Hubby mentioned Nevada or the mountains of Arizona to avoid snakes but then there are the snakes. Snakes wouldn't be an issue if I didn't like being outside as much as a I do.

Well, there are no snakes in Ireland, they get very little snow and humidity isn't an issue as it doesn't get hot there. You can always swim indoors...

Whatever you do, don't go to Guam...they are inundated with brown snakes and don't know how to kill them. They outnumber the humans 10 to 1.

I don't think there is anywhere that fits all those criteria...not that I can think of anyway.

Don't judge by this year as it's an El Nino year and our weather has been most bizarre too. Of course, with climate change, who knows what the new normal is. Ice core drillings show that drastic climate changes in history have taken place in as little as a decade. Could be wherever you go, you're screwed.

I think rob is describing the Monterey area. It has many, many pluses but it's a bit too coolish for me. Just 30 minutes north around the bay, in Santa Cruz, is much warmer and sunnier with many of the same advantages. I think she's also describing the fact that jobs and having vibrant employment opportunities often require people to live in areas that may not be their first choice. People unwilling to move to a more dynamic area, a mindset I've never understood, are often stuck with underemployment, limited employment opportunities, or unemployment.

Except for several years living in Western Europe, I've spent my whole life in coastal California. I've visited (not just changed planes in) 39 states and haven't seen anything I like better. There are places I like to visit and do visit, yes. Relocate out of state, no. Both summer humidity and snow are non-negotiables I won't accept and that eliminates much of the US.

I appreciate that with housing costs being as they are, that alone prevents many from moving to California. Even inland locations where costs are relatively more moderate are high compared to some areas. But, I'd say, are still worth it.

We don't have the numbers of or frequency of bugs like most of the rest of the US and also few snakes. Mostly gentle weather. Unless you're living on the fringes of a built up area, near wildlands or a park. If so, then of course you get whatever is there. But not much in established urban/suburban areas.

Yeah elmer, if you don't mind earthquakes, mudslides and fires...

You need an RV and planters. Be sure to get a toy hauler, so you can take the plants with you. Travel north in the summer and south in the winter. You could probably hit California inbetween the earthquakes, mudslides, and fires.... Give North Florida a little time to clean up.

Earthquakes - I've had 3 major ones in my lifetime. Call that less than once every 20 years. None caused most people anything more than a bit of inconvenience and those affected were a small number of people, aside from a few with bad luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some dozens of people injured in areas with populations in the millions, a minuscule number. Compare that to snowstorms and heavy rain storms or even flooding that some areas have multiple times a year and that affect a large number of people.

Fires and mudslides - other than the unfortunates in the not very populated areas of the Wine Country and Santa Barbara who in the recent incidents had the poor luck of having fires start when high winds were blowing, these also affect a very, very, very small percentage of the population.

Take your pick. Sunny and rainless summers without humidity, mild winters, and a very small to even remote likelihood of even inconvenience from natural disasters. One snow or ice storm or even one muggy day would get me to the airport to come home. We can have outside activities here most days, 12 months of the year. It's a matter of choice.

I love where I am........four seasons, some hot weather in the summer, but usually not constant. We get breaks in the heat. What is good for one person, isn't necessarily good for another. There is no Utopia

I used to think the Southwest would be wonderful but after spending time there, no thanks. My skin was cracking from the dryness and I felt like there was nowhere to escape the sun. The higher elevations were nice but the locals said winters are hard, plus it's too rural for me..

My brother lived in La Jolla. It was cool and damp in the evening and every morning started with the foggy marine layer. The rest of the day was perfect if you could deal with all the people and traffic, not to mention the price of real estate. My son is in Ventura and his backyard burned down in a fire. My niece lives in NC near the coast and it is so hot and humid,plus they've had whopper hurricanes.

I have friends with a house in Maine for the summer and in Sanibel FL for the winter. That sounds pretty good.

I like where I am for the most part although our weather is changing. My husband lived on Guam as an army brat for a little over a year. His comment about living on an island was "What happens when the ships do not come". With the turmoil in the world it is worth thinking about if you want to live on an island.

