Posted on May 19, 2018
What factors did you take into consideration when choosing a location to retire?
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I'm still 8 or so years out from leaving the Army for good but the wife and I are starting to think about where we want to put down roots when all is said and done. I imagine cost of living plays into most people's decision, but what other factors (climate, access to top notch healthcare, etc) come into play? My wife is from Northern California, which seems a little on the pricey side for a retirement destination. I grew up mostly in Missouri and while I love to go back and visit friends (most of my family has left the area) I can't see myself living there again, even though it is pretty inexpensive.
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I take it you'd stay a practicing PT once you'd be out? Also, are you DPT, I'd wondered, or were you under the older schema of Bach or masters level PT? I'd been aware of the whole DPT trend for some time now, I'd just wondered, if you were gonna still practicez, would you go private, hospital based non VA, or try for vet preference to go VA? I'd also been curious as to tat as well, many thanks....
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CPT (Join to see)
I'll have a DPT when I graduate. I imagine I'll still be in the field in some capacity. I'll have some admin experience under my belt at that point if I want to move from over to more of the executive side. The practice acts of some states are still pretty restrictive so that will definitely play a part in my decision if I am still practicing. In the military we have pretty much full direct access, some Radiology/lab ordering privileges, limited Rx privileges, pretty much full ability to dry needle and perform manipulations etc. No state can match the autonomy we get in the military. I imagine it would be hard to go from that to a state where my hands are often tied as a clinician.
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Capt Daniel Goodman
Dry needle I can envision, tough I'd never heard that exact phrasing...wouldn't VA let you have the same scope you have in Army now? I'd just wondered that, if you'd want to try for that, just a thought, what indie was a weirdmoatchwork wiilt of privilefesntilp we shut my license off due to total perm disability, if you're interested at all, the USDH Auxiliary let's licensed clinicians practice I SCG clinical facilities, alongside USPHS, I'd expect...also, not that you'd want it, or need it, there are always the state defense forces (SDF,l but those are contracted, USCG Auxiliary Health Svcs ismourely volunteer, I'd wanted to do it, I just don't know if the disability riles would allow it, I'd though of clinical admin with them, also, look up the Med Reserve Corps (MRD) in every county, run by ISPHS under HSpHS, you might find that of interest as well....
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As a retiree your benefits follow you, no matter where you go. You get your pay, you have your medical coverage albeit through Tri-Care, you also have your college fund and GI bill if eligible.
Past that it will matter as to each individual service members requirements. Some are pretty well screwed up due to deployments and the fatigue that the job requirements puts on a body over the years. So some look for the VA coverage and the accessibility to a VA hospital. Some look for the nearness to the closest large military installation so they can still utilize benefits such as commissary and PX/BX privileges. Once you retire those become more critical as your pay can be cut in half as you lost BAQ/BAH, HDP, Jump and other pay bumps that do not follow when you retire.
Personally I looked for the above but also took into account the weather as I did not want be shoveling snow every single winter.
Past that it will matter as to each individual service members requirements. Some are pretty well screwed up due to deployments and the fatigue that the job requirements puts on a body over the years. So some look for the VA coverage and the accessibility to a VA hospital. Some look for the nearness to the closest large military installation so they can still utilize benefits such as commissary and PX/BX privileges. Once you retire those become more critical as your pay can be cut in half as you lost BAQ/BAH, HDP, Jump and other pay bumps that do not follow when you retire.
Personally I looked for the above but also took into account the weather as I did not want be shoveling snow every single winter.
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Maj John Bell
CPT (Join to see) - Some unasked for wisdom, so take it for what its worth (probably nothing):
Make your decision based on your and your wife's priorities alone. My wife wanted to be near her family. Within five years of my retirement, Her Dad and Grandparents all passed (her mom died when she was young). Her siblings and cousins got high paying positions somewhere else. Her nearest family is now a six hour drive.
If I wasn't so scared of her we'd have a farm in Texas, where snow NEVER NEVER NEVER lasts more than a day or to at best. No way in Hell I'd live in Michigan.
Make your decision based on your and your wife's priorities alone. My wife wanted to be near her family. Within five years of my retirement, Her Dad and Grandparents all passed (her mom died when she was young). Her siblings and cousins got high paying positions somewhere else. Her nearest family is now a six hour drive.
If I wasn't so scared of her we'd have a farm in Texas, where snow NEVER NEVER NEVER lasts more than a day or to at best. No way in Hell I'd live in Michigan.
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I'll probably be different than most on this board but we love cold weather and our favorite family sport, which is skiing. I am not at all comfortable in sweltering heat. As a matter of fact, I loath heat. Yes, we go to the beach, travel to Florida in March or April, and then return.
Our number one concern was quality of life. A place where we can enjoy the outdoors, live with no fear of crime and have neighbors who have similar education, values and standard of living.
Our number two concern was health facilities, the immediate availability of high-quality medical care as we're not going to get any younger. As a matter of fact, with our activity level, sustaining an injury is quite possible.
