30 Cheap, Beautiful Places To Retire With Just $250K in Savings
Throughout the years, you diligently saved for retirement and have $250,000 stashed away. But even with that big stash, the reality is that you might not be able to rely on that retirement fund, combined with your annual Social Security earnings (an average of $22,083.24 per year), to live comfortably in retirement for the rest of your life.
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GOBankingRates set out to find the cities where you just might be able to have it all — natural beauty and a high livability score — on your retirement savings and earnings. We looked at how many years your money would last when you take into account the cost of rent, groceries, healthcare, transportation, utilities and miscellaneous expenditures — and how old you’d be when it runs out if you retired at age 65.
The study uncovered 30 cities, most of them in the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest, where you could enjoy the beautiful scenery for a number of years — even taking you past 100 in a few places.
If you’re looking to spend your retirement in a place filled with comfort, check out these cities as a potential next home.
Shelby, North Carolina
Natural beauty index: 5.77
Livability score: 75
Annual expenditures: $32,475.97
Annual cost after Social Security: $10,392.73
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 24.06
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 89.06
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Lakewood, Washington
Natural beauty index: 8.40
Livability score: 73
Annual expenditures: $40,811.16
Annual cost after Social Security: $18,727.92
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 13.35
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 78.35
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Greensboro, North Carolina
Natural beauty index: 5.77
Livability score: 82
Annual expenditures: $35,831.62
Annual cost after Social Security: 13,748.38 $
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 18.18
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 83.18
Ashland, Ohio
Natural beauty index: 4.55
Livability score: 71
Annual expenditures: $29,223.66
Annual cost after Social Security: $7,140.42
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 35.01
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 100.01
Akron, Ohio
Natural beauty index: 4.55
Livability score: 81
Annual expenditures: $32,003.42
Annual cost after Social Security: $9,920.18
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 25.20
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 90.20
Athens, Ohio
Natural beauty index: 4.55
Livability score: 82
Annual expenditures: $32,381.09
Annual cost after Social Security: $10,297.85
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 24.28
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 89.28
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Parma, Ohio
Natural beauty index: 4.55
Livability score: 80
Annual expenditures: $31,581.93
Annual cost after Social Security: $9,498.69
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 26.32
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 91.32
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Natural beauty index: 4.55
Livability score: 82
Annual expenditures: $32,310.46
Annual cost after Social Security: $10,227.22
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 24.44
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 89.44
Farmington, Utah
Natural beauty index: 5.39
Livability score: 91
Annual expenditures: $41,688.86
Annual cost after Social Security: $19,605.62
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 12.75
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 77.75
Clawson, Michigan
Natural beauty index: 5.13
Livability score: 91
Annual expenditures: $39,456.83
Annual cost after Social Security: $17,373.59
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 14.39
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 79.39
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Cary, North Carolina
Natural beauty index: 5.77
Livability score: 90
Annual expenditures: $41,835.79
Annual cost after Social Security: $19,752.55
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 12.66
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 77.66
East Cleveland, Ohio
Natural beauty index: 4.55
Livability score: 69
Annual expenditures: $28,486.20
Annual cost after Social Security: $6,402.96
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 39.04
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 104.04
University Heights, Ohio
Natural beauty index: 4.55
Livability score: 89
Annual expenditures: $34,736.49
Annual cost after Social Security: $12,653.25
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 19.76
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 84.76
Logan, Utah
Natural beauty index: 5.39
Livability score: 86
Annual expenditures: $35,428.82
Annual cost after Social Security: $13,345.58
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 18.73
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 83.73
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Pocatello, Idaho
Natural beauty index: 4.37
Livability score: 84
Annual expenditures: $31,644.00
Annual cost after Social Security: $9,560.76
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 26.15
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 91.15
Steubenville, Ohio
Natural beauty index: 4.55
Livability score: 76
Annual expenditures: $29,622.24
Annual cost after Social Security: $7,539.00
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 33.16
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 98.16
Tacoma, Washington
Natural beauty index: 8.40
Livability score: 77
Annual expenditures: $40,877.84
Annual cost after Social Security: $18,794.60 $
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 13.30
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 78.30
