Retirees are Drawn to the Water
Recreation, Affordable Living and Rich German Heritage Found in the
Lush Riverfront Town of New Braunfels, Texas
Cost of Living: Below the National Average
In 1845, when Texas was still the
Republic of Texas, Germany wanted to establish a
presence near the doorstep of the United States.
And so a German royal, Prince Carl of
Solms-Braunfels, founded the city of New
Braunfels in the Texas Hill Country 30 miles
northeast of San Antonio. Unfortunately for the
Germans, the Republic of Texas joined the United
States later that year, and the plans to
establish a new Germany in the New World were
squashed. Despite this rough start, New
Braunfels grew and thrived and today still has a
large German community and a distinctive German
heritage, giving it a unique character. With warm
weather, an old fashioned charm and a cost of
living 10% below the national average, more
retirees are relocating to this historic spot.
The city's population, numbering 52,000
and primarily white collar, has mushroomed by 40%
since the year 2000 (and 39% of residents are
age 45 or better). The median cost of a home is $150,000,
and nearly all home types, from contemporary
bi-levels to working ranches, are for sale. Neighborhoods are
leafy (and a little hilly), and some homes back right onto one
of the city's two cold spring rivers. New Braunfels has its
share of million dollar homes, but the median price will fetch a
very comfortable brick home with four bedrooms, 2 baths, an
attached 3-car garage and roughly 2,000 square feet.
With all of the recent growth here, there are a lot of
relatively new homes from which to choose.
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Texas taxes are fairly
straight forward. The state has no state income tax, and so retirement income is not taxed. When it comes to property tax,
real estate is assessed at fair market value and taxed at
roughly 1.3%. There is a $15,000 homestead exemption, and
for those homeowners 65 and above, $10,000 (in addition to the
regular $15,000 homestead exemption) of the property's assessed
value is exempt from school taxes. An additional $3,000 is
exempt from other local taxes. The annual property taxes
on a 150,000 residence are $1,980.
Water recreation is a particular highlight here
as
the Guadalupe River and the Comal River (at 3.2 miles long, one
of the shortest rivers in the world) both flow
right through the middle of the city. Thick foliage lines the
riverbanks, and Cypress trees grow in the middle of the
water. There
are boat ramps, fishing spots, tube rentals, picnic areas and
rafting companies up and down the shores, and every day during
the summer "river season" thousands of people of all ages meander
down the rivers in their inner tubes. The city manages the
rivers, regulates their use and issues status updates as needed.
The country's largest waterpark, Schlitterbahn, attracts
tourists and locals, too.
An interesting attraction here is Gruene, an authentic ghost
town located entirely within the city of New Braunfels and
placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Originally a German cotton-producing village in the late 1800s,
the community was wiped out by the boll weevil epidemic of the
1920s and then by the Great Depression. In subsequent years, New
Braunfels absorbed the old town, and in the 1970s and 1980s,
Greune reinvented itself as a historic tourist spot. Today its
original structures house shops, restaurants and galleries,
drawing thousands of visitors each year. The
Grist Mill, a restaurant in Gruene, has a particularly good
reputation.
Santa Rosa Hospital, formerly McKenna Memorial
Hospital, is the only hospital in town, but it is accredited by
the Joint Commission and has won several national quality
awards. A
cardiology unit, 24/7 emergency care, an ICU and diabetes care
are a few of its services. Medicaid and Medicare patients
are accepted. More medical facilities can be
found in San Antonio (population 2 million), about half an hour
to the south, and in Austin (population 750,000), roughly half
an hour to the north. For military retirees, San Antonio
also has a VA hospital.
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Click Arrow to Play Video About New Braunfels
The New Braunfels Senior Center is managed by the
Comal County Senior Citizens' Foundation and has a full range of
services, including blood pressure checks, first aid classes,
ceramics classes, card games, computer lessons, flu shots,
trips, many clubs (including a newcomers' club), home delivered
meals, congregate meals, minor home repair assistance, tax
preparation assistance, an outreach program and money management
assistance. It also has one of the best fitness centers in town.
Daily classes in aerobics, yoga, Tai Chi and stretching are
offered, and the indoor heated pool has a ramp for easy access
(the water temperature maintained at a soothing 88 to 90 degrees).
All in all, the senior programs are very good.
New Braunfels has a healthy downtown, an average crime rate
and lots of tasty BBQ eateries. There is one public golf course
in town and several wineries outside of town. The
Wurstfest, a 10-day October celebration of all things German, is
practically world-famous (even ABC's Good Morning America
has come to visit during this favorite festival). The New
Braunfels Public Library has a good menu of programs, as well as comfortable
chairs, 24 public computers with Internet access and free wifi
for laptop users. Perhaps best of all, the entire building is
air conditioned. New Braunfel's citizens really do seem
to love their city, and they exude a lot of Texas hospitality.
Newcomers say they feel welcomed.
South central Texas is hot and humid in the
summer and mild and damp in the winter. Summer temperatures
reach into the 90s (and sometimes 100s), and winter
temperatures are in the 30s, 40s and 50s. The area receives 2 to
5 inches of rain per month (May and October are the wettest
months) but practically no snow. On the comfort
index, a combination of temperature and humidity, New Braunfels
ranks below the national average. The sun shines 226 days of the
year. The air quality meets the national average, and the water
quality is excellent, nearly double the U.S. average.
New Braunfels has a few
drawbacks. It has been booming, and the rapid growth concerns citizens
and city leaders alike. There is no public transportation. The
region is prone to tornados, as is all of Texas. The city has
experienced flooding, most recently in 2010 year when the Guadalupe River overflowed its banks.
Several buildings were damaged and one
person was killed. And Texas, including New Braunfels, is home
to fire ants and snakes.
Texas' retiree
population is growing, however, and New Braunfels, even with its
downsides, is a particularly popular destination. With its
German heritage, it has an inviting ambiance, and for anything not
found in town, San Antonio, the 28th largest city in the U.S.,
is a short drive away. Between the affordability of New
Braunfels and the big city amenities of San Antonio, the best of
both small city living and big city living can be had here. As they say
locally, in New Braunfels, ist das leben schoen
(in New Braunfels, the living is good)!
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