Our number three concern was culture and amenities - probably a part of quality of life - but enough of a concern to be a separate one.
Our number four was taxes and how much of four separate pensions we'd be able to keep.
Five was ocean and mountains.
Our number one concern was quality of life. A place where we can enjoy the outdoors, live with no fear of crime and have neighbors who have similar education, values and standard of living.
Our number two concern was health facilities, the immediate availability of high-quality medical care as we're not going to get any younger. As a matter of fact, with our activity level, sustaining an injury is quite possible.
Our number three concern was culture and amenities - probably a part of quality of life - but enough of a concern to be a separate one.
Our number four was taxes and how much of four separate pensions we'd be able to keep.
Five was ocean and mountains.
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CPT (Join to see)
That actually sounds pretty nice. If you don't mind me asking whereabouts did you end up?
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Lt Col Louis Botta
Lake Sunapee area, New Hampshire. Our town is amazing. Sandwiched between Mount Sunapee, Mount Kearsarge, and Lake Sunapee. We have 48 ski areas within a two and a half hour drive, the ocean two hours away. An outdoor paradise. An almost 100-mile hiking trail loop around four mountains. Half a hour to the Appalachian Trail. We have three kayaks, five bicycles and several pair of snowshoes and we use them, as well as our skis. Nature trails right off the back of our house. One major lake, three other smaller lakes with local access. A College a mile away. Two Level 1 Trauma hospitals within 30 minutes and one Level 2 a block and a half away. A performing arts theater showing just-off Broadway productions with Equity players. Violent crime rate of zero. (Yes, zero). A world away but still only an hour and a half from Boston and all its culture. It's like living inside a post card. And no state income tax nor sales tax.
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Pretty simple, follow the money. As a retiree, most of your benefits go with you.
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Suspended Profile
Employment prospects. Community that was worth raising my kids in. Climate.
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Taxes, taxes, taxes. If you are legit starting from a blank slate, look at the various tax policies of the states. All the state income tax rates vary (also county, city, municipal, property, etc. taxes) from none to stupid. I would not make that the ONLY factor, but I would definitely have that information available for consideration.
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We looked at proximity to family, jobs, education, and quality of life. We also compared the benefits available from each state and/or city in the region we were interested in.
We ended up choosing Wisconsin, for most of those reasons. Jobs are a plenty, and there is a diversity of manufacturing, agriculture, white collar, and service. We settled in a small town about 20 minutes from two small cities and 45-60 minutes from 4 medium/large cities.
Benefits wise, you can't beat Wisconsin. Military retirement isn't taxed (common among many states). We have accredited Veteran Service Officers in every county (only in 19 states). We have the Wisconsin GI Bill, which all eligible veterans receive 128 s.h. of tuition remission from any state school (eligibility means joined from Wisconsin or lived 5 years in Wisconsin post service, plus honorable or general discharge), family members are also eligible for the Wisconsin GI Bill if the veteran is rated at 30% from the VA (same requirements for veteran also apply), lots of fun and recreational opportunities offered as well.
I won't say that you get tired of winter by the end of the season, but it is great having 4 distinct seasons and enjoying all of the fun stuff around.
We ended up choosing Wisconsin, for most of those reasons. Jobs are a plenty, and there is a diversity of manufacturing, agriculture, white collar, and service. We settled in a small town about 20 minutes from two small cities and 45-60 minutes from 4 medium/large cities.
Benefits wise, you can't beat Wisconsin. Military retirement isn't taxed (common among many states). We have accredited Veteran Service Officers in every county (only in 19 states). We have the Wisconsin GI Bill, which all eligible veterans receive 128 s.h. of tuition remission from any state school (eligibility means joined from Wisconsin or lived 5 years in Wisconsin post service, plus honorable or general discharge), family members are also eligible for the Wisconsin GI Bill if the veteran is rated at 30% from the VA (same requirements for veteran also apply), lots of fun and recreational opportunities offered as well.
I won't say that you get tired of winter by the end of the season, but it is great having 4 distinct seasons and enjoying all of the fun stuff around.
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All the NCOs I knew that were getting close to retirement had two things in mind when moving: jobs or weather. And that seemed mostly predicated on age - that is to say, the older NCOs were usually the ones worried about what kind of weather situation they were looking at when moving. Hot places like Arizona and Florida were always high up on the list. Which makes sense, what with the enormous retiree communities in those places.
If they didn't go south or wherever a nice job took them, many of them would just end up in a town close by their last duty station. Two really great NCOs that mentored me now live within an hour of Ft. Campbell, another very close to Ft. Bliss. Not sure if they have any specific reasons, but I'd wager that it feels nice to be near big vet communities makes them feel better about getting out. After all, it's a lot that you're putting behind you.
If they didn't go south or wherever a nice job took them, many of them would just end up in a town close by their last duty station. Two really great NCOs that mentored me now live within an hour of Ft. Campbell, another very close to Ft. Bliss. Not sure if they have any specific reasons, but I'd wager that it feels nice to be near big vet communities makes them feel better about getting out. After all, it's a lot that you're putting behind you.
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