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A Beautiful Locale, Good Medical Care, Outstanding Outdoor Recreation and a Lively Cultural Scene Make Picturesque Traverse City, Michigan a Place Retirees Want to Call Their Own

Cost of Living:  Below the National Average

Traverse City (population 14,500) is an idyllic waterfront community located at the southern end of the West Bay of majestic Grand Traverse Bay in northern Michigan.   The Ottawa and Chippewa once hunted here, and French explorers traveled through the area in the 1700s, but Traverse City, originally a sawmill town, was not established until 1852 and was only accessible by water for years.   While still remote, today this picturesque Great Lakes hamlet beckons to retirees in search of clean air, spectacular scenery, a low crime rate, cooler weather, a reasonable cost of living and an array of outdoor recreation.   Lush forests, rolling hills, beaches, cherry and sunflower orchards and vineyards are all around, but Traverse City residents also enjoy a robust arts and food scene with galleries, museums and restaurants aplenty.   In many ways, the best of two worlds can be enjoyed here, and more and more retirees are noticing.  In fact, of the people who make this lovely lakeside location their home, 40% are age 45 or better.

Just up the road from Traverse City, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa has been named by several national publications as one of the nation's most luxurious resorts.  Real estate starts in the high-$100,000s.   LochenHeath is a private, gated community with home sites from $200,000 and custom villas from $1 million.  

Single family home rental properties generally cater to vacationers, but there are a few apartment complexes.  Arbors of Traverse has upscale, all ages apartments with in-unit washers and dryers and maple cabinetry.  There is also a putting green.  Rents start at around $650 per month and top out at $1,320 per month.

Property taxes are charged at a millage rate of .0378 per $1,000 value of a home, and homes are assessed at 50% of fair market value.  There is a homestead exemption for homeowners with less than $82,650 yearly income.  The tax on a $175,000 home, excluding the exemption, would be roughly $3,118 annually.    Social Security is not taxed, and private pension income is exempt up to $45,120 (individual filers) or $90,240 (married filing jointly).  

Outdoor activities are much of the focus here, but Traverse City is also home to sculptors, painters and woodworkers, many of whom have their work displayed in one of twenty-one local art galleries.   There are also thirteen museums, in town and in close proximity, including the Bellaire Historical Museum, the Grand Traverse Art Center & Gallery and the Grand Traverse Heritage Center.  Numerous performing arts companies, such as the Encore Society of Music, which presents 35 concerts a year, and the Dennos Museum Center Concert Series, which presents another 25 concerts a year, add to the cultural scene.  Wonderful Interlochen Center for the Arts, one of the country's premier training enters for young musicians, is 13 miles down the road and presents 750 concerts and theater and dance productions annually.  The Old Town Playhouse, offering community theater, has been in business for four decades, and the Traverse Symphony Orchestra presents seven concerts each season.   The 1891 City Opera House was recently restored and is a popular venue for everything from classical jazz ensembles to standup comics. 

This area has more than 180 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and boasts 149 deep, aqua-blue lakes.   There are dozens of beaches nearby, including one just west of downtown Traverse City.  Even during the height of the summer, it is possible to find a long, secluded, sandy beach.  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a wonderful state park, and opportunities for scuba diving, deep water and stream fishing, sailing, canoeing and kayaking or just beach combing are everywhere.   Fly Rod & Reel Magazine has named Traverse City one of its "Top 12 Fishing Towns" and dozens of fishing charters are in operation. Traverse City also has more tall ships than any other U.S. port, and sailing lessons are available.  There are also thirteen local, private and public, golf courses.  Winters bring snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing.    

There are two casinos nearby, and on those cold winter days (and there will be many), wonderful Horizon Books, northern Michigan's largest independent bookstore, offers two roaring fireplaces, three floors, 100,000 titles and musical guests.   Residents also enjoy the week-long Traverse City Film Festival, as well as the Kalkaska Winterfest in January, the Mesick Mushroom Festival in May, the National Trout Festival in April, the Empire Anchor Days in mid-July and the Sleeping Bear Dunegrass and Blues Festival in early August.    Nearly two dozen wineries dot the area and most offer wine-tastings, a great way to spend a weekend afternoon (or two).    The wonderful Downtown Farmers' Market operates between Cass and Union Streets each Saturday from May through October.   And recently, Traverse City has been gaining recognition as a foodie destination with local restaurants serving up some very tasty fare, particularly fish dishes and fruit pies.

The Bay Area Transit Authority (BATA) offers local bus service; seniors ride for $.75 (full fare is $1.50).  BATA also offers on-demand, curb-to-curb services, and buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts. 

Shopping is more than adequate (there are box stores and a Wal-Mart) - in fact, Traverse City serves as the area's retail hub.  The Front Street shopping district has been extensively restored, and shops, restaurants and galleries make creative use of the Victorian buildings they occupy.   The Village at Grand Traverse Commons is a 480-acre site that was once the Northern Michigan Mental Health Asylum.  Today, it is undergoing an urban redevelopment and has acres of green spaces, pedestrian friendly walkways, an historic arboretum and century-old Victorian-Italianate architecture.  With concerts, shopping, festivals, restaurants, markets and even real estate for sale, this interesting village is a fun place to be.

Health care is provided through Munson Medical Center, a teaching hospital with 365 beds, 3 locations and 350 doctors practicing in more than 40 areas of medicine.   It meets or exceeds national averages in all areas and has been nationally recognized by HealthGrades as one of America's 50 Best Hospitals for 2010.   Both Medicare and Medicaid are accepted.   Grand Rapids (population 200,000) is 125 miles south and offers more extensive medical care.  

Traverse City has cold winters and warm summers, typical of northern Michigan's climate.   Lake-effect snow is common, and snow can fall as late as May or as early as September.   Roughly 90 inches of it falls each winter, with January's temperature dipping into the teens.  Summers are cool and crisp, with temperatures topping out in the high-70s.   Falls linger and are simply spectacular, with many tourists coming just to revel in the exquisite colors.    Air quality and water quality both exceed the national averages.   The sun shines 163 days of the year.

Traverse City is a delightful destination, but it has its drawbacks, too.  It is a vacation Paradise, and tourists flock to town during the summer months.   Not all year-round residents welcome them.   Traffic can be a headache during tourist season.   Unemployment is above the national average.

Despite these drawbacks, Traverse City has a lot to offer at a reasonable price, and housing is particularly attractive.  The winters may be too much for some people, but they help keep the tourists at bay, and for most of the year, this pleasing spot is a well-kept secret enjoyed by those lucky enough to live and retire here.  

Great Retirement Spots Newsletter is published many times a month by Webwerxx, Inc.  2770 S. Elmira St., #152, Denver, CO  80231. (303) 358-0512.  Copyright © 2006-2010.  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. 

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