Something to think about with retirement. Depending on the school pick an area that has a college that has an active social presence in the community. By that I am meaning do they invite interesting speakers, have exhibits, offer things like adult education classes in various subjects that are open to the public and not just students. Can you as a senior receive a discount on classes that interest you if classes are not full.

Rob and Elmer pretty much covered it.

I am satisfied with where I am. No desire to move at this point of my life. If I won the lottery (which won't happen since I don't play) maybe to a more semi-rural location with a bit less congestion. But my neighborhood is pretty nice right now.

I 'm a 15 minute drive from country, 35 - 40 minutes from the beach in light traffic, couple hours from the snow or a multitude of recreational lakes etc. What's not to like. Traffic is occasionally an issue but that's modern life. I have the option of avoiding much of it since I don't have a job to get to and DH's hours are adjusted to come in early and leave early to avoid the worst of the commute rush. I can be a country girl, a suburban housewife and a city girl all in one day. :-D

I like where we live. Is it perfect? No. But we can visit anywhere in the US and have. I can find fault with almost anywhere else too for various reasons that it doesn’t suit MY lifestyle and personal preference. I can’t choose for someone else.

Our once fairly small-ish city is now growing and becoming full of traffic and people, but still a lot less than most big cities. Everything seems more crowded and less than peaceful sometimes. This area is a big draw for many people these days. I almost hate to see it grow. Or maybe I’m just getting old and less tolerant. But it still is home, has 4 seasons, lots of green space, things to do year round, and we don’t plan to move. We live in a rural area and I’ll take the snakes, critters, and quiet any day over light pollution and noise.

No one place for me. I would prefer Southern CA for the winter - I like mild days and cool nights. Martha's Vineyard or Maine in the summer - same reason. Love the flowers that grow easily in all these places.

I'm a pnw native and never dreamed I'd want to live anywhere else, but as I've grown older, I'm craving more light in the winter. I never understood the snowbird draw, but I can now see why people go to the SW in the winter. But, as luck had it, my grandson was born the same year I retired and I've (gladly) become his caretaker when his parents are working. I couldn't bear to leave him for extended periods, nor would he be happy about it. So, no snowbird living for me unless I'm still alive when he no longer needs before and after school care. He's nearly 9, so I might make it. Maybe Palm Springs in the winter?

I could never, ever live somewhere there's high humidity. We don't have humidity here, because when it's warm in the summers, there is no moisture in the air. In the winter when it's more rainy, it's cool and so you don't feel any humidity. Same with mosquitoes; I could never live somewhere that my outdoor activities were restricted by mosquitoes or I'd have to slather myself with poison to deter them.

I'm not being flip or sarcastic in my reply, because I do understand how serious you are.....BUT! It would solve a lot of problems if you would consider seeking professional help for your phobia rather than limit yourself

I've had two phobias in my own life to overcome, both of which were pretty debilitating and restrictive. Acrophobia and arachnophobia had bothered me since childhood and into my young adulthood. I was a student at Va. Tech when I decided to take advantage of the great University therapy and counselling services to get control of the acrophobia. The process was swift, very interesting, and extremely effective.

My issue with spiders was resolved on my own by necessity. As a full time professional horticulturist living in semi-tropical South Carolina, I had to get over being terrified by spiders, yikes! I began a serious study of spiders and their behavior, observed them closely in the field, practiced a bit of relaxation techniques learned in my acrophobia therapy and with a little bit of exposure and time, I learned to become comfortable around spiders.

Experts say that phobias are extremely and predictably easy to manage, with some professional help. The fear of heights, spiders, flying, bats, birds, insects, public speaking, the dark, and snakes are very common phobias.

Without that irrational fear, you would have a much greater choice of places in which to live, right? Because snakes inhabit much of the US it makes a whole lot of sense to train yourself to live with them comfortably.

Anyway, I wish you all the best in the next chapter of your life. Please know that my comments are heartfelt and sincere, and based on experience.

We are in the Santa Cruz area up in the hills with lots of redwoods and other trees. We are around 10 miles from the ocean and go there about once a year when we have visitors. We are not really beach people, prefer hiking trails in all the parks. We have been here for over 41 years, 32 on the coast.

