WASHINGTON D.C. (WKZO AM/FM) – The American Association of Retired People (AARP) is reporting that Michigan is now a national magnet for retirees looking for greener pastures.
The authors used census data to compute the rankings. Florida was first, drawing about 12% of the seniors seeking new places to live. North Carolina was second, drawing about 9.5% of the elderly to their beaches and Michigan came in third with 6.6% of the mature migration.
The Winter Water Wonderland finished just ahead of Arizona and Georgia to round out the top five.
They didn’t say specifically why Michigan did so well, but they suggested it was because a big new concern for seniors post pandemic is the high cost of housing. Michigan homes are a lot more affordable than in many states. Iowa and North Dakota do not.
The data shows the states that seniors fled at the highest rates were Oregon, Maryland, Idaho, Texas and Virginia, in that order.
Most Popular States for Retirement Relocation (aarp.org)
(reporting from John McNeill)
