Originally Posted by biker72 (Post 3351615)

I lived in Iowa for 20 years just down the river from Dubuque in Clinton. This was back in the 40's & 50's so I have no current info on taxes.

The Dubuque area is very scenic. When visiting relatives I motorcycled in that region including the Lansing bridge. It felt like I had a hinge in the middle of my motorcycle.

My big complaint was the long cold winters. I can remember driving to work in the dark and driving home in the dark. Not very many hours of sunlight in the winter.

Originally Posted by Gsinill (Post 3351549)

Well, going back to Europe is another option we seriously consider, maybe the only viable one after November.

Originally Posted by OtayBW (Post 3351471)

I'm getting ready to retire to the Blue Ridge in western NC later this year, in part because of the natural beauty of the landscape which I fell in love with since I was a kid, and also because there is an enclave here and there of cultural things and people that I like - including a very good cycling community. That said, I've lived throughout a lot of the rural mid-south for >20 years and it's all bible beltish - everywhere and especially these days - with respect to both politics and religion. You cannot easily escape that, but rather, you'll likely just have to find a niche and weigh the various trade-offs at each place. GL.

Originally Posted by mstateglfr (Post 3351660)

You lived there in the 40s and 50s and you remember driving to work in the dark, so you were working then?
Thars 70 to 80 years ago...
How old are you?

Originally Posted by capt_velo (Post 3351470)

Your dad is mistaken. God's Country is Hondo, Texas. It's literally on the sign!

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/8a/60/7a/8...d4b7d528a8.jpg

Originally Posted by biker72 (Post 3351689)

My first full time job after 3 years in the Navy was in 1959 in Cedar Rapids IA. I'll be 86 this coming June.

Originally Posted by saab2000 (Post 3351479)

Obviously people need to plan around it. I plan around it too. When I moved to Illinois I knew what I was getting into and have zero regrets as of right now. And I came here about 5 years ago. I probably won’t stay here in retirement but it’s not because of the taxes that I would leave.

When I made the move I did a quick search on “overall tax burden by state”. Turns out the so-called free states aren’t quite as free as they think and not all the crazy tax states are as bad as they’re purported to be. Everyone needs to do their own research and decide what works best for them. Taxes are part of that equation.

Anyway, I don’t wish to go off on that tangent. My point is that yes, people need to plan for this but an obsession with it isn’t usually where happiness is found.

Originally Posted by zap (Post 3351627)

When we "retired" we moved from Maryland DC burb to Triangle, NC. We wanted some place south of D.C. (not FL) with top tier healthcare, a decent airport, large enough for variety but less chaotic than D.C./Atlanta.

We head out to the NC mountains once a year or more.....most recently Brevard, Flat Rock and Saluda. Saluda for a gravel race. Nice little town. So is Brevard. Been to Boone too for cycling events.

Went to the Waynesville area once.....let's just say the Asheville, Brevard, Saluda triangle is the sweet spot in western NC.

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar (Post 3351666)

My parents are surrounded by it in TN right by Knoxville, and my dad seems to do ok as an atheist and neutral politics. there is a Baptist church on every corner. I feel like we are an alien family from the big city when visiting with my Eastern European wife with clear Slavic features but everyone is always kind and friendly. In fact, it’s one of the few places where I feel safe still riding on rural roads.

Originally Posted by cnighbor1 (Post 3352135)

as a city becomes smaller The amount of conservatives values tend to go up. If you can live with that than move to a smaller city or town
My choice would be a college town because those towns or cites have more liberal values
Charles