Drawbacks of Retiring in Idaho

Recently, major media outlets have lauded the benefits of retiring in the American Northwest – cost of housing isn't so high, crime rates are so low. What these articles fail to mention is that the average snowfall in Idaho is 43.5 inches. The national average is 25 inches. Driving on icy roads long distances to the one commercial airport is a possible scenario retirees have to consider when weighing their options of retiring in Idaho. Here are three things to consider before buying a retirement home in Idaho.

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Weather Issues  - Sperling's Best Places, a data collection site, reports that Idaho not only gets nearly 44 inches of snow a year, but the temperatures drop to as low as 16 degrees Fahrenheit in January. There's a reason Americans have been retiring to Florida and the South for decades – the abundant sunshine, the nearby ocean, and the warm temperatures provide an easy lifestyle for retirees looking to relax outdoors most days.
Only One Large Airport in State  - In the whole state of Idaho, there is only one major commercial airport. Boise Airport does receive flights from other regional airports in the state, but anyone looking to travel abroad, or those trying to fly in family to visit them, will find that they will have to make the drive to Boise to do so. To drive from the Boise Airport to Coeur d'Alene, a popular retirement spot for its lakefront views and abundant shopping, it takes seven hours. Now that's a long time to be driving, especially in the snow.

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Cost of Living  - Anya Martin wrote a guide to retirement in Idaho for the website MarketWatch, and she noted that while the state's overall cost of living is 6.5 percent below the national average, the cost of living in retirement spots like Sun Valley is 103 percent higher than the United States average. Nearby Ketchum, another popular spot for retirees to settle down, has a cost of living 80.5 percent higher than the national average. That's because these retirement communities cater to the super-rich. Forbes reports that nearly 25 percent of the area's 4,000 residents are age 65 and older and that the average home price is $700,000.