Choosing To Retire in West Virginia

by Calyn Ehid
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Picking the right place to retire can be a hassle. Every location in the United States is slightly different, and with so many environments and types of communities to choose from, coming to a final decision can seem like a daunting responsibility. But just remember that many retirees have walked down this path before and that some of them have left helpful information behind to guide you along your way. In the age of the internet, pretty much everything that you need to know about a given retirement location is at your fingertips, making the selection process easier.

While in earlier generations it was practically a necessity to physically travel to a potential retirement destination to get an idea of what it had to offer, these days you can sometimes get away with spending a day researching information that’s available on the web for each location that you’re considering. After doing their due diligence and weighing the pros and cons for multiple locations, many retirees end up selecting West Virginia as the place they want to spend their golden years. Here are a few reasons why you might end up loving West Virginia as a retirement destination and some basic information to get you acquainted with the state.

Choosing To Retire in West Virginia

Senior Apartments in West Virginia

Finding the right apartment in West Virginia is easy no matter what type of retirement budget you’re working with. Whether you’re looking for a large retirement community with all the bells and whistles or a modest apartment in a small building, the cities and towns that dot the hills and fields of West Virginia are filled with senior apartments that will fit your interests and needs. The larger cities in West Virginia such as Charleston, Huntington, and Morgantown are home to a good number of retirement communities of the larger variety, while more remote towns like Bluefield, Vienna, and St. Albans provide fewer options when it comes to senior housing.

But no matter which community you choose to land in, it’s guaranteed that there will be at least one apartment complex or retirement community in town that caters to senior tenants. Those that easily tire of crowds may even prefer to live in a smaller West Virginia town even though they will miss out on the amenities and entertainment that are available in this state’s bigger cities. In the end, selecting the perfect town for retirement in West Virginia will depend on your temperament and on the type of housing that is available.

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Benefits of Living in West Virginia

One of the greatest benefits of living in West Virginia is the incredible natural beauty which permeates every square inch of this state. Many parts of West Virginia have been left relatively untouched by human hands, making this the perfect state to retire to for lovers of the peace and quiet of natural surroundings. Much of the state is nearly empty and the cities are few and far between, making real estate and rent prices more affordable in West Virginia than in heavily industrialized states. To top it off, the people in West Virginia are generally very friendly and stay true to the ideals of true Southern hospitality.

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How to Find an Apartment

Finding an apartment in West Virginia is easy. You can either go the old-fashioned route and call around to real estate and rental agencies in the towns in West Virginia that you’re considering retiring to, or you can search the web for available apartments that conform to your price range. If you’re planning to call around to renters in West Virginia, you’ll need to get their phone numbers from the internet anyway, so you might as well do a little digging on websites like craigslist.com and apartmentlist.com while you’re at it. You’ll find that searching for apartments on the internet is easy no matter what sort of retirement budget you’re working with.

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Average Cost of Living in West Virginia

According to Sperling’s Best Places, the average cost of living in West Virginia is 82.80 out of 100, where 100 is the overall average cost of living in the United States. This means that housing, food, and other amenities in West Virginia cost nearly 20% less than the US average, making this state the perfect place to retire to if you’re on a strict budget. The low cost of living in West Virginia is partially due to the lack of big cities in this state; almost all of the state is rural, with only a few cities with a population over 50,000.

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Meet People Your Age

There are dozens of ways that you can meet people your age in West Virginia. If you elect to live in a large retirement community, all of your neighbors will be fellow retirees, making networking a simple and fun aspect of everyday living. Even if you choose to live in a smaller apartment in a remote area, almost every community in West Virginia is equipped with a senior center where you can make friends with other retirees living in the region. Social media is another great way to find other retirees in your area; keep an eye out for Facebook meetup groups for seniors in your city or town.

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Enjoy The Seasons

West Virginia is known for its stunning summers and beautiful autumn colors. While temperatures can get pretty hot during the summer months, by mid-September things cool down quite a bit and leaves start turning yellow, brown, and red. Be advised that West Virginia is well known for heavy snowfall in the winter, so make sure you’re equipped to ride out the months between November and February. But once you’ve made it through winter’s chill, spring in West Virginia is cool, refreshing, and pleasant. It’s easy to enjoy every season in West Virginia so long as you are adequately prepared.

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Enjoy Your Retirement

Remember that the most important part of retiring is relaxing and resting on your laurels. While picking the right place to retire to can sometimes seem overwhelming, taking your time and selecting the right spot from among many potential destinations definitely pays off in the long run. These days, it’s easier than ever to educate yourself on the unique attributes of potential retirement destinations, and doing your research without cutting any corners will definitely maximize your ability to enjoy your retirement. After you’ve selected where you want to go and you’ve moved into your house or apartment, spend some time getting to know your surroundings and introducing yourself to the locals. Folks in West Virginia are friendly to a fault and will be dying to get to know you.

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