The Best Northeast State to Live in

Now that we've explored the country region by region and given you our top picks for the Best US States live in be it for retirement or economic we're now going to dig deeper into each of our 'Best States'. Let's begin by exploring the Northeast as we unveil the best communities to live in.

The northeast is one of the best places to live in the United States. This area, chosen by English settlers as the perfect spot to begin their “new world”, still retains the charm the colonists found so appealing more than 400 years ago. Although there are many great places to live in the northeast, Virginia stands out as the best. With an unemployment rate nearly three percent below the national average, great schools and one of the best state governments in the US, Virginia has the distinguished status of being one of the best states to live in the country today.

Best City to Live in Virginia

For those who love the city lights, big business and plenty of entertainment, Richmond is one of the best cities to live in Virginia. Serving as the state capital, Richmond’s main economy lies in law, finance, advertising and government. Voted the third best city for business in the nation, it is also home to six Fortune 500 companies including Genworth Financial and Altria. Richmond stays true to its historical roots and the city contains many monuments to historic Americans. With 40 parks to choose from, Richmond offers plenty of outdoor activities including hiking, biking and rock climbing. Median income for a family in the city is upwards of $38,000 a year, and jobs in the private sector are plentiful.

Cheapest Place to Live in Virginia

Lexington, Virginia lies about an hour east of the West Virginia border and is a relatively small town with a population of just over 7,000 people in the 2010 census. Home to the Virginia Military Institute as well as Washington and Lee University, this college town is among the least expensive places to live in Virginia. The median family income is $58,529 a year while the cost of living ranges from 1% to 10% lower than the national average. Both Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were buried here, and the town is also home to the only non-profit drive-in theater in the United States.

Best Place to Retire in Virginia

Virginia Beach is a resort town on the shores of the Atlantic ocean. It contains the world’s largest “pleasure beach” and is home to several parks and many protected beach areas. Virginia Beach has long been a popular retirement destination and has a high concentration of senior citizens. Winters are mild and summers are warm. Virginia Beach is among the top 5 median family incomes in the nation, and crime rates are lower than average. There are several top-notch medical facilities in the city. Virginia Beach also has 14 major golf courses and an active senior community.

Virginia is a great state with a long and storied history. The economy and schools here are well above the national average, while the cost of living in the non-metropolitan areas is significantly lower. Housing is both plentiful and affordable and the crime rates outside of major cities are generally low. For these reasons, Virginia is the best place to live in the northeast.

Best Northwest State to Live in

There are many great places to live in the Northwest United States. From the urban life of Washington’s biggest cities to the charm of a tiny Wyoming ranch town, this area is known for its cultural and geographic diversity. The northwest is home to many entries on the "Best Places to Live in the United States" list, and one state in particular appears more often than most. Washington State meets nearly every requirement needed to earn its ranking as one of the best states to live in the US.

The Best City to Live in Washington

Mukilteo is known as one of the best cities to live in Washington. A 2011 9th place winner on Money Magazine’s “100 Best Places to Live” list, this community of approximately 20,000 people in Snohomish County is a suburb of Seattle located on the shores of the picturesque Puget Sound. Median family income for this area is $104,939 and the median home price is nearly $380,000. While Mukilteo is not the most inexpensive place to live in the state, it is among the safest. Personal crime rates here are practically non-existent, while property crimes fall far below the national average. The median age of Mukilteo’s residents is 38 and an astonishing 80% have attended college. Test scores for reading and math are consistently high, at 20% and 32% above the state’s average respectively. Job growth has reached 13.58% over the last ten years. Mukilteo is one of the richer areas of traditionally wealthy Washington and a beautiful and safe haven to call home.

Cheapest Place to Live in Washington

Although Seattle and its surrounding communities may be a bit out of the average earner’s price range, Spokane fits most everyone’s budget. Forbes Magazine has rated Spokane “The Cheapest City on the West Coast.” With a population of 208,916, Spokane is a distant second to Seattle in size, but a world away in cost comparison. Median family income is $41,316, while housing here is a full 15% lower than the national average. 28% of the population works in a healthcare related field, and jobs within this field are plentiful. Spokane has no income or business tax, making it an incredibly inexpensive place to live.

