Yuma ranked a top bargain retirement location

Janis Price isn't too surprised that Yuma was ranked among the 10 bargain retirement spots by U.S. News and World Report in its June 11 issue. After all, she and her husband, Jim, retired to Yuma from Washington in 2000 for that very reason. She just kind of wishes she could keep the secret to herself.

"This is our private domain here," she said. "But we are proud of it and we came for the weather ... which is just so lovely, all year-round. It is nice that everybody in the U.S. will know that, too."

While they love the weather, Price also said the cost of living was a big factor in the couple's decision to retire here.

"It's reasonably priced here compared to other places in the nation, so I think that you are absolutely looking for that as a criteria for where you are going to settle down. You want your retirement dollar to go as long as possible."

As far as Price is concerned, a bonus is the city's riverfront development. "I think that the city is on top of things and is making it appealing for everybody. We kind of have a whole package here in Yuma ... a little bit of everything we need."

U.S. News apparently came to the same conclusion. In its annual retirement guide, Yuma found a spot on the list with Dahlonega, Ga.; Kennebunk, Maine; Fredericksburg, Texas; Melbourne Beach, Fla.; Natchitoches, La.; Salida, Colo.; Sandpoint, Idaho; Yucca Valley, Calif.; and Boone, N.C. The list doesn't rank the top 10 communities.

To come up with the list, the magazine consulted four of the country's top experts on retirement locations. Not all will seem cheap, according to the article, "but they do have this in common: They offer good value in retirement living."

This is critical for retirees, many of whom won't have enough money saved or invested to "kick back in Honolulu or live the expatriate life in Paris," the article reported. In fact, it continued, "nearly half of Americans report having less than $25,000 worth of savings and investments."

A move to one of the bargain spots can stretch those retirement dollars, especially for those who relocate from an area with a higher cost of living, U.S. News noted. Throw in good weather, proximity to a major metropolitan area and cultural and recreational opportunities, and you have a "bargain."

"This was a popular spot to come, years back," said Yuma Mayor Larry Nelson. "It does not surprise me that there are a lot of people that desire this kind of living situation because many of them were commuting an hour and a half or more for work. Those who retire and move here ... you drive 15 minutes from somewhere and you're there at a shopping center, where in bigger cities you drive for miles just to find a shopping center."

Nelson said he thinks "there has been a steady flow and a slight increase of people who have stayed here after visiting a few times and now call Yuma their home. We have a lot of people who are new Yuma residents that have moved out of San Diego ... because they find it a more comfortable atmosphere, economically."

Yuma's place on the top 10 list was no surprise to Bob Ingram, executive director of the Yuma Visitors Bureau, either.

"We in Yuma already know how wonderful it is," he said. "It's a wonderful place to visit. and it doesn't surprise me that people would want to come back and live here. We know that retirees come down here for relaxation, rehabilitation and recreation. We have green things and cool water.

"I've heard so many people who say that they came and visited for so many years and they have just decided that they will stay here."

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STATS

-Population: 84,187

-Median home value: $197,400

-Age 64 and older: 14 percent

-Cost of living: 2.2 percent below the U.S. average

-Maximum state income tax: 4.57 percent

-State sales tax: 5.6 percent

Source: U.S News and World Report

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Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853. Stefani Soucy can be reached at ssoucy@yumasun.com or 539-6857.