The July/August issue of Where to Retire magazine will feature Vancouver as a top place for retirees to spend their golden years.
Many of Vancouver’s amenities are ones sought by retirees, said Annette Fuller, the magazine’s editor.
“Snuggled against the Columbia River, Vancouver boasts a number of lakes and waterways and a skyline dominated by mountains. Several nature trails provide access to nearby wetlands and wildlife habitats, and a variety of golf courses are open to the public. Plus, the city has some of the best gardening weather in the nation,” Fuller said.
Where to Retire magazine, launched in 1992, is published six times a year and features four cities in each issue, Fuller said.
“We don’t rank cities,” Fuller said. “It’s such an individual decision. It’s impossible for us to say Vancouver is the No. 1 destination for every retiree out there.”
The retirees who spoke with the magazine about Vancouver said they had been warned about gray skies and rain, but found the weather to be fine and appreciated the nearly year-round growing season.
“On so many polls for what matters to retirees, gardening shows up pretty high,” Fuller said.
Retirees in Vancouver appreciate the lack of income tax in Washington combined with sales tax-free shopping across the Columbia River in Oregon, Fuller said.
The cities selected by the magazine for profiles don’t necessarily have a high percentage of retirees, she said.
In fact, Clark County is slightly below the U.S. and state average for the population 60 and older, said Scott Bailey, a regional labor economist for the state Employment Security Department.
In Clark County, 18.3 percent of the population was 60 and older, he said, compared with 19.1 percent for Washington and 19.4 percent for the United States.
“The demographics don’t show Clark County as being a magnet for retirees,” Bailey said.
To read the story about Vancouver, you can purchase the issue or subscribe to the magazine at http://WhereToRetire.com.
