Retire to Alabama

The State of Alabama is located in the southern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland waterways. The state ranks 23rd in population with almost 4.6 million residents in 2006. Alabama is unofficially nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, which is also the name of the state bird. Alabama is also known as the "Heart of Dixie". The state tree is the Longleaf Pine, the state flower is the Camellia. The capital of Alabama is Montgomery, and the largest city is Birmingham.

The fact that the cost of living, including home prices and taxes, are below the national average only adds to the state's attractiveness as a great place to retire. But perhaps nothing has spurred interest in Alabama as a retirement destination as much as the development of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, a system of more than twenty challenging courses spread out across the state at ten ecologically diverse locations. Combine over 50,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness in the rugged foothills of the Appalachian Mountains…miles of snow-white beaches and the pleasant sea breezes of the Gulf Coast... an almost total absence of urban congestion …and a unique and affordable collection of public golf courses… and you have a formula that makes the state of Alabama an extremely inviting place for thousands of retirees.

Elder care websites

CNN has listed some good resources for you to find services and communities for ailing parents with special needs:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/03/20/ep.family.care/index.html

Bridgeport Connecticut Retirement

Bridgeport, in the Coastal Fairfield region of Connecticut. The mayor himself welcomes you to Bridgeport with this note:

Bridgeport is a thriving multicultural city located right on the water of Long Island Sound in the southern part of Connecticut. Our great location and proximity to other cities such as New York and Boston make Bridgeport a wonderful city to live, work, and visit.

Home of American icons such as PT Barnum and Tom Thumb, Bridgeport’s rich history of providing the rest of the United States with needed manufactured goods during the early- to mid-20th Century earned it the name “Arsenal of Democracy” during World War II.

Bridgeport is also often referred to as the "Park City" because it possesses such beautifully designed public parks. Our Seaside Park and Beardsley Park were both created by Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who famously designed Central Park.

Retirement Communities:

Bridgeport Rescue Mission Inc www.bridgeportrescuemission.org
Park City Residential Care Home (203) 362-1000
Isaiah Inc (203) 549-0018
Ludlow Health Center www.ludlowecenterhealth.com - (203) 372-4501
Barnum House (203) 384-0243
Hall Commons Inc (203) 338-0615
Seymour Hollander Housing www.hollanderhouse.org

Population: 138,000

Weather: www.wunderground.com/US/CT/Bridgeport.html

Housing Costs: The Median home price in Bridgeport is 229,000 and housing prices appear fairly stable over the past year.
www.Zillow.com has more detail for home prices in Colorado

Connecticut Taxes

Transportation: www.gbtabus.com

Universities and Colleges:
St Vincent's College www.stvincentscollege.edu
University of Bridgeport www.bridgeport.edu
Sacred Heart University www.sacredheart.edu
State of Connecticut: Bridgeport www.hcc.commnet.edu
Bridgeport Hospital School-Nursing www.bridgeporthospital.org

Health care:
Bridgeport Hospital www.bridgeporthospital.org (203) 384-3000
St Vincent's Medical Center www.stvincents.org (203) 576-6000
HealthSouth Surgery Center of Bridgeport LLC www.healthsouth.com

Travel and tourism: www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com
Attractions list for Coastal Fairfield County

Pueblo Colorado Retirement

Pueblo Colorado is in the southeast region of Colorado. The Pueblo Official City website: www.pueblo.us

For some Pueblo perspectives check out City Data's forum on Pueblo.


Retirement Communities:

Pueblo Regent Retirement (719) 566-0111
Sharmar Village Care Center www.chateauatsharmar.com - (719) 544-1173
Villa Pueblo Senior Living (719) 545-5911
Belmont Senior Care www.belmontseniorcare.com

Population: 104,000

Weather: www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/

Cost of Living: Low to moderate due to declining home prices.

Housing Costs: The Median home price in Pueblo dropped precipitously this year to 131,000.
www.Zillow.com has more detail for home prices in Colorado

Colorado Taxes: www.revenue.state.co.us

Transportation: Pueblo Transit

Universities and Colleges:

Colorado State University-Pueblo www.colostate-pueblo.edu
Pueblo Community College www.pueblocc.edu
Red Rocks Community College www.rrcc.edu
Colorado Technical University - Pueblo www.pueblo.coloradotech.edu

Health care:
Parkview Medical Center www.parkviewmc.org
Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo www.cdhs.state.co.us
St Mary-Corwin Diabetes Center www.stmarycorwin.org

Travel and tourism:
www.destinationpueblo.com is the Chamber of Commerce's tourism website.

Sterling, Colorado Retirement

Sterling, Colorado is in Northeast Colorado. The City website notes about Sterling:

Known as the Queen City of the Plains, Sterling is located in Logan County in the Northeastern corner of Colorado on Interstate 76. Having the largest population, estimated at approximately 13,900, of those communities in Colorado east of Pueblo, Sterling is the regional shopping hub for Northeast Colorado and Southwest Nebraska.

