Austin, Tex.: A Great Large City for Retiring in Good Health
For retirees looking to relocate, Austin's low taxes could be a main attraction.
Population: 931,830
Cost of living: 96 (national median: 100)
Median home price: $209,000 (national median: $185,000)
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Healthy highlight: A 10-mile hiking and biking trail that encircles Lady Bird Lake
The city where Whole Foods was founded takes its healthy living seriously. Residents of the Zilker neighborhood, for instance, are steps away from Zilker Park, a green space of more than 350 acres. Outdoorsy options include sand volleyball courts, disc golf, botanical gardens and Barton Springs Pool, a natural, spring-fed swimming hole that's open year-round. (Residents older than 62 pay only $1; once you hit 80, you get in free.) On Lady Bird Lake, a reservoir on the Colorado River, you can canoe, kayak or float on stand-up paddleboards. The park also hosts free Shakespeare productions, musical theater and concerts.
12 Great Places to Retire for Your Good Health
- Naples, Fla.
- Lynchburg, Va.
- Billings, Mont.
- Greensboro, N.C.
- Omaha, Neb.
- Nashville, Tenn.
- Columbus, Ohio
- Seattle
- Austin, Tex.
- Philadelphia
- St. Petersburg, Fla.
- Augusta, Ga.
Beyond its outdoor amenities, "Zilker is almost two types of living," says longtime resident David Piper, 62, a novelist and painter. The tranquil interior is full of big, old trees, while the business strips of South Lamar Boulevard and Barton Springs Road are lined with shops, restaurants and bars, such as Uncle Billy's Brewery and Smokehouse. Piper can walk from his home to downtown Austin in less than 20 minutes. The peace is disturbed only during concerts or music festivals, such as Austin City Limits and SXSW, when performances take place in nearby parks. (On the bright side, you can sit on your porch and listen free, says Piper.)
As for the rest of Austin, its many attractions include film festivals, taco trucks, barbecue joints, live-music venues (even at Whole Foods) and—for a little something weird—the world's largest urban bat colony, under the Congress Avenue Bridge.
St. David's South Austin Medical Center, a few miles from Zilker, offers specialties including women’s health, heart and vascular care, and oncology, and it is home to Austin’s only bone-marrow transplant program. Seton Medical Center Austin is the only hospital in central Texas that performs heart transplants.
You'll pay for the proximity to downtown—and for the convenience of bypassing Austin's worsening traffic. Single-family homes start at $600,000, says Socar Chatmon-Thomas, former chair of the Austin Board of Realtors. Retirees tend to live in townhomes with small yards or condo townhouses, which go for $450,000 or more. Renting a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment can run $2,000 per month. But Texas has no state income tax, nor does it tax any retirement income.
To continue reading this article
please register for free
This is different from signing in to your print subscription
Why am I seeing this? Find out more here
-
Stock Market Today: Nasdaq Soars Ahead of Tesla Earnings
The EV stock rose nearly 2% ahead of its highly anticipated Q1 earnings report, due after tonight's close.
By Karee Venema Published
-
GM Stock Accelerates After Earnings Beat
General Motors beat expectations for the first quarter and raised its outlook for the year. Here's what you need to know.
By Joey Solitro Published
-
403(b) Contribution Limits for 2024
retirement plans Teachers and nonprofit workers can contribute more to a 403(b) retirement plan in 2024 than they could in 2023.
By Jackie Stewart Published
-
SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2024
SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $69,000 a year.
By Jackie Stewart Published
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2024
Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up for 2024. Here's what you need to know.
By Jackie Stewart Published
-
SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2024
simple IRA The maximum amount workers at small businesses can contribute to a SIMPLE IRA increased by $500 for 2024.
By Jackie Stewart Published
-
457 Contribution Limits for 2024
retirement plans State and local government workers can contribute more to their 457 plans in 2024 than in 2023.
By Jackie Stewart Published
-
Roth 401(k) Contribution Limits for 2024
retirement plans The Roth 401(k) contribution limit for 2024 is increasing, and workers who are 50 and older can save even more.
By Jackie Stewart Published
-
Best Foreclosure Sites for Finding Properties
Making Your Money Last Wondering how to find foreclosed homes for sale for your next residence or to flip for a profit? These websites will guide you to foreclosures and real estate-owned properties to buy.
By Bob Niedt Last updated
-
Luxury Home Prices Rise as the Rich Dodge High Mortgage Rates
Luxury home prices rose 9% to the highest third-quarter level on record, Redfin reports, growing nearly three times faster than non-luxury prices.
By Kathryn Pomroy Published