Retirees Discover Volunteer State
Published Jul 15, 2009
Some 78 million baby boomers are nearing retirement age, and Tennessee wants them to know the Volunteer State is a great place to spend their golden years.
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s Retire Tennessee program (www.retiretennessee.org) brings together a number of resources to promote the state as a destination for retirement living.
Tennessee offers a number of advantages, says Ramay Winchester, Retire Tennessee program director.
A moderate climate, plentiful and quality health care, and a reasonable cost of living are major draws.
“If someone wants water recreation, there is the Tennessee River in West Tennessee, and if they want close proximity to an international airport and a vibrant entertainment scene, there is Middle Tennessee,” she says. “And if they want mountains, they can opt for East Tennessee.”
But pocketbook advantages are a key factor in why people want to move to Tennessee when they retire, she says.
“The main reason is that the state has low property taxes,” she says. “Also, we have low utility bills. I did a trade show in Detroit last winter and asked people what their January utility bills were, and the answers were always $400 to $500. Then I told those folks that my utility bill in January was $150, and I live in a 3,200-square-foot home. They were stunned, plus I informed them that prices for homes
are so much more reasonable in Tennessee compared to Northern states.”
Nine communities spread across the state – Cumberland, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, Lincoln, Putnam and Sullivan counties – are participating in the Retire Tennessee program, meaning they have met state-established criteria of providing resources and amenities needed to be a viable retirement destination.
Winchester says the key word in the retiree attraction program is affluent.
“We aren’t after the second-home buyer, because second-home buyers notoriously leave their bank account where their first home is,” she says. “Tennessee wants these people to pull up roots, move here, contribute to the tax base and be an active part of the community where they choose to live.”
Beth Alexander, president of the Crossville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce, says she is pleased that Cumberland County is part of the Retire Tennessee program because it helps local communities thrive.
“Affluent retirees obviously buy homes and shop locally where they live, and they also like to volunteer with a number of causes, which is something you can’t put a price tag on,” Alexander says. “I think communities are shortchanging themselves in the area of economic development if they don’t look
at attracting the affluent retirees.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Antony Boshier
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