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To help them ease into retirement, Steve and Jane Rogers moved to the quaint village of Hobart, New York. They're not alone: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 6 million Americans over 55 move each year.
Peter Ross
Changing residences at a later stage in life is all about embracing a new rhythm. Perhaps your empty nest feels a bit too roomy and the time has come to downsize to an urban condo. Or after years of battling rush hour traffic every day, you’re craving someplace that’s greener and more walkable, where the pace is more humane. If something’s calling you to move, it’s not too late to relocate. More than 6 million Americans age 55 and up take the leap and find a new address each year, with women leading the way, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Here’s a look at a few of them.
Dave and Jill Dalton moved to the tiny town of Abingdon, Virginia, from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Will Crooks
Seeking culture and active lifestyle on a smaller scale
Dave Dalton, 65, and Jill Dalton, 64, went from booming Charlotte, North Carolina, to the tiny town of Abingdon, Virginia.
Why relocate? The Daltons love Charlotte (metro area around 3 million), but when Dave retired as a manufacturing executive in 2021, he craved a more active, outdoor lifestyle. He and Jill both wanted a walkable small town with vibrant culture — an arts scene, great food and a more youthful population. They went all in on Abingdon, with a historic main street, access to trout fishing and biking, more than 30 restaurants and the Barter Theatre, the nation’s longest-running professional theater. And with the town’s median age of 45, retirees are able to mix with younger residents. “Can you say dream town?” asks Jill.
Dollars and sense: The Daltons bought a three-floor historic house from 1803 and are making the renovation a retirement project. Adding HVAC and bumping up those low Jefferson-era ceilings isn’t cheap, but costs in general “are a fraction of what they are in Charlotte,” Dave says. One cost increase they didn’t expect: clothing. “We only have two seasons in Charlotte, but Abingdon has four, so you need four wardrobes,” Dave says.
New abode, new horizons: “Life is more relaxed, and there’s a warmth from people you don’t always get in an urban setting,” Jill says. “Once you meet someone here, you look out for each other.” According to Dave, there aren’t enough days in the week for all the activities Abingdon offers. He already serves on an Abingdon board and a tourism advisory council, and there’s hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, an annual fiddler’s convention, pickleball and tons of golf. “I thought people were supposed to slow down in retirement,” he says, “but it’s not looking that way.”
What they miss: “Our friends in Charlotte,” Dave says. “But the neat thing is they can get here to visit us in under three hours.”
Grooviest part of the move: “I thought we had great theater in Charlotte,” Dave says. “But we saw Les Mis in Barter, and I have to say, Abingdon might have done it better.”
Nancy Hess enjoys many more amenities in the Kansas City area than she had in her small town about 100 miles away.
Arin Yoon
Finding energy in a downsize to a big city
Nancy Hess, 70, went from rural Burlington, Kansas, to cosmopolitan Kansas City, Kansas.
Why relocate? “Don’t laugh,” says Nancy, who had lived in small Kansas towns all her life, “but my gut was telling me that if I stayed in Burlington, I would turn into one of those little old ladies who never leaves the house.” She admits she felt she’d been “coasting” ever since Sam, her partner of 22 years, passed away 13 years ago. So after retiring as a computer program analyst at a nuclear plant in 2020, “I felt like stepping out of my comfort zone and pushing myself a little.”
Dollars and sense: City life is more expensive. Nancy’s senior living community in Kansas City required entrance and service fees, and K.C. prices are higher for things like dinners out and entertainment, but “that’s why I worked a desk job for 34 years,” she says. With plenty of activities at her complex — there’s a fitness center, for example — the convenience and camaraderie balance out the costs.
New abode, new horizons: “It feels like a fresh start to me,” says Nancy, who loves being within 30 minutes of countless activities and events. Having people from her community to do things with is icing on the cake. She attends Kansas City Monarchs baseball games, summertime jazz band concerts and dinner theater events, as well as visiting local historical societies, libraries and quilt shops. “At first I was a little bit hesitant going around town, but now I’m happy even if I’m getting lost and finding my way back home.”
Barry Wendell and Joseph Hample found a home in Morgantown, West Virginia, that was much more affordable than almost anything they could get in California.
Joe Appel
Greater meaning at a much slower pace
Rabbi Joe Hample, 68, and Barry Wendell, 75, went from busy Los Angeles to the somewhat sleepy Morgantown, West Virginia.
Why relocate? Joe and Barry met and married at a gay synagogue in Los Angeles, where Joe was studying to be a rabbi after a career as a systems analyst and Barry worked as a cantorial soloist and teacher. They wanted out. “I had lived in Los Angeles for 25 years already and was, like, I’m ready for something new,” Barry says. After Joe landed a rabbi gig deep in Appalachia, the move was on.
Dollars and sense: “Morgantown is dirt cheap by California standards,” Joe says. “We never could’ve afforded a house in L.A. or any hot California real estate market.”
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