|
x
|
|
Home
Vol VI Issue 51
July 12, 2011
Previous Issues
Retirees That Come to Rural
Boone, North Carolina Discover a Youthful Energy, Inspiring Mountain
Scenery, Great Outdoor Recreation, Lifelong Learning Opportunities
and a Peaceful Way of Life
Cost of Living: Meets the National Average
|
|
Once the stomping grounds of explorer Daniel Boone and
characterized by the Blue Ridge Mountains' densely
wooded rolling hills, scenic northwestern North Carolina
is today the location of Boone (population 14,000), a
close knit, rural mountain hamlet named after the famous
18th century frontiersman. Appalachian State University (also
population 15,000), the 6th largest campus in the
University of North Carolina system, makes its home in
Boone and is its lifeblood, giving it an energy and a
bit of sophistication sometimes lacking in smaller towns. And
since Boone is just 15 miles east of the famed Appalachian
Trail, a well-traveled hiking trail that runs from Maine to Georgia,
tourists and outdoor types find their way here,
too.
|
|
Boone is a youthful place, and when ASU
(also known as "App") is in session, just 15%
of residents are age 45 or better. But with a
reputation for peaceful living, down to earth people, a
cost of living that meets the national average, a low
crime rate and inspiring mountain views, Boone is
beginning to attract retirees, too.
Despite the cost of living meeting the national average, the
median home price is $235,000, down about 8% in the last year, and
there are some beautiful dwellings here, many tucked into the
hillsides. Mobile homes on private property in the
woods can be found for less than $75,000, and modest single family
homes can be found in the mid-$100,000s, but inventory of nicer
homes starts in the low-$200,000s. Very expensive homes are
not uncommon as people that have hiked the Appalachian Trail have returned
to build vacation residences. There are rental properties
available, both houses and apartments, but many of these are taken
up by students (and are not places actual adults would probably
want to live).
When it comes to taxes, real estate is assessed at 100% of
appraised value. For
anyone 65 or better and/or permanently disabled and whose annual
income is less than $25,600, the greater of $25,000 or 50% of the
appraised value of the home is excluded from the assessment.
The state also has a circuit breaker
property tax deferment program under which taxes for each year are
limited to a percentage of the qualifying owner's income.
For those 65 years of age or permanently disabled and whose income
does not exceed $27,100, the owner's taxes will be limited to 4%
of the owner's income. The annual taxes on a $235,000 piece of
property are approximately $1,175.
|
|
Social Security is exempt
from state taxes, and at least $4,000 in federal, state and local
pensions (depending on dates and length of service), as well as up to $2,000
for qualified private pensions, including IRAs, is also exempt. Out-of-state
government pensions qualify for the $4,000 exemption as well.
King Street, Boone's main avenue, has tidy shops, bookstores,
general stores, banks, pets stores and more. There are no national
chain stores downtown but rather locally owned shops and some very good restaurants (the old
jail house is now a cafe). Many of the retail establishments here
target the college crowd, but the Boone Mall has 37
stores, including national retailers, and is the largest indoor mall in the area (and
35 outlet stores are
found 5 miles away in Blowing Rock). There is also a Wal-Mart in
town, and a fun farmers' market is held
every Saturday from May through October.
|
This is a place that appreciates its heritage and celebrates it
each summer with sold out productions of Horn in the West,
a Revolutionary War tale, at the Daniel Boone Amphitheatre.
History buffs will particularly enjoy the Southern
Appalachian Historical Association's Hickory Ridge
Homestead, a wonderful living history museum depicting the period
immediately following the Revolutionary War through the early
1800s. Daniel Boone Days is a fall festival with music,
storytellers, great food, symposiums and even Fess Parker wine
dinners. The Mountain Music
Jamboree in nearby Glendale Springs features "old timey" bands and
bluegrass music. The Trout Derby, a two day event, and the Annual Art in
the Park, a series of juried art and fine handcraft shows, both in Blowing
Rock, are always fun.
Recreation could hardly be better. The Greenway Trail is a flat, pretty, 3-mile
long path through the heart of Boone and invites the young and
young at heart to partake in healthy walks, and the Watauga
County Parks and Recreation Department offers a year-round
calendar of public recreation programs. The Blue Ridge
Mountains, which are in every direction, boast not just the close
at hand Appalachian Trail but are a premier destination
for camping, skiing, fishing, hiking, rafting, bicycling, and they
draw
tourists from around the country. Three ski areas are within 20 miles of
Boone,
ensuring that winter is never boring, and Watauga Lake, just 45 minutes away,
is the place for summer swimming and boating (and Watauga River is the best spot for fishing). For those that prefer to experience nature from the
safe confines of an automobile, the Blue Ridge Parkway offers sweeping vistas of
extraordinary mountain scenery. During the summer and fall,
back roads are dotted with fruit and cider stands.
|
This is an interactive map.
