Skip to Content

I already live in the town Forbes believes the best retirement value

More
Text SizeAAA

Filed under: Retire

To my surprise, Forbes, in a newly released study, named Columbus, Ohio as the best place to spend my golden years. Surprise, because I already live there, and such strokes of good fortune are not often graced upon me. Dallas, Minneapolis, and Houston finished just behind Columbus on the list.

Why would our city gain such esteem? Certainly, we have relentless cloud cover nine months of the year that guards us from UV and skin cancer, and the OSU football team to keep us humble. But we must have something else going for us. Forbes looked at a number of stats, including housing cost (we have beau coup empty houses for sale), inflation, access to health care, cost of living, and job prospects.

We Columbusites benefit hugely from being the Buckeye State capital, the linch pin that helps keep our downtown thriving. The Ohio State University, the largest school in the country, provides a second core for jobs and culture. Unlike most of our Midwestern cities, Columbus, a late bloomer, was never overly dependent on heavy industry, so the loss of manufacturing jobs that has bedeviled Cleveland, Detroit and others has not impacted our city as much.

Other companies such as Nationwide Insurance and The Limited that have their home here also help support a healthy job market.

The city is large enough to bring in top entertainers and professional soccer and hockey, to have a well-served airport, but small enough that rush hour traffic still flows. It has a very diverse culture, with a large Somalian population, as well as many immigrants from around the world drawn by OSU, Honda of America and other companies. It also seems to provide a welcoming climate for the GLBT community.

For we blue-hairs, a couple of shortcomings temper our enthusiasm. Our mass transit system sucks, with buses infrequent except for the main thoroughfares. Funding for programs to serve the elderly are constantly under assault.

And the kids all drive too darn fast!

Subscribe to Walletpop

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Featured Sponsor

Will you spend as wisely as you save?

If a 65-year old couple retires today, how much savings may they need now to cover future health care costs?



What are the Next Hot-Spots in the Luxury Resort Scene?
Luxist Awards asked three of our Expert Panelists, all veterans of the travel industry, about the ...
The Luxist Awards for Best Accessories
Do you know of a magnificent jewelry line with pieces that are to die for? Which is the finest ...

Ask Me About Retirement

Dan Solin

Do you have a question about retirement? Ask our retirement expert Dan Solin.

Zac Bissonnette
Zac Bissonnette Filed under: Tax, Celebs & Money

He'll be back: Arnold Schwarzenegger owes the IRS

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger owes $79,064.00 in back taxes, according to a federal tax lien filed by the IRS in LA County Superior Court. This seems more likely to be a fluke/oversight ...
Julia Scott
Julia Scott Filed under: Saving Money, Bargain Babe

Double cash back rebate deals

eBates.com has some AMAZING cash back rebate deals so if you are shopping online, you are losing a lot of money if you don't shop through their site. (Also check rivals Cashbaq.com and Extrabux.com ...
Beau Brendler
Beau Brendler Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Charity, Fraud, Consumer Ally

Kiva: A great idea that isn't exactly what it seemed - how to find a charity you can support

The online micro-finance charity Web site Kiva rose to be a shining non-profit success story in the recession years. It marries the trendiness of social entrepreneurship with an almost perfect ...
Julia Scott
Julia Scott Filed under: Shopping, Black Friday, Bargain Babe

Black Friday coupons and cash rebates

So you missed the doorbusters. No worries. Who wants to cram into a store at dawn or set the alarm for 2 a.m. to get a virtual doorbuster? The best thing about Black Friday is you can go later in the ...

Retirement Basics

Retirement Basics

Should I Convert My IRA to a Roth IRA?

$
$

Headlines from WalletPop Partners