Best Place to Retire

For rest, relaxation and an amazing view of the snowcapped Cascade mountain range, Wenatchee is the perfect place to retire. A resort area with a population of approximately 30,000, Wenatchee is famous for its apples. Median home price here is slightly above $200,000 and the median household income for those 55 or older exceeds $40,000 a year. Senior citizens make up nearly a quarter of Wenatchee’s population, and there are many active senior groups within the city to join. Situated approximately halfway between Seattle to the west and Spokane to the east, Wenatchee is convenient to either of Washington’s biggest cities. The nearby Wenatchee National Forest offers plenty of outdoor recreational activities and some of the most beautiful woodlands in Washington.

With everything from the economy and job market to the natural beauty of the state factored in, it is easy to see why Washington is a forerunner for the title of "Best Place to Live". While Seattle and its surrounding communities offer plenty of excitement and affluence, eastern Washington offers a laid-back, peaceful atmosphere. Washington truly has something for everyone.

Where is Belize?

Belize - The Best Place to Retire?

Many times we have compared and contrasted the Best Places to Retire in relation to cost of living. Now more than ever those approaching retirement or recently retired are concerned about if or when their financial resources may run out. The ups and downs of the stock marketed combined with advances in health and longevity make this a real concern. So it's important for retirees to consider cheap places to live abroad in retirement. Places where they know their savings and retirement nest egg will last.

Latin American countries have been the darlings of the media and many retirees for the past decade. It started with Costa Rica in the '80's and '90's and then spread across the central American map as more and more of these places developed infrastructure and services specifically targeted at the retiring American Baby Boomers. For five years in a row Panama ranked number one in lists of the top retirement places while countries like Nicaragua, Honduras, Roatan and Belize often made the top 10 lists.

Recently we have been writing about retiring in Belize as one such place where the pace of life is slow and easy and the cost of living more than reasonable for most. I've been getting some feedback and questions about Belize and it makes sense the first and most popular question is...

Where is Belize Located?

That's a pretty important question! After all ow will you get there if you don't know where Belize is? Seriously though, when it comes to retiring abroad one of the most important issues is location - how close will I be to my children? My grand children? My home country? Other countries and places I may want to visit?  It's not atypical for a retiree living abroad to make numerous trips back to their homeland so moving relatively close and with easy access is of paramount concern. Thuis is probably one of the biggest reasons Latin America has become so popular for a seasonal or full time retirement home and Belize is located smack dab on the middle.

Belize is found on the Caribbean Coast of Central America with Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west.

It is easy to get to from the United States with flights of less than two hours from Miami, Houston and  Dallas. You can also fly a little long from Atlanta, Newark, and Charlotte.

More about Belize

Formerly Belize was a British Colony so the official and common language is English. This makes it quite easy for retirees from North America to communicate and quickly feel at home. The 'Retire Belize Program' was modelled after other successful retiree incentive programs in countries like Panama. The incentives offerred to people who wish to live but not work make for a very attractive lifestyle by cutting the cost of living even further. The population is estimated at 300,000 persons residing in eight urban areas. Over 30% of the people live in Belize City. Belize is quite small at just 8,867 square miles but it is still one of the lowest densely populated countries in the Americas.

Weather in Belize

The Belize climate is subtropical, with an average annual temperature around 80°F. Highs can reach over 90°F while night time lows at cetain times of the year may fall as low as 60°F.   Belize is also an attractive destination for suba divers as it is home to the longest living Barrier Reef in the world which stretches along the entire Eastern Coast of the country.

Belize boasts large areas of unspoiled jungles and national parks, amazing rivers, waterfalls, wildlife, caves, and even archaeological ruins. Living in Belize as an American you will immediately notice the vibrant blend of cultures, including Mayan, Hispanic, Garifuna, East Indian, and Creole.