Click on the arrows in the upper left hand
corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and
click on the +/- signs (more than once if necessary) to zoom
in and out.
|
For people seeking indoor activities, the Watauga County Project on Aging
operates the L.E. Harrill Senior Center, a place to gather and
find camaraderie. Classes, health screenings, games, tax
assistance, transportation, as well as trips and picnics, are offered.
The Watauga County Library, another favorite indoor spot, is housed in
a beautiful building just north of downtown. It has ebooks for download, an
interlibrary loan program, guest author lectures, classes (origami, computers,
day trading, etc.), a book club, a geneaology club, public access computers
with high speed internet and more And for retirees
interested in lifelong learning, ASU's Appalachian's Lifelong Learning
program, formerly the Institute for Senior Scholars, has a
diverse variety of intellectual, cultural, outdoor and social programs for the
mature crowd. More than 130 events are scheduled throughout the
year, and most instructors are retired or current ASU faculty or ALL members.
The program is $150 per year, which entitles members to 45 free credits each
year, or members may pay a per class fee.
ASU has a pretty downtown campus and boasts a good academic reputation.
In fact, several national publications have named it one of the nation's best
colleges (and its recent freshman class averaged a 3.9 grade point
average). Each spring, the University Forum Lecture Series brings
nationally-recognized speakers to town to discuss world events, and the
school's Turchin Center for the Visual Arts is the largest visual arts center
in the region. The football team is no slouch, either, winning
three NCAA Div I FCS National Championships in the last 6 years (Boone
weekends can get a little rowdy during the fall). Nineteen other varsity
sports give fans lots to cheer all year long.
Boone is situated at 3,300 feet above sea level, so summers are cooler than
in other parts of the Carolinas, and winters are longer and colder.
Summer high temperatures are usually in 70s and low 80s, and winter
temperatures are in the 20s and 30s. It rains 4 to 5 inches per month
from May through September and snows 3 to 4 inches each winter month (and residents warn
winter visitors to beware of black ice on winding mountain roads).
The sun shines 205 days of the year. On the comfort index, a
combination of temperature and humidity, Boone ranks above the national
average. The air quality is below the national average, but the water
quality is above the national average.
Watauga Medical Center is the primary medical facility and is part of the
Appalachian Regional Healthcare System. With 95 beds, WMC provides
a full range of care and is a regional referral hospital, fully accredited by
the Joint Commission. It is award winning for patient experience, and its
Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center is recognized as an approved community
cancer care center by the American College of Surgeons' Committee on Cancer.
WMC accepts both Medicare and Medicaid. Further medical care is available in Blowing Rock (5 miles) and
other neighboring towns. For military retirees, Asheville (95
miles) has a VA medical center.
AppalCart, with some spiffy new hybrid buses, provides public transit and has a
fairly extensive route system
throughout Boone (making many stops at ASU and to many nearby towns). A
paratransit service is available, too, and has buses that are "low
floor," meaning they have no steps. Best of all, all in-town routes,
regular and paratransit, are free. A dial-a-ride van service will also
take seniors (age 60+) from home to doctors' appointments, the senior center
and the grocery store for no charge. The nearest international airport
is Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, 85 miles away.
A Boone retirement has some drawbacks. It is remote and hard to
reach (Johnson City, Tennessee with 60,000 people is the
closest city and is 40 miles away). It is not booming but
is growing and has attracted attention for its outdoor way of life and for
ASU's academic excellence. City leaders have adopted a growth
plan, but much of
Boone seems to have sprouted up somewhat haphazardly, and expensive homes are
popping up on once pristine mountainsides. Despite the
high home prices, though, Boone is not an affluent place (37%
of the population lives below the poverty line, and the median household
income is half the national median), and the economic divide between wealthier
newcomers and long time residents may become a problem. Long time residents also grumble about traffic congestion, although many
newcomers do not consider three streets with traffic "congestion."
Amenities such as a symphony, a
professional theater or nightclubs are distant dreams. And the number
of college kids will definitely be a turn off for many
retirees.
Yet, Boone is an inviting place. Still unspoiled and
unassuming but with mountain charm and a dose of academic sophistication, it
offers a peaceful lifestyle in a beautiful locale and does so for a relatively
reasonable price. For many retirees, it may be just the spot for that perfect retirement.
Back to Top
|
|
Great Retirement Spots Newsletter is
published eight to ten times a month by Webwerxx, Inc., 2770 S. Elmira St.,
Denver, CO 80231. Copyright 2006-2011. All
rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be
reproduced without the express written consent of Webwerxx, Inc. Many
attempts were made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in this
bulletin, but some information may have changed since publication. Webwerxx,
Inc. cannot be held responsible for information that has changed since this
publication appeared online. Please contact us at staff@greatretirementspots.com
if you have questions or comments. View our privacy
policy.
North Carolina Real Estate Active Adult
Developments in North Carolina Retirement Communities
|
|