Later this year, I will turn 68, and I will retire. There’s much to look forward to — more travel and a long-awaited return to doing the crafts I set aside while building a career. I’m finding, however, that I mostly feel frightened.
I’m afraid because California, where I live, is just too expensive, and I can’t afford to retire here. It’s a shame that I am priced out of retiring in California and have to uproot myself and start all over again in a new place.
I can’t afford California
I considered staying put in Los Angeles, in the apartment I’ve lived in for the past 20 years. It’s roomy and features high ceilings, crown moldings, French windows, and stained glass. That’s nice, but I’m older now, and I want some comfort. Things like not having to climb 20 steps just to enter my living space, which is on the second floor. I’d like off-street parking and not to have to worry about moving my car to accommodate twice monthly street cleanings. I want in-unit laundry and to never again have to schlep to a coin laundry.
I’ve looked into moving to a different apartment. The rent on a studio or one-bedroom unit with the features I want would be $1,800 at a minimum and, depending on the neighborhood, up to $2,400 for just a basic apartment. That would be at least a $600 a month increase over what I currently pay.
I reason that if I’m going to pay that much, I should buy a house. And that means I have to leave California. A few years ago, I shopped for a house in Los Angeles. The experience was bleak. I was pre-approved for a price range of $250,000 to $300,000. Single-family homes in Southern California, which on average sell at over $780,000, were beyond my price point, so I was steered toward condos. Everything I was shown in that range was disappointing. The rooms were too small, there wasn’t enough natural lighting, and the bathrooms and kitchens desperately needed updating.
I’m planning to move to the South
I knew then that I would have to move to another state, one where my budget would stretch further. There are a lot of places in this country where I can buy a nice house with a yard, a driveway, and laundry hookups. The decision was made, I then had to determine what part of the US I’m willing to move to.
For someone like me, a single, never married, childless Black woman, it’s not an easy search. I am a Midwesterner from Detroit. I like the Midwest, but after 30 years in California, I can’t do long winters anymore. Much of the East Coast, where I have family, is too expensive. So I settled on moving to the South, which, even in 2024, is potentially problematic for a Black person. However, it can’t be denied that the cost of living in that region is better suited to my income and housing budget.
There are plenty of articles online that list the best places to retire. But none of the lists ever include racial or ethnic demographics information. When I do the research myself, invariably, the towns have minuscule BIPOC populations, and just knowing the numbers doesn’t tell me how welcoming the community may be. I have no family or friends in any of the states I’m considering.
Despite my apprehensions, there is a persistent part of me that remains excited by the prospect of retiring — and of living in a new town. I’m finding some resources, such as groups I can join on social media that offer information about relocating to specific cities. AARP offers a real estate buying program that I’m looking into. Having a comfortable retirement is important to me, and I’m willing to explore other parts of the country to ensure it.
I’m ready to say farewell to California and hello to retirement.
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