8 Best Places To Retire In Missouri
Retirement demands the best quality of life affordable. Therefore, it is an essential luxury that makes retirees' last home livable. This means finding a like-minded community and maintaining a level of self-care for oneself, such as the pursuit of hobbies, social life, and access to quality health care. The cities and towns below are a consideration of each aspect, presenting the best options for one's lifestyle and budget that the "Show-Me" state has to offer.
St. Charles
This antiquated town is the oldest city on the Missouri River, the first capital of Missouri, and the first seat of the state's government. It hosts one of 10 of what's known as Area Agencies on Aging in the state and caters to the elderly and the disabled. St. Charles's local Agency, Aging Ahead, serves those aged 60 and up at St Charles Senior Center. The agency oversees the local Meals on Wheels Program and provides housing, caregiver support, and Healthy Living Programs. City transit services in the form of trolley rides, the STC commuter, and The Charley will transport residents anywhere in town for free, with the exception of St. Charles's Historic Main Street. Priority rides are given to elders and the disabled.
Low-income seniors are offered rebates on gas and electricity and subsidized housing assistance. Eligible folks can access further benefits via the city's Home Improvement Loan Program. If a low to moderate-income resident in a single or double-family home needs simple to severe repairs on the inside or outside of the home, the city grant may fund it. Priority is given to those who have accessibility issues with their driveway, sidewalks in disrepair, or structural problems within the home. The Senior Citizens Advisory Commission plays a role in local laws for St. Charles seniors and meets monthly for residents of all ages to voice their political concerns.
Springfield
As one of the largest cities in Missouri, it is constantly growing at 0.20% yearly. Structurally, it has community involvement and its interests at the heart of it. The Healthy Living Alliance (HLA) rallied half a thousand Missouri State College students and volunteers to carry out the Walkable Neighborhood Project. The excited team surveyed their neighborhoods, working with residents to determine how sidewalks can be improved. This is a gem for retirees, as a group initiative for more walkable access, as the HLA's project coordinator states, is proven to lower crime rates, increase housing value, increase public health and safety, and lower healthcare costs.
The project also involves The Link, the most prominent walkable route in the heart of Springfield alongside roads with low traffic and low speeds for pedestrians. The design takes into account wheelchair users and cyclists. The ingenuity of The Link is the fact that it is a direct link to greenways, bike routes, activity centers, neighborhoods, and bus routes.
Speaking of, a sect of Springfield's public transportation named OATS transports food to home-bound seniors and offers rides to doctor appointments with reduced fares for the elderly, disabled, and Medicare cardholders. Even attractions connect to The Link! Break out of the grid and into Springfield's rolling hill landscape, which includes a portion of the National Historic Trail of Tears.
Creve Coeur
The suburb of Creve Coeur in the district of St. Louis is well known for its nationally ranked and award-winning hospitals. Barnes-Jewish Hospital is number one in Missouri with rankings in specialties for successful treatment of cancer, diabetes, neurology, neurosurgery, and more. Mercy Hospital is ranked number two, with similar rankings in specialties. Such close access to excellent care resources is important as one's health becomes more of a challenge in the latest years of life.
Senior-friendly residential options await new residents, whether it be independent living communities, assisted living facilities, or nursing homes. Newcomers can also claim an inexpensive Creve Coeur Resident ID Card that allows for discounts on local and non-local recreational activities for up to three years. This includes Creve Coeur Ice Arena, Creve Coeur Golf Course, and even the Maryland Heights Aquaport, a family waterpark located in the city of Maryland Heights just a short drive north of Creve Coeur.
Town and Country
Just as Creve Coeur, Town and Country resides in west St. Louis county and is also a more rural counterpart compared to its urban host in the east. It contains one of the best hospitals in the state and region: Missouri Baptist Medical Center. It was awarded for its achievements in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing System, joining the nine percent of hospitals in the nation, and it was also given the Magnet Recognition achievement. As such, the town has a large system of caregivers and healthcare professionals.
Recently, a third of its residents were seniors. Now, half of the 11,000 residents are near retirement age or over. Thus, several living assistance and nursing homes cater to their highly elderly population. The pastoral city of Altheim inside of Town and Country has acres of secluded retirement community facilities like Garden Villas and Athene Nursing and Rehabilitation with a focus on therapeutic practices to help those in need of physical therapy regain independence.
In terms of recreation, there are athletics clubs nearby. If needing less strenuous exercise than golf and tennis, check out community wellness classes in Longview Farm Park that blend yoga, wellness, and outdoor activities. There's even the Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis, a nonprofit health insurance organization offered by the state, based in Town and Country.
