This Underrated Georgia Beach Town Is A Coastal Community Worth Retiring In

Imagine yourself turning 65 years old, and after working long and hard your whole entire life, it's now finally the time for you to kick back, relax, and retire. You've got a nice pile of cash earned from investments, and with your Social Security benefits starting to kick in, your mind is now set on relocating somewhere nice to spend the rest of your days. When most people ponder the idea of relocation upon retirement (granted that they want to stay in the U.S.), it's fairly common for them to think about moving somewhere like Florida. This is mainly due to its year-round warm climate as well as the leniency of tax laws in the state.

However, with the U.S. Climate Change Research program noting a significant uptick in hurricanes since the 1980s, moving somewhere like Florida, where they frequently occur, might not be the best idea for your retirement. After all, it's not exactly ideal to work your entire life just to retire and then have your new place of residence get swept away in a category five hurricane. That being said, many new retirees are instead choosing little known towns in Georgia to ride out the rest of their winter years calmly. One of the most notable of these destinations is St. Simons.

Georgia is one of the most retiree-friendly states in the U.S. This is mainly due to the fact that the "Peach State" does not impose any state taxes on Social Security. Much like Florida, Georgia also does not impose any inheritance or estate taxes, and a maximum tax deduction of up to $65,000 per person for individuals 65 and older for any type of post-retirement income.

Aside from the financial aspect, most people decide to retire to places like St. Simons due to the weather. St. Simons is the largest barrier island in Georgia's Golden Isles, with an average year-round temperature of around 66.5 degrees Fahrenheit. December, January, and February are typically the coolest months where the temperature may get as low as 44 degrees Fahrenheit, but never lower than 32 degrees.

During the summer months residents typically experience temperatures of around 89 degrees, and Spring and Autumn tend to provide the most comfortable climates of the year. St. Simon's is a scenic waterfront town with plenty of things to do, and has a small population of around 16,000 people. This allows retirees to cherish some much earned peace and quiet, while also averting the cold climates that have plagued many northern U.S. residents for most of their life until this point.

Outside of St. Simons, Niche has ranked two suburbs of Atlanta as highly favorable places of retirement in 2024: Avondale Estates and North Decatur. Avondale Estates is a much smaller town than St. Simons, with a population of close to 4,000 people. Niche notes that people there are very friendly, a common feature of most small towns in the South. North Decatur is closer to Metro Atlanta, and has a slightly larger population than St. Simons, with a much more urban-suburban feel to it compared to Avondale Estates.

North Decatur has a more balanced population between renters and owners of homes compared to Avondale Estates, and both towns have a good mix of local restaurants, parks, and coffee shops where you can spend your time. All three of these retirement havens in Georgia provide their own unique benefits that cater directly to different individual tastes of new retirees, sharing the same unique financial benefits that come with retiring in the Peach State.