Mansfield, Ohio
Natural beauty index: 4.55
Livability score: 74
Annual expenditures: $29,033.39
Annual cost after Social Security: $6,950.15
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 35.97
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 100.97
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Moses Lake, Washington
Natural beauty index: 8.40
Livability score: 74
Annual expenditures: $36,305.67
Annual cost after Social Security: $14,222.43
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 17.58
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 82.58
Milwaukie, Oregon
Natural beauty index: 6.82
Livability score: 88
Annual expenditures: $42,307.44
Annual cost after Social Security: $20,224.20
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 12.36
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 77.36
Youngstown, Ohio
Natural beauty index: 4.55
Livability score: 80
Annual expenditures: $29,686.55
Annual cost after Social Security: $7,603.31
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 32.88
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 97.88
Walla Walla, Washington
Natural beauty index: 8.40
Livability score: 78
Annual expenditures: $37,277.04
Annual cost after Social Security: $15,193.80
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 16.45
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 81.45
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Spokane, Washington
Natural beauty index: 8.40
Livability score: 80
Annual expenditures: $37,701.03
Annual cost after Social Security: $15,617.79
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 16.01
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 81.01
Ellensburg, Washington
Natural beauty index: 8.40
Livability score: 80
Annual expenditures: $37,556.79
Annual cost after Social Security: $15,473.55
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 16.16
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 81.16
Yakima, Washington
Natural beauty index: 8.40
Livability score: 78
Annual expenditures: $34,394.98
Annual cost after Social Security: $12,311.74
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 20.31
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 85.31
Cheney, Washington
Natural beauty index: 8.40
Livability score: 78
Annual expenditures: $33,825.57
Annual cost after Social Security: 11,742.33 $
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 21.29
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 86.29
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Spokane Valley, Washington
Natural beauty index: 8.40
Livability score: 85
Annual expenditures: $38,288.96
Annual cost after Social Security: $16,205.72
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 15.43
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 80.43
Alliance, Ohio
Natural beauty index: 4.55
Livability score: 76
Annual expenditures: $27,724.92
Annual cost after Social Security: $5,641.68
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 44.31
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 109.31
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Natural beauty index: 5.13
Livability score: 82
Annual expenditures: $28,942.01
Annual cost after Social Security: $6,858.77
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 36.45
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 101.45
Pullman, Washington
Natural beauty index: 8.40
Livability score: 85
Annual expenditures: $34,531.73
Annual cost after Social Security: $12,448.49
Years to drawdown $250k savings: 20.08
Age savings run out (starting at 65): 85.08
Methodology: To find cheap, beautiful places to retire with just $250,000 in savings, GOBankingRates analyzed U.S. cities across a variety of factors including: [1] grocery cost of living index, [2] healthcare cost of living index, [3] utilities cost of living index, [4] transportation cost of living index, and [5] miscellaneous cost of living index, all sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces; [6] livability score sourced from AreaVibes; [7] average rent cost as sourced from Zillow Observed Rental Index; [8] average Social Security benefits as sourced from the Social Security Administration; [9] average expenditure costs as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey; and [10] the natural beauty index as sourced from the Booking.com Natural Beauty Index by state. The Natural beauty index is a measure of the natural attractions a place offers, measured by state parks, national parks, volcanoes, lakes, shoreline and mountains. The higher the number, the more natural beauty a location has. All locations under the average rating were removed, leaving only the places that rate more beautiful than average. The national average expenditure costs are multiplied by each city’s cost of living index for each expenditure category in order to find the average expenditure cost of living in each city. The average expenditure cost was added to the average rent to find the total cost of living in each city. Assuming a person retires at 65 and starts collecting Social Security benefits then, calculations were made to find how long $250,000 in savings would last. The average lifespan in the U.S. is currently 77.2 years old, so all locations where the drawdown ends before the person turns 77 were removed in order to show places a person can survive through the average lifespan. The natural beauty index was scored and weighted at 1.25, the Livability score was scored and weighted at 1.10, the annual total cost was scored and weighted at 1.00, and the years to drawdown savings was scored and weighted at 1.25. All scores were combined and sorted to show places that are beautiful and cheap to retire on savings of $250,000. All data was collected and is up to date as of Oct. 17, 2023.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 30 Cheap, Beautiful Places To Retire With Just $250K in Savings
