By Rita R. Robison, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

As the dreary weather in the Pacific Northwest drags into spring, I’m thinking about retiring somewhere where it’s warm.

Is it a good idea to leave your community when you retire? How do you go about making the decision?

About a quarter of baby boomers think they’ll move from their homes in the future, an AARP study shows.

Here are some things to consider if you think you want to select another community for retirement:

• Where your children live. You may want to move to be near your family. However, if you live near your children now, it could be more difficult for them to help you as you grow older if you move away.

• Where you grew up. You may want to move back to where you were raised. A number of my Chelan High School classmates are moving back to Chelan, Wash., home of the lovely Lake Chelan, to retire.

• Costs of retirement. It’s important to gather information on the costs of living in your prospective retirement cities and compare it to where you currently live. If you live in a high-cost area, you may be able to find a community where you’d pay lower taxes and less for maintenance and utilities. I’d like to live near Santa Barbara, Calif., but it’s expensive to live near the coast in Northern California.

• Downsizing. You’ll need to find out if the cities you’re considering have less costly homes. You’ll probably want to find a smaller one that will require less care and upkeep.

• Quality of Life. An attractive, pleasant community that’s easy to get around in will help to enhance your retirement. You’ll also want to gather information about the air quality, crime rates, and other quality of life factors.

• The weather. It’s easier these days to do research on the Internet about climate. You also will be able to check out the weather when you visit.

• Colleges and educational opportunities for adults. If the city has a college, you’ll be able to have opportunities to hear well-known speakers and musicians, as well as take classes for older adults.

• Medical care. When you visit, be sure to ask local people about the quality of the medical care in the area. Databases, such as Hospital Compare and AARP’s Top 125 Hospitals, offer information on hospitals.

• Cultural activities. If you love museums and historical buildings, include finding out about these facilities as part of your research.

• Recreational activities. Parks and trails for walking and bicycling, health clubs for exercising, and lakes and streams for fishing and boating may be among the recreational facilities you’d like to enjoy in your new community.

• Social opportunities. If you enjoy belonging to clubs and other organizations, make sure that your new city will provide these opportunities.

Here are resources to help you with your decision making on finding the right retirement community for you:

“The 20 Cities Where the Most Baby Boomers Will Retire” – U.S. News and World Report

“Where to Find the Cheapest Places to Retire” – Great Retirement Places

“Best Places for Baby Boomers to Thrive in U.S.” – The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

“The Dream of Retiring Where It’s Warm in the U.S.” – The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

“The Dream of Retiring Where It’s Warm Abroad” – The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

“15 Great Places to Reinvent Your Life” – AARP

“Benefits of Downsizing and Relocation” – New Retirement

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