7 places to retire to escape extreme weather

Also, it’s important for a place with cooler weather to have other things older adults need. “As people explore other places, one major consideration should be access to health care,” Keenan

says. “You can’t just move out in the middle of nowhere. You need proximity to the health system and specialists.” Housing prices are another factor to consider, as well as quality-of-life

issues like cultural and recreational opportunities. Here are seven states to consider if you’re seeking a retirement refuge from extreme weather. Augusta, Maine, skyline over the Kennebec

River Getty Images MAINE Maine has been affected by climate change — average temperatures have risen almost 3.5 degrees since the early 20th century, according to the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — but summers remain relatively cool, with the mercury topping 90 degrees only a few days a year. Winters tend to be cold and snowy, but that doesn’t seem

to deter older folks (proportionally, Maine has the country’s highest 65-plus population), and it could be a bonus if you’re into winter sports such as cross-country skiing.  WHY ELSE TO

RETIRE THERE: A landscape dense with mountains, lakes and forests, plus more coastline than California, provides ample opportunities for outdoor activity. Though above the national average,

Maine’s cost of living and housing prices are moderate by New England standards. CITY TO CONSIDER: Augusta, the state capital, offers scenic views of sailboats on the Kennebec River and

trails for biking, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. There’s also the Viles Arboretum, a massive botanical garden and nature preserve that’s great for bird- and

wildlife-watching. MICHIGAN Michigan is bounded by four of the five Great Lakes (Huron, Erie and Michigan border the Lower Peninsula; Superior, Huron and Michigan nearly encircle the Upper).

All that water absorbs heat in the summer and releases it in the winter, helping to moderate Michigan’s climate and making it moister and more temperate than that of other Midwestern

states. WHY ELSE TO RETIRE THERE: Michigan ranked 13th among states for low cost of living in the third quarter of 2024, according to the Missouri Economic and Research and Information

Center (Florida and Arizona were 34th and 42nd, respectively). Housing is affordable, with a median sale price of about $264,000 in October 2024, compared to $435,000 nationally, according

to Redfin. An assortment of small and midsize cities offer rich and varied cultural landscapes, and there’s all that lakeshore to play in.  CITY TO CONSIDER: Ranked No. 11 in _U.S. News and

World Report_’s 2024 list of the best cities to retire in, Ann Arbor has all the amenities of a vibrant college town, including a historic 19th-century downtown, the University of

Michigan’s Michigan Medicine health care system and an expansive park network that earned it the nickname “Tree Town.” Split Rock Lighthouse along the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth,

Minnesota AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images MINNESOTA Minnesota experiences few natural disasters (though there was flooding in some regions in 2023 when record snowfalls melted)

and enjoys a stable supply of water from Lake Superior, a crucial resource on a warming planet. Winters can be very cold, with average temperatures in the teens, but summers are mild

(average highs in the low 80s in Minneapolis and lower up north). WHY ELSE TO RETIRE THERE: Personal-finance site WalletHub ranked Minnesota as the best state for health care in 2024, citing

low costs and highly rated public hospitals. State income tax rates are among the nation’s highest (and Minnesota is one of only nine states that taxes Social Security benefits), but the

median home sale price is 20 percent below the national average and the crime rate is 47 percent lower. And for comfort food connoisseurs, it's the home of the tater tot hotdish. CITY

TO CONSIDER: How about “climate-proof Duluth”? Keenan coined the nickname in 2019, citing the Lake Superior port city’s mild summer climate, abundant fresh water, distance from rising seas

and room for growth. Other attractions include expansive water views (especially along the eight-mile Lakewalk), lots of parks and trails for hiking and biking, two top-rated hospitals and

urban amenities like a thriving craft beer scene. NEW YORK Specifically, Western New York, which is welcoming climate migrants as it tries to recapture some of the luster of its industrial

heyday, with historic infrastructure being repurposed as housing. True, this rust-belt region is famous for lake-effect snowstorms, but it has pleasant summers and is far removed from

threats of drought, sea-level rise and other major climate impacts.