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Home        Vol  VI    Issue 96           December 27, 2011         Previous Issues

Antebellum Architecture, a Mellow Lifestyle, an Affordable Cost of Living and an Appealing Lake Culture Bring Retirees to Eufaula, Alabama

Cost of Living:  Below the U.S. National Average

The median home price for a single family home is just $145,000, below the national median.   A few single family homes are for sale for less than $100,000, but inventory opens up in mid-$100,000s.  Very nice larger residences, in the 2,500 to 3,000 square foot range, can be found in the high-$100,000s.   Country club homes start in the low-$200,000s, and renovated historic homes are generally priced in the $300,000s.   Lakefront single family homes typically start in the high-$300,000s, but a few lakefront condominiums can be found for sale in the $200,000s.   Apartments are few, but there are six mobile/manufactured home parks, including Grandview Mobile Home Park and Cedar Grove Mobile Home Park, in and around town.  None are age-restricted.

Alabama is a friendly state when it comes to retirement and taxes (and overall it has one of the lowest tax burdens in the country).  Social Security, military, civil service, state/local government and qualified private pensions are all exempt from state tax (but distributions from 401(k)s and IRAs are taxable).   Real estate is assessed at 20% of its fair market value, and homeowners 65 and better are exempt from all state property taxes.  A homestead exemption of up to $5,000 on real property is also granted to all residents (and a larger exemption is available to people age 65 or better).   In Eufaula, the annual taxes on a $145,000 home are approximately $507.  The state sales tax is 4% (but Eufaula's sales tax is 8%), and prescription drugs are exempt (but food is not).  

 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.

Well off the beaten path, Eufaula has the ambiance that only an authentic, small Southern town can have.   Its quiet streets are lined with tall trees, and in the spring, dogwoods, magnolias and azaleas paint parks with pink and white.  Time flattens during languid summer days, and homemade sweet tea is sipped on front porches.    And residents feel safe, knowing that their town has a crime rate just below the national average.

In 1834, Eufaula's four main downtown streets were named Livingston, Orange, Randolph and Eufaula, creating the acronym LORE, and today this area, known as the Seth Lore and Irwin Historic District, is the second largest historic district in Alabama.  It has more than 700 structures on the National Register of Historic Places and a large collection of Italianate architecture.   It also boasts the 1884 Shorter Mansion, an outstanding example of Neoclassical Revival architecture, and the 1854 Creek Revival Couric-Smith house (which once belonged to ABC news reporter Katie Couric's great-grandfather).  A particularly interesting building is the Old City Jail, which was originally divided into two cells, one for men and one for, yes, “women and lunatics."   Each year the Eufaula Heritage Association sponsors the town's biggest event, the Eufaula Pilgrimage and Antique Show, with a tour of the town's oldest and most impressive homes (another large community event is the Indian Summer Arts and Crafts Festival, held each October).  

A prime reason for retirement in Eufaula is the Walter F. George Reservoir, located just south and east of town and navigable to the Intracoastal Waterway.  It is known as Lake Eufaula by locals and as the "Big Bass Capital of the World" by others.  With 640 miles of shoreline, the lake is popular with water skiers, motor boaters, picnickers, sailors, fishermen, fisherwomen (and a few alligators).   In fact, 10,000 anglers make their way here each year.   Nearby Lake Point State Park provides even more recreation venues, including tennis courts, picnic areas, rental cabins and hiking trails.  Birders and hikers also enjoy the 11,000-acre Eufaula Wildlife Refuge, located on both sides of the Chattahoochee River and home to several endangered bird species.   For golfers, Eufaula has four courses, one private (at the Eufaula Country Club) and three public.

Shopping is a bit limited, but there is a Wal-Mart.  Dining options consist primarily of family-style restaurants, fast food eateries and cafes.   The downtown stretches primarily along one street and has a hardware store, clothiers, banks and the like.  Wallace Community College offers vocational subjects, and at least 67 churches are here (most are Baptist).   There is no public bus system, but Eufaula Barbour Public Transit has a "demand response system" fleet of vans to take people where they need to go.  Appointments must be made 24 hours ahead of time, and the cost is $2 one way (payable by cash or check).

The Medical Center Barbour, affiliated with the Southeast Alabama Medical Center, is licensed for 74 beds and is Eufaula's primary medical facility.   It is not accredited by the Joint Commission but has been undergoing extensive upgrades the last few years and has a 24-hour emergency department, surgical services, acute care services, an ICU and a cardiopulmonary department.  It meets the national averages in nearly all areas, and both Medicare and Medicaid are accepted.   MCB also manages two independent living facilities.  For military retirees, the nearest VA hospital is in Tuskegee, 45 miles away (and the nearest outpatient clinic is in Columbus, Georgia, also about 45 miles away).

The Eufaula Senior Center is operated by the Southern Alabama Regional Council on Aging  (SARCOA) and is open Monday through Friday.  Services include scheduled transportation, recreation activities, health workshops, potlucks, holiday events and home delivered meals.   The Eufaula Community Center is a popular gathering spot for many retirees as well.  It sports racquetball courts, a swimming pool, an exercise room, walking and running tracks and meeting rooms.  The 106 year old Eufaula Carnegie Library, with its gabled portico and stained glass windows, offers computers with Internet access and is a relaxing place to spend an afternoon.

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