Best places to retire for under $40K

A modest income needn't mean deprivation. These cities offer top-notch medical care, plenty of things to do and a low cost of living.

By Emily Brandon, U.S. News & World Report

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Bob Denver
Nov 21, 2012 5:08AM
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I am 67 years old, I make about $26k a year. my wife is too... well, old.. to work. so we have to live off of my income. retire? how? we can  barely afford to eat. And bright ideas for us MSN? To assume that everybody will bring home $40k/yr. in retirement, and have "a modest nest egg of $250k" saved is asinine and irresponsible.
Songbird bergstrom (AccursedHawk)
Nov 21, 2012 1:36PM
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Me and my husband both worked all of our lives. We get no help from no on any where. But if you cheat and lie you can get it all food stamps, medical card, the best doctors while we pay for insurance  that barely coves nothing right now. That's pretty stinking bad. But we get by because we have a budget that we know we have to stay on . That includes meds for both him and me. Not including the food we have to buy or clothes we put on our backs. So I don't look at people I look up for we are still Blessed. And I hope all of you will too in some way. If your breathing, walking, talking, able to go to sit at a computer and gripe, or laugh, cry or drive, then yes your Blessed think about it. Later to all Songbird 
Joyce416
Nov 21, 2012 8:35AM
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so on $30K a year they managed to save $250K for a nest egg?   What a crock of BS! 
darucks
Nov 21, 2012 10:42AM
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Another useless MSN article. Why are you fixated on cities. Most any rural area will be cheaper and you will have the added benefit of a lot less PEOPLE.
inport duty
Nov 17, 2012 10:25PM
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INFLATION is the unspoken problem.

In 1937 nails were five cents a pound,  in 2012 they are $5 a pound. 

Uncle Sam just put a bakery out of business with sugar import duty.

What's he going to do next?   Don't trust BIG BROTHER.

He has taken most of what people worked for and he is still doing it. 

Fed. keeps printing paper, and money becomes worthless. 

 

Barbara Zuniga (Babs0619)
Dec 6, 2012 3:56PM
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can not speak for the rest of the list but,  Jackson, Mississippi crime rate is through the roof.  Any senior citzien that uses public transportation is taking a risk with their life and/or money.   if you live there you better plan on a car and then the cost of car insurance which is one of the highest in all states.  And the cheap rent they talked about is in the worst crime infested areas. 
mike shutt (Mike_S)
Nov 21, 2012 10:35AM
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Several of these cities are in states MSN says are the 10 worst to retire in    hmmmmmmmmmm

 

you might want to check out costa rica    it is about 75% of the cost of living in America and basically has no taxes

 

for 200K I have a 1400 sq ft beach house and pay about 280 dollars a year in property taxes

heading south
Dec 6, 2012 4:04PM
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Every time they do an article on this they always include Augusta GA among the best places for retirees. I know for a fact bc I lived there that Augusta is NOT a cheap place to live. Unless you want to live in the ghetto I suggest you find a better place to retire than there. The fact that they have the Masters there every year drives the price up on everything especially during the Masters. Everything from restaurants to rentals to hotels goes way up. Been there done that.
Pattie Ridgeway
Nov 21, 2012 12:48PM
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Some of these states are nearly broke.  Medicare and other services seniors need may be limited.  Retirement is not just about a house and a bus ticket.
Sherry Foster (highlife)
Nov 17, 2012 11:29PM
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The Cost of the American Dream doubles every 10 Years, 1960  $5,000 1970 $10,000 1980 20,000 1990s 40,000 2000 80,000 2010 160,000 if Jobs are not keeping up with the rate of inflation and still ranging at 50,000/60,000 How do you figure they are going to be comfortable living off of 40,000 when the cost of living in the year 2010 is slated to be 320,000 to continue to live the American Dream? Social Security don't even depend on it at all.
SafadoGuy
Nov 21, 2012 12:34PM
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Costa Rica sounds great...relaxing by the beach drinking a cold one.
Someone (redondo98)
Nov 21, 2012 1:50PM
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This article is soooo old MSN needs to keep up. The only way to retire on a small amount is out of the states. Only fly back when you need medical assistance. Plan on retiring on the road and then will settle down when I need to and not when I have to.
Retired in TN.
Dec 18, 2012 4:47AM
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Compare the Best Cities to retire in and the Worst States to retire in.  Why are some of the Best Cities also in the Worst States?  MSN needs to do MORE research.  Best States should include those without an income tax.  Rural areas are much cheaper to live in than big cities.   
skibummedout
Dec 18, 2012 10:28AM
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I find it ironic that you list these cities as the best places to retire on an income of 40K, but you list 8 of the 10 states that house these cities as the worst states to retire in.  What gives?
Ken270
Dec 18, 2012 8:47AM
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Just check out living in Panama, it cost far less. 2 poepole can live, very well for 1200.00 a month. and that includes medical ins, and eating out,housing . when is one third it is here, and a whole lot better. They have a good program, for retiires, check it out. Best Palce by far. wish you luck
billybee68
Dec 18, 2012 10:52AM
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st louis one of the murder capitals of teh USA.
rpmhd1
Dec 18, 2012 1:56PM
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MSN never gets it right just like the TV show.
MICHAEL BOYLE (sledman61)
Nov 21, 2012 10:34AM
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Just being aware you need to plan is what this article should be about.There are always forces working against you....and for you.These type of articles are dumbed down and I consider to be working against people without a plan.It is also working for people with a plan to remind them of the choice they made to plan.Be aware no matter what side you are standing on.
capt. john
Dec 6, 2012 6:23PM
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hi there-to bob denver-go to bulgaria and buy a country house for less than $5000 usd-then live there-you can live happily and well in bulgaria in the countryside for less than $10k a year. yours-big john
someone someone
Dec 18, 2012 1:07PM
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Moving to a new city that you have never been, leaving all your friends and familiar surroundings behind after the age of 65 is not as easy as it sounds. And it gets even more complicated if at this age people have not saves enought money to complement their SS check. For those who think that they can move to Costa Rica, Panama or any other place where their money will strecht longer, the first think they should ask themselves is how they feel about learning a foreign language at the age of 65, if they don't kown a second language yet, adaptation to a new culture, excessive heat and humidity, noise and air pollution, dengue etc  Retiring abroad is not for everybody for the same reasons as retiring in Jacksonville, Mississipe is not an option to all americans. I was born and raised in Latin America. I speak three languages however when I retired I chose the USA and I have no regrets.

 

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