TRAVERSE CITY (WWJ) - A Northern Michigan city has taken the top spot as the county's best and most budget-friendly place for people to live out their golden years "without draining their savings."
The list, compiled by Realtor.com, ranked Traverse City at the top of the nation's 300 largest metro areas by comparing a number of factors including the affordability in the local real estate market, senior-friendly amenities in homes for sale and businesses that appealed to seniors.
“For some, living in a sunny location with great weather—like Florida, California, or Arizona—is [still] a must-have,” says George Ratiu, manager of economic research for Realtor.com.
But the site argued that well known retirement communities in these areas are less affordable than ever before.
"In fact, California and Arizona didn’t make the top 10 because home prices were so prohibitively high in these states," the site said.
When you take all of that into consideration, Traverse City pulled out on top.
Realtor.com raved about the climate in the Cherry Capital of the World, calling the months from June to late October as "near perfect weather."
"E-bikes are everywhere. Boating, swimming, and (of course) pickleball are huge. Locals regularly go to wine tastings, check out the sand dunes, and paddleboard on a variety of lakes," the website said.
Senior centers are in abundance in T.C., a few of which are waterfront and offer a variety of activities for free, like tennis and shuffleboard. Exercise classes including Zumba and yoga run for $5 a session and are often held on the beach.
Realtor.com said temperatures fall in the winter months and many seniors -dubbed snowbirds - relocate to the South when the weather changes and come back when it warms back up.
The site said the median home list price over the last 12 months stayed at $390,000.
Other cities that made Realtor.com’s list of the 10 Best and Most Affordable Places To Retire in America for 2022 are:
• Portland, ME
• Salisbury, MD
• Myrtle Beach, SC
• Bloomington, IL
• Port St. Lucie, FL
• Syracuse, NY
• Wilmington, NC
• Concord, NH
• St. Louis, MO
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