Baby boomers, aka those born between 1946 and 1964, are retiring at a record pace. In fact, according to AARP, some 10,000 people in the age demographic retire each day, while U.S. Census Data shows that 1 in 6 Americans is now over the age of 65. And many of them are moving to new locations to live out their golden years. While yes, Florida remains a popular choice — and Tampa was also recently named the best destination in America to retire — boomers appear to be breaking new ground in cities around America.
According to a new report by Moody’s Analytics published in MarketWatch, Austin saw its retiree population double between 2010 and 2020. Additional cities, including Boise, Idaho; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Atlanta; Houston; Charleston; Jacksonville, Florida; Dallas; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and the suburbs of Washington, D.C. all saw massive gains in populations over the age of 65 in the same time period.
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“It was interesting to me how geographically dispersed the list was,” Nick Luettke, an associate economist at Moody’s Analytics, told MarketWatch. “The growth was spread to different parts of the country, outside of the traditional retirement locations.”
However, the researchers noted that more traditional retirement spots likely didn’t make the list because they are already popular, constantly receiving a steady stream of retirees, rather than one big bump in population like the cities above.
So, what do these cities have that others don’t?
“These metros offered more senior living options, better medical support, and bigger senior resident communities, which are positive factors to propel the sector’s growth,” the researchers said. “Competitive rents for many of the above-mentioned markets are also a great draw for our senior community.”
Still, these places may be attracting a few more retirees than before, but according to U.S. Census Bureau survey data, Florida still reigns supreme. As AARP reported, the census data shows that Florida is still the most popular choice for retirement, while a study by SmartAsset showed that some 78,000 retirees made the move there in 2021. But still, there’s nothing wrong with bucking a trend and trying somewhere new, right? And, if you’re ready to take the next step, you could always consider retiring to Europe, too.