What I like is the weather, not too hot or cold. A light jacket is all you need even in winter. It only rains from late Oct. - April, and I have only seen a light dusting of snow twice. We get summer fog but usually burns off by noon and keeps it from getting too hot. I prefer the cooler temps. I have visited family in Florida and I can't take the heat. I came from Illinois and Mass and always hated the winters and summers.

Not many bugs to speak of, only very occasionally ants in the kitchen. We have had the house tented for termites that we discovered when we did the kitchen remodel. Once had a yellow jacket nest. No mosquitoes or cockroaches or too many flies. No snakes but lots of cute little lizards that eat the bugs.

We lived through the 1989 earthquake, 5 miles from the epicenter, and wouldn't want to go through that again. We had lots of damage and had to rebuild part of the house. We are way out in the country and wild fires have come close. I fear fires more than earthquakes.

What I don't like is the traffic, which has gotten so much worse in the last 32 years. What use to take 20 minutes, now takes an hour or more. And the housing prices are crazy. We thought about selling and moving someplace that has less traffic, but there is no other place we would like to live.

I would have to stay there awhile before buying but Western North Carolina would be a nice place to try. Maybe I wouldn't like it but maybe so. However my husband would never move. We travel in our motorhome and that gives us a taste of different areas.

I would go back to Hawaii, you have lush green areas, mountains, no venomous snakes. Very high cost of living though. You can stay away from the beach areas if you don't care for them.

Anywhere except Arizona. Unfortunately, me and my daughter have asthma so we can’t live in wet/humid climates. My dream would be living in Oregon or Vermont.

We love northwestern Virginia. There are four distinct seasons, but seldom any severe weather. Nice town, very little crime, cost of living is not bad, and housing is affordable. We are about 60 miles west of Washington, D.C.--in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We chose mountains over waterfront, as it is less expensive and less dangerous.

If I could relocate it would be to Santa Barbara Calif. I am from LA am stuck in OK now. Love Santa Barbara. It's close enough to everything, quaint downtown area, historic areas, low crime, clean, beach, can I say beach again.... love it!

I don't know what property values are like in the area you live in, but property values vary dramatically from location to location. A co-worker moved to here in central Virginia from a college town in Indiana. His house there had gone up in value by about 50% and was one of the largest and nicest in his close-in neighborhood. Here for about the same price all he could get was a 1920's house in need of much work in a less desirable neighborhood.

Another co-worker accepted a position at Stanford University that included a 50% higher salary than she was making here. She realized after moving there that even with that higher salary she would probably never be able to afford a house.

She accepted a job and moved without first exploring and arranging for housing? That's not a smart approach for any move

Hello neighbor. I live about 50 miles north of the Illinois-Wisconsin border. We've traveled to a number of places during vacations and have come to the conclusion there is no perfect place; Some are better than others.

During my working years, my picks were (listed with first preference first) Hendersonville, NC; Franklin, NC; Marysville, TN; and Black Mountain, NC. Sedona, AZ is nice, but I'm not sure I would like all year. Its very dry in summer and is likely too expensive for my budget. I have concern about water supply in desert locations with too many people. That's a problem I do not want to deal with.

As I age, access to good dental, eye, and medical care at reasonable cost has increased in priority. I also value a few good friends more than in the past. As I draw nearer to end of life, access to reasonable assisted living quarters becomes more important than weather. (I'm not there yet, but I doubt that I can avoid it.)

I live near the coast in southern Maine. Weather is pretty good from April through November and the ocean moderates temperatures most of the time. Of course our winter months are punctuated with snow, ice, and cold. We are retired so we don't have to slip and slide our way to work anymore and when we do go out after the roads are cleared, we drive Subarus which are loved in New England for a reason. We walk outdoors year round, but of course cannot garden here in the cold weather. Snakes are not a problem. Housing is relatively high compared to other parts of the country apparently.

OP, we live on the other side of the border, not far from the lakeshore, and we've been talking about how we have pretty good weather compared to some areas. Virtually tornadoes, no hurricanes, the lake-effect snow isn't nearly as bad as in Indiana or Michigan. The bugs haven't been bad lately (well, emerald ash borer, but at least they don't fly in the window).

