Is San Diego a good place for retired folks?

From what I’ve heard, it is a lovely city with of course, a wonderful climate. The only thing would be the cost of living so you might want to look online at real estate prices.

I would avoid it. It’s (CA) finances are a mess. Think of Nevada or Texas, no state income taxes.

Chula Vista is a little lower in price for housing. The weather will get boring ;>)
All the time beautiful.

I visited San Diego a few years ago and loved it. If I had the money, I would definitely move there.

As long as you have no trouble driving.

When my grandparents retired they lived in San Diego during the winter and Illinois in the summer. They lived one block from the ocean in Pacific Beach and they loved it. They left in the 80s, so I’m not sure how much the area has changed. One thing that hasn’t changed since then is the weather. It’s perfect year round.

My husbands parents retired there and his sister lives there with her family. It is fairly expensive. If you aren’t used to living in California, it might take some getting used to.

My Mother-in-law currently lives in an independent living apartment, and she loves it.

It’s a lovely place with a huge senior population. Check with their Chamber of Commerce, who will give you a lot of information.

Do you like hot weather? San Diego is HOT.

I lived there during the 1980’s and really enjoyed it, but eventually moved away due to traffic and crowds. The 80’s were a period of huge growth for the area, and in the time since, it’s only continued to grow. My wife’s Mother still lives in Carlsbad, ( just to the north of San Diego ), is in her 80’s and considers it home, but generally feels like the traffic and crowds are overwhelming and rarely ventures any further than the grocery store. When she wants to get out of the house, she mostly putters in her garden. She is able to live well due to her husband’s military pension and benefits. ( He was active duty for 32 years and retired in good shape financially. )

Taking all the above into consideration – Do you really “like” large cities? Are you willing to accept the bad with the good : the high costs, traffic, crime and gangs as well as the wonderful weather and perfect sunsets. Can you really afford the cost of living there? The cost goes well beyond just the high cost of housing, extending to the price of gasoline, the cost of food, utilities, insurance and many other things. I think there are people who can live frugally in the high-rent district, but for many, it would be a struggle without a substantial income that can meet the large and rising cost of living.

I wish you well in your choice.

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San Diego is a very large, spread out type city. The inland sections can be hot, but the coastal areas, which are the most expensive, are very tropical in the summer, and cold in the winter.

I lived there many years, and I would love to be there again.

I recommend against buying a house. You could look into senior housing, such as the residence my mother-in-law lives in. The residents each have their own apartment with a balcony or patio, most necessary expenses are covered, food, transportation, housekeeping, water and trash.

I lived in San Diego in the 80’s, and while it is a nice area, it is very crowded and the freeways are a mess. If you live on the coast, while the weather is nice, you will get a lot of overcast days, especially in the early summer. They call it “June gloom.” haha
It is very expensive and yes, CA. is a beautiful state in general but I would suggest Northern CA. over Southern, and Oregon is another gorgeous state with no state taxes and less crowding, along with some amazingly beautiful scenery, beaches, mountains.

Why spend 5–600k on a basic, tract house when you could get so much more for your money in Northern CA. or Oregon?
If you are not dead set on a coastal community look into the area I live in, the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Nice weather, but the summers can be hot at times, beautiful outdoor recreation, 2 hours to the coast, one hour to Lake Tahoe, which nothing beats in the summers.
Occasional snow, but if you stay below the 3,000 foot level, it is only a few inches now and then.

It really depends on your retirement interests, whether you want to walk on the beach and golf all day or whether you wish to be in a more Alpine setting with plentiful lakes and rivers and a more Alpine feel and perhaps buy a home on acreage with extremely low crime, peace and space for an RV, boat, garden, etc.

I think that San Diego is a place more for surfing and stuff like the board walk, but if love ocean views then I would say go for it!! It can be totally relaxing for retired people.