#46 through #50. See picture for scoring and stats.
46 Fallbrook (CA)
https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-31376?view=qv
47 Roatan (Honduras)
https://www.realtor.com/internationa...-120051079293/
48 Hilton Head (SC)
https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-09319?view=qv
49 Incline Village (NV)
https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-66838?view=qv
50 Palm Springs (CA)
https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-48729?view=qv
Summary (starting from the bottom)
50 – Palm Springs – It’s a great place if you want a mild winter, though summer descends with hellish force. (But hey, very low humidity.) There’s a very good selection of affordable houses. If you look at the layout of the sample house, it’s a perfect one-story layout for a couple who likes to go to bed at different times, and it comes with a pool and hot tub. Mmmm. It would rank higher except for the classic California tax problem that makes it less affordable than staying in place. I’d have to work 6 months longer to afford it compared to staying in Denver.
49 – Incline Village (NV). This is Lake Tahoe, but on the Nevada side where taxes are cheaper. Because it’s Nevada, it’s very affordable, cutting about 1.5 years from my retirement schedule. However, it’s a ski resort, so the winters are big on snow with more than double what we get in Denver. I don't ski, so that's not a benefit. The summers are kind of perfect, though, topping out under 80 degrees. The other problem here is that real estate is expensive, so we would have to get a home that’s half our current size. I’m not feeling this one despite the affordability.
48 – Hilton Head (SC). It’s actually quite affordable, cutting a year or so off our retirement schedule, and the winters are very nice. The summers are hotter than Denver and a lot more humid, though. I don’t think I want that. The housing selection is okay - neither inspiring nor offputting.
47 – Roatan (Honduras). This is a large resort island off the coast of Honduras that’s well known as an expat location. You can get a nice house here and never have cold weather. I’m guessing a bit on affordability since I didn’t look at taxes here and just assumed a Denver level. However, I took a quick glance, and it actually appears that taxes are higher here. So it should move down the rankings. It loses points mostly because it doesn’t have any cool weather, with a January low that averages 82 degrees. Kind of interesting, but probably just as a lark. I'm really not a tropical beach guy.
46 – Fallbrook (CA). This is a small exurban city on the extreme north end of San Diego County. But those California taxes and living costs are a pain in the neck. The house itself is above the high end of my range, but things can be worked out to squeeze it in. It would add a year to our retirement schedule, which isn’t thrilling. But that house! It’s not huge, but the views are amazing and it’s on five acres. The winters are perfect, and the July high temperature is reasonable. I did happen to notice that the average high temperatures in August and September are 90 degrees, and based on the scoring algorithm it’s not getting penalized for that oddity, so the ranking should probably be a little bit lower. Overall, the cost and taxes are major stumbling blocks, but it seems like one of the best options in southern California, which is an area of great interest for my wife.