Our issue is the fiscal state of the state. We were thinking of going to Wisconsin!

Jemdandy named places popular with Midwesterners, especially Chicagoans. I hear Nashville is becoming Illinois East.

two25acres, sounds like you are in a good position: you might move, but don't have to. Husband and I decided we wanted a change of scenery when we were still five years out from retirement. The anticipation was fun -- looking at houses (mostly on-line), dreaming of what we wanted to do, where we wanted to be. When we finally bought a place, I printed a picture of it for my bulletin board at the office -- it brought me much peace to gaze at it and think "___ days longer"!

Lots of good advice above. No one size fits all, of course. So think carefully about: rural, suburban, small town, small city, big city.

Will you be retiring? (Look at 'continuous care communities' -- no maintenance for you, and peace of mind when traveling because you know your home is safe). What sort of activities do you look forward to? Can you find a house that's affordable? Here are two websites that might help:

Lifelong Learning Institutes - LLI works with your local university to sponsor overview classes on a wide variety of subject, for the 55+ age group. They are all over the country. We have a lot of them here in Virginia. If/when you narrow down your retirement locations, I'd suggest you click on nearby LLI locations and look at their specific catalogues, because some offer a narrow range of course, some are wider in scope. LLI is associated with "Road Scholar", which offers trips all over the place, so that might be of interest to you also.

Realtor.com - Type in the name of a city and see what's really out there. But if/when you get serious, find a good local realtor. (For instance, I live in a college town. Certain houses for sale here fail to mention the neighbors are probably students, and weekend/parties are common.)

Another factor to consider: Family -- do you want them near, close enough, or far far away- lol?

As for weather -- mostly, it varies from year to year. So don't let one rainy summer get you down too much. But (like Jemdandy mentioned), I'd avoid places that are subject to outright drought.

And snakes? I'm a nature nut so glad you are not against snakes entirely -- and I can understand not wanting them to surprise you! Where ever you end up, I'd recommend that you keep your primary walking and sitting areas relatively clear of bushes or plants, so any snakes are less likely to bother you.

Good luck and have fun :-)

My niece and her husband just retired. They split their year between Pagosa, CO in the summer and Lake Havasu, AZ in the winter.

I live in central Maine & truly love it for many reasons. Close to family, four seasons, rural, scenic & much more. But your question was where would I choose if I HAD to move? Easy, NH or VT because they are VERY similar to Maine, lol! p.s. I am a weirdo, I LOVE the snow! Most Mainers do I believe.

Edited: I just re-read the post, I guess it didn't say if I HAD to move...oops...guess I wouldn't then.

I would split my time as mentioned above by dchall between a location with a mild summer climate and a place with warm winters. I have never liked interior California's hot summers and as I get older I have come to detest July, August and September. Winter weather doesn't bother me, but hubby hates the cold, rain and snow. If we were to split our time between two places, one with mild summers and one with mild winters, that would be the best of both worlds.

I have no desire to leave California, so if we were to split our time, we'd probably do something like mid June to November somewhere on the coast and December to May in San Diego or the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area. What we will probably do is what we've been doing and that is to rent an apartment/house through Airbnb or VRBO over on the coast during the hot summer months, take a vacation to a warm climate in December - February and stay where we are the rest of the time.

Of course, the day will come when we are too old or not healthy enough to travel and then we will have to decide what to do at that point. I figure by the time we reach that stage, it won't matter as much because we won't be venturing very far from home and as long as we have A/C and heat, we'll be fine.

Central Texas...on the banks of the beautiful Brazos River....100 miles in any direction takes you to totally different territory. Big cities, capital city, buttes and mesas or deep piney woods!

