Retirement State

[N.Y.ArcheryMadMan]

What State has Low Taxes, Low Cost of Living, Reasonable Cost for Purchasing Property, and Good Hunting and Fishing????

[buckbull]

Florida in my opinion has the best fishing with both inshore and offshore opportunities abound. I don't think they have income taxes either and right now you can get foreclosure properties super cheap. Florida is a pretty easy choice as far as fishing unless you think you can't live without walley, northerns, and muskies, etc... Not really sure about what state for hunting but I think Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Colorado provide a reasonable amount of opportunity for hunting. Wyoming and maybe others do not have income taxes. Property is getting more and more expensive but thats the nice thing about public land; you already have access to land to hunt.

[Colorado Cowboy]

One thing to remember is that things change. When I picked Colorado 18 years ago, things were a little different. Taxes have gone up, cost of living also. Property was reasonably cheap and still is. Good hunting & fishing where I am too. And of course theres the crap that the state legislature just passed on gun control.

I think one state that fits a lot of what you are looking for is Texas believe it or not. One thing is that property and taxes are pretty cheap compatatively speaking. Pretty good hunting, even if it's almost all on private land that you have to get a lease for. Good fishing too. Bad thing as far as I am concerned is the weather...a lot of hot, humid stuff.

If I was doing this over again (been retired 13 years) it would be: #1 Lander, Wyoming; #2 SW Colorado (where I live now); #3 Stevensville, Montana and then I'd really take a hard look at living in Alaska from May thru October and Arizona the rest of the time (or maybe winter in Belize or Costa Rica). I do love it here in SW Colo, real rural (only about 25,000 in the whole county) and lots of great hunting and fishing.

[Eberle]

Everyone's definition of cheap is a little different. In South-Central OK where I live you can buy land for $700-$900 per acre. We have whitetail in every patch of woods around here. Lots of turkey & unfortunately wild hogs, fishing is really good as well. We have awesome catfish, bass, crappie in every little water hole around. You can build a house for about $75 a square ft. If I was looking for a place to retire though, I would go to Wyoming!

[AKaviator]

Wait a minute Eberle, your'e movin' up here aren't ya? We need some extra rednecks and you'll love the hunting and fishing!! No income tax, we give ya a oil dividend. you can take 2 grizzlies per year in some areas, 5 black bears (10 if you work it right) and no closed season or bag limit on caribou in some places! Not a feral hog to be seen!
Bring your 7mag and we'll find a nice bull moose too!

[Ikeepitcold]

Have you looked into ID? Most if what your looking for can be found there.

[EBOLAVIRS]

Idaho seems to be where a lot of people are heading from my neck of the woods. Wyoming is nice but most of the state has brutal winters and not many trees. Ocifer Idaho I think is the name of the area a lot of folks I know are heading. Like the other poster mentioned try to look in the future, Colorado is as liberal as California now which usually translates into adverse gun laws and high taxes. States that don't appear to be heading that direction are probably going to be your most retirement friendly states. Montana is trending differently lately too....I will be in your boat in a few years and have been bouncing the same thoughts around in my head.

[Colorado Cowboy]

Like the other poster mentioned try to look in the future, Colorado is as liberal as California now which usually translates into adverse gun laws and high taxes. States that don't appear to be heading that direction are probably going to be your most retirement friendly states. Montana is trending differently lately too....I will be in your boat in a few years and have been bouncing the same thoughts around in my head.

Seems like the whole country is heading that way!!!!!

[Kevin Root]

Seems like the whole country is heading that way!!!!!

Agreed, I think more states are heading that direction than folks realize and many folks are turning a blind eye thinking it's not going to happen in their state just because they seem pretty safe today in their state's politics. That being said, although it's not listed in the original posters criteria, when my wife and I do decide to retire we will want to live in a more conservative state. We realize that's not always certain for it to remain that way. We do have a bit bigger wish list on picking a retirement state to live in than what is listed in the OP.

20 years ago my wife and I were looking to move to Colorado. We looked at homes with a Realtor and were placing offers on some of them. My company who I still work for today had a manufacturing plant in Colorado Springs and I was thinking of transferring there. Long story short, we did not move. More so for family reasons but our manufacturing ended up leaving Colorado and our overall plans changed off that path.

I know I like the mountains so wherever I'll be has to have some of them close by for me. Most of the hunting and my type of mountain trout fishing is there and most of the hunting outdoor writers I grew up reading as a kid have moved to Wyoming or live there so I'm surly pulled there. I like Montana and Idaho too. Alaska, is an awesome frontier still but even though my wife is from Michigan I think the Alaska winters are something we are both concerned about.

I'm not sure where we will be yet. The plan is in motion still for us. Part of me is just happy to make to most of each day on the path in time that I have now. Part of me says I need to be planning a bit harder on where to retire to help make something happen more on the lines of the quote,

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

[ssliger]

I see no reason to ever leave Wyoming, sure it's windy, and our winters can be harsh. But that keeps most people away and a low population and wide open spaces are priceless. You can always winter down south.