Aging in Atlanta

Top 3 places to retire in Georgia according to Movoto

The 10 Best Spots Worldwide for Your Retirement. International Living has released a list of its top countries for people to settle when their working days are over. The list is based off many factors, including the cost of living and housing, health care and perks for older residents. In the top spot is Portugal, where comfortable living can be had for a monthly fee of just $2,500. In second is Panama, where it is slightly more at just $2,600. With its $2000 price tag, Costa Rica takes third place. In fourth is Mexico which costs $1,500 to $3,000 based on your area. . Here is the rest of International Living's top 10 and their monthly amounts:. 5. Colombia - $1,030 to $2,720. 6. Ecuador - $1,800. 7. Malaysia - $1,800. 8. Spain - $2,500. 9. France - $2,500 (as long as it is not in Paris). 10. Vietnam - Less than $1,500
By Kiersten Willis
Oct 5, 2021

Good news for retiring Georgians: You don’t need to leave the state to get a cost-saving retirement.

Home search tool Movoto has a list of the eight best places to retire in the Peach State. While Atlanta made the list, here are the top three cities that have a lot to offer retirees.

ExploreThis is how much it costs to comfortably retire in Georgia

St. Simons Island

Part of the Golden Isles, St. Simons Island is one of four barrier islands. It’s the most populous with 17,000 residents, RetirementLiving reported. It also offers an ideal climate for year-round outdoor activities — frost doesn’t come until early December and leaves before February ends. Semi-public golf courses, biking, tennis and coastal waters are some of the offerings. It’s also affordable: $310,732 is the median home value, Movoto reported.

Augusta

Aside from the Masters, Augusta has many things to offer retirees. The Augusta Riverwalk offers a multi-level brick trail where you can visit the Morris Museum of Art and the Augusta Museum of History at the end. There are also lakes, parks and bike trails.

The city has a low cost of living, Movoto reported, and the median home value is $99,965.

Explore3 Georgia cities make list of best places for East Coast retirement

Athens

Despite being a college town, Athens has more to offer than just the University of Georgia.

“Athens consistently ranks as among the nation’s best places to live, making it a top spot for relocation and retirement,” the city’s tourist information website said. “New residents are drawn to Athens by its moderate climate; convenience to Atlanta; median housing cost; top hospitals and medical care; plus the culture, opportunity, and excitement a college town provides.”

Movoto reported the median home value is around $148,158.

Livability.com ranked it Georgia’s No. 1 best retirement spot in 2020.

To get specialized news and articles about aging in place, health information and more, sign up for our Aging in Atlanta newsletter.

About the Author

Kiersten Willis is a native advertising specialist for the revenue content team with the AJC.

The Latest
Placeholder Image

Active autumn: Things to do with grandkids this week
Putting on the glitz: Senior Atlantans party at mayor’s annual ball
Autumn traditions and treats: Things to do with grandkids this week
Featured
Placeholder Image

Credit: Patricia Murphy, AJC

OPINION
Patricia Murphy: Meet the Black men in Georgia voting for Trump
Georgia’s high school class of 2024 outperformed national average on ACT
Rare murders of women come to light as Georgia prisons set homicide record