Thank you for all of the suggestions and for taking your time to participate. I don't have a phobia to snakes, I don't like them to surprise me. I found them in the evergreen bush because I had rested the hose on the bush, when I went to get the hose there it was. I went to get into the pool one day and there was another, just doing laps around the outer edge of the pool. I'm hoping Hubby gets some charter work (he drives a motorcoach bus) to Arizona and Nevada and can spend some time there. 5 years ago his choice would have been Montana or Alaska, now as he ages the snow doesn't appeal to him as much. He just prefers the cooler temps and no humidity now. We are considering 6 months in one location and 6 months on the road traveling. He will retire, I am spending the next 6 months or so looking for a virtual job or getting some experience at something else that I can take on the road. We are hoping to work 6 months a year and relax the other 6 months. I sell insurance now and that is something I could do elsewhere once licensed in the state we are in. I will maintain my Wisconsin license as long as I can, just in case. We have no children, my mother is living with us but will take an apartment in the next 30 days so I know longer feel the obligation to stay here to make sure mom is ok. She has 5 sons as well. Thanks again and we look forward to just being able to scope out new places.

Goodness, I was kinda joking above about the RV, but y'all seem perfect for it. I would like to, but it just didn't work out. You could visit around the country until you find a place you REALLY like.

I've lived in Southern California for 45 years. Northern California before that where I grew up after being born in Seattle, WA.

Now that we are both retired, we decided to sell some rental property here in So Cal earlier this year. The condo sold for $45K over asking price so we bought two investment properties with the proceeds, one in Georgetown, 35 miles north of Austin, TX area and one in the Palm Springs, CA area.

We'd been to Georgetown five times in the last five years to visit relatives and fell in love with the area so it only made sense to invest there. We bought a gorgeous home that sits on the curve of a quiet, mature cul-d-sac and backs up to the 17th hole of a golf course. It cost us $312K. Here is So Cal, the same home would be $1.5-$2 million.

Five weeks in April and May to get the property ready to lease out proved we knew very little of the challenges of living in TX. Bugs, bugs and more bugs (and multiple stings and bites), armadillos digging up our beautiful yard, suffocating humidity (don't mind a dry heat at all) and the lack of nearby big stores like Costco and Lowes drove us nuts. Traveling the neighborhood streets and surrounding country roads were lovely and relaxing except the fear of hitting dear. After five weeks we were more than ready to return home to So Cal.

We used to have a home near rental Crossville, TN and the weather is pretty mild and there were no bug problems, so you might want to check out that area.

Many of our friends have moved to Prescott, AZ so on our way to TX this last spring we stopped in Prescott and Prescott Valley and found the place too brown. Most yards had rock for yards and very few trees. Made Georgetown look like a paradise.

I think if we were to move, I'd go back to Northern CA, near Sacramento in an area called Elk Grove or Wilton. We spent a few days there last month and loved it. Stores are a bit far away but housing prices are lower than the Silicon Valley area where I grew up.

Wow, I'm in southeastern Wisconsin as well. Quite frankly, I'm very happy here. We used our pool a LOT this summer. Yes, it rained a lot in late August, but every place has something that isn't quite perfect. We don't have hurricanes, earthquakes wild fires or mud slides. Yes, a snow storm every now and then. When I retire I'd love to go to a beach somewhere for Jan & February. Otherwise, I am very happy and content here in good ol Sconsin. :)

I've been pretty happy with Columbus Ohio since moving here 25 years ago. It is midwestern weather but it seems that most of the big storms peter out before they reach us -- oh, yes, we have had our share, including a hurricane (Ike, in 2008), but overall the weather is pretty moderate. This summer, as for everyone, was exceptionally hot and wet. I find I am minding winter less and less since, as I age, they seem to go by quickly.

My dream place for years, while I was living in north San Diego county, was (and still is) San Luis Obispo, CA. Unaffordable to me, though.

I have thought about Portugal.

Do so many of you keep mentioning earthquakes, fires, and mud slides as a way to convince yourselves that any or all of these represent a real and recurring risk for the majority of Californians? As previously stated, they don't.

julie, wait until your first of the season solid snow storm this year in (relatively) lightly populated Wisconsin. More people will suffer major inconveniences and risk of injury than have been similarly impacted from your three imagined problems in populous California in perhaps the last 20 years. After your second and subsequent major snowstorms, the numbers will continue to grow.

