among like-minded people. Some of them are among the top retirement destinations in the country, too. You might be surprised to learn that they’re not necessarily the places you’d expect, either. Here are some of the most popular places for LGBT people to retire, based off of the numbers from the 2012 U.S. Census.
Looking to retire to a huge city where you’ll never be more than a few minutes away from just about anything? You might expect Florida, one of the most popular retirement states, to top the list, but Tampa actually ties for second place beside Phoenix, Arizona. Instead, if you’re looking to retire to a city with more than 250,000 people, you’ll find the most gay and lesbian retirees move to Atlanta, Georgia. Many chose these three cities because of the good cost of living and the decent retirement tax. The convenience of being able to walk almost anywhere, plus the many different services available for senior citizens makes them ideal for older individuals.
Some people don’t want to live in huge cities, but they do want the convenience that comes with living in a rather large area. If you want to live in a city with 100,000 people or more, you might want to retire to Fort Lauderdale. While it may get fairly crowded and noisy around spring break, the city is fairly quiet the rest of the year. If Fort Lauderdale isn’t to your liking, two other Florida cities made this list: St. Petersburg and Orlando. Both have great cost of living benefits and amazing weather. If Florida is a bit too tropical for you, Paradise and Enterprise, Nevada, are good options. Located near Las Vegas, these two cities have a dry heat that you may be able to tolerate a lot better than the dampness of Florida.
But not everyone wants to live in a city. How about a smaller urban area with fewer than 100,000 people? Once again, Florida shines here. Wilton Manors, known as one of the best places for the LGBT community, is at the top of this list. Oakland Park and Miami Shores are also great places to retire to. Then there’s Rehoboth Beach in Delaware for those who want to retire to the Northeast. Avondale Estates in Georgia is another great retirement destination.
So where are you going to retire? Even if it’s years away, you can always start dreaming about retirement!