Retirement Communities:

Sterling does not appear to have many organized retirement communities. Please let us know if you know of some!

Population: 13,000

Housing Costs:
http://www.zillow.com/ has more detail for home prices in Colorado

Colorado Taxes: http://www.revenue.state.co.us/

Health care:
Sterling Regional Medcenter http://www.bannerhealth.com/
615 Fairhurst Street, Sterling - (970) 522-0122

Travel and tourism: http://www.sterlingcolo.com/ http://www.logancountychamber.com/

Fort Collins Colorado Retirement

Fort Collins lies in Colorado's Front Range Region. Money Magazine ranked Fort Collins this the *best* place to live in the USA in 2006, though it did not make the top ten in 2007.

Retirement Communities in Fort Collins:

Worthington www.columbinehealth.com
Collinwood Assisted Living www.bethesdaadultcommunities.com
New Mercer Commons www.columbinehealth.com
Good Samaritan Society Fort Collins Village www.good-sam.com
Brookdale-Sterling House of ft Collins www.brookdaleliving.com

Population: 128,000 (2006)

Weather: Annual precipitation 16 inches.
Clear days 106
Snowfall 36 inches.
High temp in July 86°
Low temp in Jan 15°

Cost of Living:
Housing Costs:The Median home price is 212,000, making Fort Collins housing more affordable than many other popular retirement regions in the USA.

www.Zillow.com has more detail for home prices in Colorado

Colorado Taxes: www.revenue.state.co.us

Transportation: www.fcgov.com/transfort is the official system of Fort Collins.

Universities and Colleges:

Institute-Business & Medical www.ibmcedu.com
Colorado State University www.colostate.edu
Collegeamerica www.collegeamerica.edu
Co State University www.colostate.edu
Colorado State University www.colostate.edu
Front Range Community College www.frontrange.edu

Health care:
Longmont United Hospital www.luhcares.org
Poudre Valley Hospital www.pvhs.org
Co State University Teaching Hospital www.colostate.edu
Poudre Valley Hospital: Poudre Valley Hospital-Poudre Valley www.pvhs.org

Travel and tourism:
www.ftcollins.com is the official website for Fort Collins travelers and tourists.

Denver CO Retirement

Denver is known as the "Mile High City" for it's high elevation near Colorado's spectacular Rocky Mountains. Denver is located in Colorado's "Denver" Travel region.

Retirement Communities in Denver (not a comprehensive listing):
Heritage Club of Denver www.elderlivingsource.com
Porter Place Retirement www.centuraseniors.org
Dayton Place Retirement Community www.daytonplace.com
Top Rock LLC www.meridians.com
Allied Jewish Apartments www.ajsh.org
Lakewood Estates Retirement (303) 239-0740
Argyle Park Square www.theargyle.org

Population: 555,000 people live in Denver.

Weather: Dry, sunny, moderate winters, warm summers. Rainfall average is 15 inches, snowfall 55 inches.

Cost of Living: Moderate

Housing Costs: Denver's Median home price is $240,000
www.Zillow.com has more detail for home prices in Colorado
http://www.housingtracker.net/old_housingtracker/location/Colorado/Denver/ also has good housing data for Denver

Colorado Taxes: www.revenue.state.co.us

Transportation: Denver Regional Transportation http://www.rtd-denver.com/

Universities and Colleges:

University of Denver www.du.edu
Johnson & Wales University www.jwu.edu
Art Institute of Colorado www.artinstitutes.edu
Colorado Christian University www.ccu.edu
Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design www.rmcad.edu
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center www.tivoli.org
Westwood College www.westwood.edu

Health care:
Denver Health and Hospital Authority www.denverhealth.org
Healthone: Presbyterian-Saint Luke's Medical Center www.pslmc.com
Rose Medical Center www.rosebabies.com
Porter Adventist Hospital www.porterhospital.org
St Anthony Hospital www.stanthonyhosp.org
Centura Health Hospitals: Centura Home Care & Hospice www.centurahealthathome.org
National Jewish Medical and Research Center www.nationaljewish.org
Exempla St Joseph Hospital www.exempla.org
University of Colorado Hospital www.uch.edu

Travel and tourism: www.denver.org is Denver's official Visitor Bureau Website, and offers extensive information about this dynamic region. Check out the following categories at the site for more information:

Art Galleries and Antiques
Performing Arts
Casinos & Gaming
Rail Transportation
Children's Attractions
Seasonal Events
Colorado CVBs/Chambers of Commerce
Specialty Tours and Attractions
Denver Cultural Resources
Sports, Music and Event Venues
Denver Metro
Sports, Professional
Guided Tours
Winery/Brewery Tours
Museums
Zoo
Official Visitor Information Centers

Retire To Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley metropolitan area. The region is a choice place to live. We're the home of nationally known attractions and museums, such as Winterthur Museum & Country Estate; Longwood Gardens; Nemours Mansion & Gardens; Hagley Museum; the Delaware Art Museum; and the Brandywine River Museum. You can enjoy a weekend getaway in your own backyard!

