Forbes Places Asheville Among 2015’s “Best Places to Retire”

A serene retirement can be found and enjoyed in and around Asheville (Credit: Galen McGee, Two Ring Studios)

If you’re considering a mountain setting for retirement, then Forbes recommends you include Asheville, North Carolina on your list of potential locations. The magazine recently included our town on its 2015 list of the Best Places to Retire, citing Asheville’s “Strong economy amid scenic terrain and good weather, cost of living 3 percent below national norm, average home price $206,000. Abundant doctors. High volunteering culture. Population 87,000. On list in 2012 and 2013. TRIVIA: City inspired Thomas Wolfe’s first novel in 1929, Look Homeward, Angel: A Story of The Buried Life.”

According to Forbes contributor William P. Barrett, emphasis is placed on “highlighting places that offer what we consider good retirement value.” For the 2015 ranking, the magazine weighed data on nearly 500 cities from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The most important factors were economic: overall cost of living and home prices as compared with national averages, and general state tax climate for retirees.

Also acknowledged as important to retirees and taken into consideration were personal safety, the presence of quality healthcare in terms of both doctors and facilities, and locations that encourage active retirement.

But Asheville did not come out unscathed in the ranking, as Forbes also noted: “CON: Low walkability assessment, Milken aging rank. NOTED: Average air quality, serious crime rate, tax climate.” Locals might debate several of these, particularly air quality and crime rate, while also touting the walkability of the downtown area. Perspectives are always varied when looking from either outside or inside, so that’s why it’s important to visit a place, get a feel for it, before deciding it’s the right place.

“Considerations beyond our ability to assess include personal tastes and needs, such as staying near friends and family,” Barrett reports. “We also don’t directly evaluate intangible qualities such as cultural milieu and scenic beauty.”

However, if you know Asheville at all, you’re well aware that we have plenty of culture, from funky to sophisticated, and there’s no question about the scenic splendor that surrounds the town. There’s even a place dedicated to fostering a vibrant retirement lifestyle, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, an award-winning, internationally-acclaimed learning community dedicated to promoting lifelong learning, leadership, community service and research. Asheville also has proven itself to be a friendly, welcoming and tolerant town.

Add those into the equation and it becomes quickly evident that Asheville is truly one of the great places in which to create and enjoy a bountiful retirement life.

Kiplinger Features Asheville as One of “10 Great College Towns to Retire to.”

Asheville was highlighted recently by Kiplinger, a respected source for economic information, as one of its “10 Great College Towns to Retire to.” According to the magazine’s editors, retirement to a college town allows you to “re-create that horizon-broadening experience and sense of adventure,” though probably without the partying and exams. Also noted are the on-campus attractions such as concerts and lecture series that are open to all local residents – not to mention ever popular sports events. And, Kiplinger reports, most of these towns are in states “that are tax friendly to retirees.”

Asheville receives a strong nod for multiple reasons, aside from its size and lovely location in the mountains. The magazine says about Asheville, “”UNC-Asheville is a small campus of about 3,700 students, but it has an outsize influence on retirees. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offers more than 300 courses a year, usually in six- to eight-week terms.