I'm stuck in PA living here my entire life and even going to college an hour from home. I would never live anywhere where there is sun day in and day out. So monotonous. PA is getting way too hot and humid for me but it's not just PA, climate change is everywhere. My pick to move is Nantucket. I love winter and fall and snow.

Asheville, NC

When DH retired we decided to move. We are lifelong residents of various Chicago suburbs. We built a house 16 miles north of where we'd lived for 30 years -- to get farther from air and road traffic, while still having all sorts of city amenities, including *family*. The climate suits just fine most of the year, although Climate Change is warming the area. We still have a good killing frost, and a big lake full of fresh water.

Ah, but what about the *winters*? We've been spending Jan. - Mar. in a 1BR 2Bath condo on Maui, renting it to vacationers the rest of the year. It's a long haul back and forth, and keeping 'two households' is a pain, but there's no other location we'd prefer to Hawaii in winter.

We planned ahead for Senior years, but nothing is forever. I'm not sure we'll be leaving home this winter. It's taken me two months to find adequate medical care on Maui for my newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma, and the disease and treatment have weakened me. I don't know if I'll be ready to face the close-up, open-up, close-up, and back home again. Both locations are easy living for Seniors -- one floor, easily kept, safe. It's the coming and going!

I like living here, although I wouldn't mind living a little away from the coast where the soil is a little more sandy. I am not afraid of hurricanes. We don't get them very often here, and we are far enough inland that we don't get much damage. No damage at all from the last two, but when Harvey went in, turned around and came back, stalled out over this area and dumped 50 inches of rain, that is when we flooded. The whole area, for the most part, flooded.

I like the people, I don't mind the heat and humidity, the snakes are as big around as a man's forearms....and I find them fascinating. Have no fear of spiders...agree with Rhizo about that. Mosquitoes have been awful this year though, and that is another reason I would like to move a little farther away...for the horses. I can go in the house. Even tho I live on the edge of a marsh, the mosquitoes have only been insufferable 3 times in the 20 yrs I have been here. This has been one of the years. My husband will never retire, and so we will always have to be near the coast. I may move farther inland though.

Marilyn_c, that is interesting about the mosquitoes -- I would have (and did) assume that they would be horrible there. I find them insufferable here every year, but I seem to be one of those people who are mosquito magnets. I can walk into the back yard to grab a bit of squash or greens and have several bites in the few moments that I am standing still. That is why I loved my visit to Phoenix -- could be out in the evening without bathing in repellent first.

I would most likely pick " Carmel-by-the-Sea". We spent a week in that area and I loved it.

I like Central Kentucky, some days are very humid though and I don't like the cold and snow. Last week it was almost 90 which I like, the next day in the 50s. It got down in the 40s last night. The older I get the more I hate the cold. If I had unlimited funds the best place for me weather-wise would probably be Southern California. Not sure I would like the traffic, though. The traffic is getting worse here too. Glad I work an odd shift so the traffic isn't as bad as when I worked day shift downtown. I'm planning to travel a lot when I retire. Maybe I'll find the perfect place then.

Destin, FL/Miramar Beach, FL.

Raee, we have mosquitoes often, but not in the numbers we have had them this year, but we got 24" of rain in September. Or so the weatherman reported. I believe we got more. After Hurricane Ike, in 2008, I believe, I came home and they were horrible. I was here by myself and no electricity for 9 days. Hot and muggy. I burnt up everything that would burn to give the horses some relief. The year we moved here (1999) they were bad. And this year. After the hurricane last year they weren't bad. I think the water was so toxic, it killed them.

I heard recently that the Dallas area has the worst mosquito problem in the state. That surprised me.

So funny to think that Hurricane Ike knocked out my power for 9 days, too, here in Ohio!

Areas closer to town had power back in a day or so. We didn't lose power from Hurricane Harvey last year. We turned it off though because the house flooded. The linemen that restored our power after Ike, were from Canada. They came from all over to help out.

We like living in coastal southern California. Winters are mild, and if we are lucky, they are wet. Heavy rains occur one winter in ten. No mosquitoes in the daytime, and low humidity. Housing costs are high and lots are small in metro areas. So we live in the suburbs, where housing costs are still high and yards are small compared to Midwest expectations.