Kansas City
Not to be confused with Kansas City, Kansas, across the Missouri River, Kansas City, Missouri's incorporation of bebop influences really flourished in the 1930s during the jazz era and Great Depression. The city's new style of music brought about what became officially known as Kansas City Jazz, raising bebop's biggest influencer, Charlie Parker, and inspiring legendary musicians like Count Basie and Andy Kirk. Now, more than 40 nightclubs feature jazz in this diverse metropolis. 18th and Vine is the city's jazz district known for its barbeque, baseball, and famous Mutual Musicians Foundation, the oldest Jazz venue in the country that was once just an old apartment complex.
Music is not KC's only highlight. Per Missouri's Economic Research and Information Center, Missouri had the sixth lowest cost of living, taking into account housing, utility, transport, grocery, and healthcare costs. The cost of living in Kansas City itself is lower than the national average, and homes are at a better value for median-income households than in cities of its size. This is a desirable feature for most retirees as the difference helps maintain a stable lifestyle.
Parkville
Across the Missouri River from Kansas City is Parkville. True to its name, its encompassing 140-acre Platte Landing Park makes up much of the town. The park offers individual fenced-in areas for both small and large dogs. Further inside the park is Parma Woods Shooting Range, where you can practice shooting or archery for only $5 per hour. The city created the Parkville Nature Sanctuary with the help of local volunteers who helped make the thick forests walkable through the Jim Reed Trail System. It consists of a network of short trails, Butterfly Pass, and Paw Paw Path, giving you a hint of what you're in for.
Beyond all the foliage are several calm, upscale suburban areas surrounding Riss Lake in the Northeast. Other small ponds dot the region in adjacent neighborhoods, one of which, The Bluffs, is known for its uniquely designed homes. A short commute north from the network of neighborhoods is the exclusive National Golf Club of Kansas City. It is the perfect way to connect with locals. A healthy diet can be attained at Parkville Farmer's Market downtown, where the foods are locally sourced. Everything from fruits and vegetables to meats and mushrooms and even homemade jams can be found. All the while, you're minutes away from downtown Kansas City but far enough to live a peaceful life in a self-sustaining community.
Jefferson City
Very few live here, yet you cannot miss the massive white colonial building. Neither can your eyes neglect to see the grayed log cabins and Bavarian cottages. This is Jefferson City, the current capital of Missouri. It was founded in 1821 by two explorers whose westbound voyage is aptly named The Lewis and Clark Expedition. Its namesake and third US president himself, Thomas Jefferson, inspired the expedition.
The white-columned building is the Missouri State Capital, which burned down twice in the past two centuries in one of the biggest fires Missouri has ever seen. The third time is seemingly the charm, and the newest building now contains the Missouri State Museum. The city itself is a Designated Preserve America Community with two conservation districts and one historic district on the southside named Munichburg. These are areas in which a majority of the populace agreed it is of some historical significance and, therefore, necessary to protect and preserve it. Most rentals were built before 1980, so there is a beautiful blend of both modern and antique housing to choose from. Residents often see various weather conditions throughout the year, from gentle snowfalls to blazing heat and humidity. Yet, many enjoy hiking, boating, and fishing on the Missouri River during the summers.
Hermann
Its terraced brick shops seem to come ablaze during sunset in the fall; yes, the faded rustic brick and simple German-American design will grow on you here. Originally an isolated German settlement in the Missouri River Valley, Hermann is now recognized as an American Viticultural Area responsible for a third of Missouri's wine output. One can learn all about the original German wine immigrant's settlement and agricultural history at the Deutschheim (translated as "German house") State Historic Site and the Hermann Farm Museum.
The Germanic influence is preserved in the over a hundred Classical Revival buildings downtown to the sweet wines themselves, differentiating the community from other Missouri towns. The Hermann Wine Trail consists of six wineries on a "trail," or road lined with endless vineyard vistas between them from Hermann to New Haven. Choose your thematic experience, from the traditional chocolate and cheese-themed wine trails to more region-specific ones such as their "Farmers' Table," "Berries and BarBQ," and "Wild Bacon" wine trails.
Incidentally, Hermann is also home to a nationally acknowledged Assisted Living locale, the Victorian Place of Hermann. The Americare community credits their successes to their "'person-first'" method and holistic approach to wellbeing. A Hermann-based organization, Messmer-Eitmann Foundation, provides healthy meals at Miss Clara's and fitness classes at Hermann Fitness Source to local senior citizens to promote physical health and improved quality of life.
Missouri offers a unique blend of urban and rural life, from historical town squares to strategic urban planning and modern construction. As one in search of the perfect home, never feel the need to give up a certain lifestyle or hobbies. Being able to shop at certain stores and markets often makes all the difference, considering the prospect of settling down for the rest of one's life. So, while lower taxes and the cost of living play a huge role in every retiree's life, remember that what you are really looking for in retirement is a place that represents you and your family's particular interests, wants, needs, and lifestyle.