Population: According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 72,876.

Transportation: Wilmington is served by the Wilmington Rail Station, with frequent service between Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC. The closest major airport is Philadelphia International Airport. A few miles south of Wilmington is New Castle County Airport which will have commerical services via Skybus Airlines beginning March 7,2008 to Columbus, OH and Greensboro, NC.

Health Care: Christiana Care Health System
13 Reads Way, Ste. 203, New Castle, 19720 (Click for Map)
Website: http://christianacare.org
Phone: 302-733-1000

Weather: Current weather forecast for Wilmington, DE

Housing Costs: Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $141,600 (it was $89,100 in 2000) Median gross rent in 2005: $736

El Dorado-Monroe, Arkansas Retirement

El Dorado is the site for several annual events, including the Mayhaw Festival hosted by the South Arkansas Historical Foundation the first Saturday of each May (with a crawfish boil the same weekend), a Fantastic Fourth Celebration during July (including a 5k run, an antique car show, and fireworks), the SouthArk Outdoor Expo in September, the two-day MusicFest in October (with pop, rock, blues, and country performers, among other events), and various winter holiday events, including the largest Christmas parade in the state. The above mentioned Crawfish Boil has become so much more. It now hosts a "Battle of the Bands", a Bike show/one day motorcycle rally, a motorcycle parade, a Pool tournament, and much more. The official name of the event is "Bugs, Bands, and Bikes


Health Care: Medical Center of South Arkansas



Colleges and Universities:
South Arkansas Community College, Union County, AR
Southern Arkansas University, Columbia County, AR

El Dorado is a city in Union County, Arkansas, USA. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,467. The city is the county seat of Union CountyGR6, and home to the headquarters of Murphy Oil Corporation, Deltic Timber Corporation, and Lion Oil Refinery. The city hosts a community college, South Arkansas Community College ("Southark"), as well as a symphony and an arts center.

Retire in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Looking for an Arkansas retirement community? One visit to Hot Springs and you'll see why Places to Retire and Modern Maturity magazines consistently rank it as one of the best places in America to retire. Hot Springs, Arkansas retirement communities combine great scenic beauty, friendly people and an affordable cost of living with amenities to fit every lifestyle. Eleven championship golf courses, three pristine blue fishing and boating lakes, a thriving fine arts and cultural experience and the finest health-care facilities you'll find anywhere in a community this size all combine to make Hot Springs a retiree's dream. Excellent schools, a cosmopolitan atmosphere, a thriving economy and big-city amenities make Hot Springs the obvious choice for retirement or relocation.

Weather: Hot Springs, Arkansas Climate
Hot Springs has four distinct seasons, all generally mild. Average rainfall is 54 inches a year with the heaviest rainfall usually in April and May. Average relative humidity is 75%.

Retirement Communities: Hot Springs Village Gated Retirement Living

Health Care:
St. Joseph’s Mercy Health Center
501-622-1000
300 Werner St. , Hot Springs , AR 71913
http://www.saintjosephs.com/

National Park Medical Center HealthPark
501-520-2000
1636 Higdon Ferry Rd. , Hot Springs , AR 71913
http://www.healthparkhospital.com/
501-321-1000
1010 Malvern Ave. , Hot Springs , AR 71901
http://www.nationalparkmedical.com/


Levi Hospital
501-624-1281
300 Prospect Ave. , Hot Springs , AR 71901
http://www.levihospital.com/


Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center
501-624-4411
105 Reserve St. , Hot Springs , AR
www.arsinfo.org/hsrehab.html

Colleges and Universities:
Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts
501-622-5100
200 Whittington Ave. , Hot Springs , AR 71901

Cost of Living: Hot Springs ended 2006 listed as one of ten least expensive places to live in the United States . Hot Springs had been ranked just outside the top ten at 12 overall for most of the year prior to ACCRA ’s latest release. The Index is a calculation of the cost of living for 311 urban areas across the United States . According to the report, Hot Springs also has the lowest cost of living index of all Arkansas metro areas.

Transportation: Transportation includes one commercial airline along with charter and rental services. Hot Springs Municipal Airport features instrument approaches: ILS, VOR, NDB, DME and with a runway 5-23 of 6,600 ft. x 150 ft. Convenient shuttle service is available to the Little Rock National Airport or by car the major airport is just an hour away.
By rail, Hot Springs has direct service to Amtrak passenger stations in Malvern and Little Rock using the Hot Springs Shuttle for shuttle service between Hot Springs and trainside. Malvern’s station is designated Malvern/Hot Springs National Park. Amtrak’s Texas Eagle superliner serves this station daily with service from Chicago to Dallas, San Antonio, and Los Angeles. 1-800-872-7245 http://www.amtrak.com/

Population: According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 37,847.

Housing Costs: Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $93,600 (it was $71,700 in 2000)