Georgia, known for its rich history, culture, and outdoor opportunities, is an attractive proposition for many American retirees. Retirees moving to the state benefit from a wide range of lifestyles, a warm climate, and many things to do.
The state is also considered tax-friendly for retirees. It doesn’t tax Social Security retirement benefits and provides a maximum tax deduction of $65,000 for anyone 65 or older.
Today, we’ll show you the best places to retire in Georgia, so you know precisely what the Peach State offers. We’ll explain what makes each place desirable and why you should make the move.
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Best Places to Retire in Georgia
Atlanta
Atlanta is one of the best places in Georgia to retire if you love the big city lifestyle. As Georgia’s largest city, with a population of over 500,000, you can expect easy access to essential amenities, such as healthcare facilities, shops, and restaurants.
You’ll also be pleased to hear that the cost of living falls 3% below the national average. Furthermore, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranked Atlanta as the second-most livable city in the United States.
You’ll spend your free time in Atlanta visiting the city’s most popular attractions, including Piedmont Park, the Georgia Aquarium, and the World of Coca-Cola.
St. Simons
If you’d prefer a relaxed beachfront lifestyle, consider retiring to St. Simons. This picturesque island town is known for its sandy beaches, natural landscapes, and outdoor activities.
You’ll likely spend most of your retirement walking along the beaches, playing golf, and exploring historical sites like Fort Frederica National Monument. Despite its alluring qualities, the cost of living in St. Simons falls below the national average.
Regarding amenities, this quaint beach town offers everything you need to thrive. This includes world-class medical centers, shops, and recreation centers.
There are also several retirement options, including independent, assisted, and memory care living.
Dalton
Dalton is one of the best places to retire in Georgia if you’re seeking a combination of small-town atmosphere, essential amenities, and outdoor adventure. This Whitfield County city offers retirees a comfortable lifestyle at an affordable price and easy access to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
As such, you can spend your golden years hiking, boating, and wildlife-watching in the great outdoors. Back in the city, retirees have many essential amenities and attractions at their fingertips.
This includes top-class medical centers, recreation centers, grocery stores, and Blunt House. Dalton also offers a low cost of living, low crime rates, and various retirement communities. What’s not to like?
Adairsville
Adairsville in Bartow County offers retirees a tranquil environment, picturesque scenery, and lower living costs than the state and national average. This will allow you to spend more money on things you enjoy doing.
In Adairsville, you’ll find many things to see and do, highlights including Peacock Junction Antique Mall, Manning Hill Park, and the 3,000-acre (1,214-hectare) Barnsley Resort. In Downtown Adairsville, you’ll find an array of historic buildings, museums, shops, and restaurants.
Adairsville residents have convenient access to medical centers, recreation centers, and grocery stores. Retirement options include independent, assisted, nursing, and memory care living.
Savannah
Savannah is a charming coastal city in southeastern Georgia. It’s best known for its historic landmarks, scenic parks, and beautiful waterfront views. It’s arguably one of the most beautiful places to retire in the Peach State.
With a mild climate, low cost of living, and a wide range of living options to match, there isn’t anything to dislike about Savannah. You’ll spend most of your time in Savannah visiting historic museums, walking around the parks, and admiring the city’s architecture.
Popular attractions include Forsyth Park, the American Prohibition Museum, and the Savannah Historic District. Regarding amenities, the city offers many medical centers, recreation centers, and grocery stores.
Gainesville
Gainesville is a great place to retire if you seek a relaxed, small-town feel, affordable living, and plenty of outdoor activities. Like Adairsville, Gainesville’s living cost falls below the state and national average.
This Hall County city is near several outdoor recreational areas, including Lanier Point Park, Lake Lanier, River Forks Park, and Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve. As such, hiking, boating, and fishing are popular pastimes.
Meanwhile, you’ll have access to world-class medical facilities, grocery stores, restaurants, and several retirement communities in the city. The retirement communities in Gainesville offer independent, assisted, and nursing home living.
Augusta
In Augusta, active retirees can spend their golden years playing golf at Augusta Country Club and strolling along the banks of the Savannah River. Meanwhile, museum buffs will enjoy exploring museums like the Augusta Museum of History and the Morris Museum of Art.
As the second-largest city in Georgia by population, Augusta also offers retirees many essential amenities. This includes medical centers, recreation centers, shops, bars, and restaurants. Unsurprisingly, many excellent retirement communities offer various options, such as independent and assisted living.
Better yet, the cost of living is lower than the state and national average.
St. Marys
St. Marys, a picturesque coastal city in Camden County, is one of the best places in Georgia to retire if you want to live near the sea. Located on the St. Marys River, this retirement destination offers easy access to several pristine beaches, including Dungeness Beach and Stafford Beach.
Unsurprisingly, outdoor activities are popular in St. Mary’s, especially hiking, fishing, boating, and kayaking. St. Marys also makes sense financially, as it’s one of the state’s most affordable coastal areas.
Several healthcare centers, retirement communities, recreation centers, and shopping malls are among the amenities and facilities available. Sounds perfect, right?
Athens
Athens is an excellent choice if you’re searching for a retirement destination that has a bigger buzz. Home to the University of Georgia, Athens is one of the most happening cities in Georgia.
No matter where you are, you’ll find plenty of things to see and do. For example, you could explore the Georgia Museum of Art, watch football at Sanford Stadium, and listen to live music in the Georgia Theatre.
You’ll also only be a short drive from Atlanta should you want to visit the state capital. Other benefits of living in Athens include world-class medical facilities, countless places to eat and drink, and a good selection of senior communities.
Peachtree City
Peachtree City is one of the best places to retire in Georgia if you’re seeking an active retirement. Located in central Georgia, approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Atlanta, this city is well known for its extensive network of pedestrian-friendly paths and active adult communities.
Popular outdoor activities include walking, biking, golfing, and fishing. The city has many fascinating attractions and entertainment venues, such as the Frederick Brown Jr Amphitheater and the CAF Airbase Georgia.
Meanwhile, Peachtree City Library hosts various book, poetry, and film clubs. Finally, the cost of living in Peachtree City is lower than the national average, and retirees can choose from several retirement communities.
Final Thoughts About the Georgia for Retirement
That concludes this article looking at the best places to retire in Georgia. As you can see, Georgia is an excellent place to retire if you’re seeking affordable living costs, impressive natural beauty, and many things to see and do.
So, is Georgia the perfect retirement destination for you? If it is, why don’t you spend some time narrowing down the options until you find your dream destination?
We’re sure you won’t regret your decision wherever you decide to live.
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Prakash Kolli is the founder of the Dividend Power site. He is a self-taught investor, analyst, and writer on dividend growth stocks and financial independence. His writings can be found on Seeking Alpha, InvestorPlace, Business Insider, Nasdaq, TalkMarkets, ValueWalk, The Money Show, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and leading financial sites. In addition, he is part of the Portfolio Insight and Sure Dividend teams. He was recently in the top 1.0% and 100 (73 out of over 13,450) financial bloggers, as tracked by TipRanks (an independent analyst tracking site) for his articles on Seeking Alpha.