Best College Towns for Retirement

It’s no surprise that college towns are attracting retirees more and more. According to a recent CNNMoney.com article on Yahoo!, hundreds of schools (such as Duke University) welcome retirees back, providing access to university facilities, discounts at campus events, and the chance to take classes with fellow retirees.

Duke Univ in Durham, NC

Retirees and college students have a few things in common – they don’t typically work 9 to 5 jobs, they enjoy the arts and being active, and one of their sole purposes each day is to have fun (with the occasional learning, of course).

So it’s no surprise that college towns are attracting retirees more and more. According to a recent CNNMoney.com article on Yahoo!, hundreds of schools (such as Duke University) welcome retirees back, providing access to university facilities, discounts at campus events, and the chance to take classes with fellow retirees. Many of these programs bear the name of the Bernard Osher Foundation, which funds 120 institutions in 50 states.

This year’s Best Places to Retire feature by MONEY identified towns with notable lifelong-learning programs along with other attributes that appeal to retirees, such as affordable housing, low taxes and high-quality health care.

The towns that topped the list are:

1. Durham, NC

2. Hanover, NH

3. Lexington, KY

4. Prescott, AZ

5. Bellingham, WA

6. Boise, ID

7. St. Petersburg, FL

8. Huntsville, AL

9. Austin, TX

10. Tucson, AZ

We spoke with Gragg Miller, Broker Owner Coldwell Banker Miller-Arnason, for his perspective on why Bellingham, Washington attracts this special group of homeowners. “Bellingham is home to Western Washington University, the third largest university in the state,” he said. “It gives retirees the chance to take classes while enjoying sports and culture at the same time.”

Miller noted that they saw a tremendous influx of people moving to Bellingham at the turn of the decade. “We have so much to offer – great medical facilities, outdoor recreation in the summer and winter, and we’re in between two major cities, Vancouver and Seattle.”

Retired or not, seems like a great place to live! From the list above I’m partial to Tuscon, AZ which isn’t too far from where I was born (Fort Huachuca, AZ) and home to my favorite college basketball team, the Arizona Wildcats (Go Cats!). But enough about me. Which college town would you choose to spend your golden years?

David Marine

Husband. Father. Socializer. Mets Lifer. TV Aficionado. Consumer Engager.

David Marine is the Chief Marketing Officer at Coldwell Banker, where he oversees the brand’s marketing efforts and content strategy including acting as managing editor for the Coldwell Banker blog and heading up video production efforts. While CMO by day, David runs a three ring circus at night as he is the father of 4 boys. He also happens to be married to Wonder Woman. True story.