Are Grand Rapids and Michigan Good Places to Retire?

As retirement nears or you have already retired, where would you like to be?

Location is probably a key issue here. So many folks move to Florida, Arizona, any place warm.

   👇  BELOW: WHICH ARE THE LEAST EXPENSIVE STATES TO RETIRE? 👇

Many folks become snowbirds, Michigan in the summer, Florida or warm places in the winter.

The question may be, is Michigan a good idea to retire?

I know for myself, Susie and I have most of our family here and we don't want to be away from them. For us, that would make Grand Rapids a good place to retire when that happens. Okay, maybe we go some place warm for a short while, but stay near our loved ones the rest of the year.

Where would you retire if not here?

Wallet Hub listed the top state to retire as they compared the 50 states across 46 key indicators of retirement-friendliness, from financial factors like tax rates and the cost of living to things like access to quality medical care and fun activities.

Hmmm.....South Dakota certainly didn't come to mind as a perfect place to retire even if they do have Mount Rushmore. Also, Minnesota, Wyoming? Weather is certainly not a metric in these calculations.

It turns out Michigan is smack dab in the middle of the top 50 best states to retire coming in at 25. Not bad.

What about top cities? Wallet Hub says:

1. Orlando, FL
2. Miami, FL
3. Minneapolis, MN
4. Tampa, FL
5. Fort Lauderdale, FL

Taxes are a key here.  Florida does not have an estate or inheritance tax (or even income tax). 

Where is Grand Rapids in all of this?

Not too bad according to the Wallet Hub survey as we come in at number 76 out of 182 surveyed cities.

So, if you're retired, or soon to be, you'll find some great places to live depending on what you're looking for. However, you may find you still have it pretty good right here!