Best Choice For Retiring Boomers: Head South - An Analysis of Selected U.S. Cities

Best Choice for Retiring Boomers: Head South An Analysis of Selected U.S.
Cities

TheWashingtonEconomicsGroup,Inc. April16,2012
RepresentativeOfficeinWashington,D.C. Dawson&Associates,Inc. 1225IStreet,NW,Suite250 Washington,DC20005
U.S.andGlobalHeadquarters 2655LeJeuneRoad Suite608 CoralGables,FL33134
Contents
ExecutiveSummary.............................................................................................................1 Overview..................................................................................................................................3 Methodology...........................................................................................................................5 CitiesAnalyzed......................................................................................................................7 1. Tallahassee,Florida:TheNumberOneChoice.........................................7 2. Memphis,Tennessee.........................................................................................10 3. Athens,Georgia....................................................................................................12 4. Tuscaloosa,Alabama.........................................................................................14 5. Atlanta,Georgia...................................................................................................16 6. Tiedat6Oxford,Mississippi.......................................................................19 6.Tiedat6Charleston,SouthCarolina........................................................21 8.Louisville,Kentucky...........................................................................................23 9. Tiedat9Richmond,Virginia.......................................................................25 9. Tiedat9Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania...........................................................27 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................30 ListofTables: Table1. RankingofRetirementDestinationCities...............................................6 Table2. ScoresforCityFactors..................................................................................31 Table3. OverallScoresforCities...............................................................................32 Appendix: The Washington Economics Group Qualifications and ProjectTeam..........................................................................................33
ExecutiveSummary
BabyBoomersareoneofthelargestgenerationalgroupsintheU.S.Morethan 25percentoftheU.S.populationbelongstothisgeneration,bornbetween1946 and1964. The leading edge Boomers are beginning to retire in large numbers up to 10,000 a day and many of them will relocate to a city that better serves the needsanddesiresofretirees. MasonDixon Polling and Research Inc. conducted a survey among Boomers betweenNov.14and22,2011fortheConsumerFederationoftheSoutheast,to gauge their preferences toward a number of factors that would most directly influence their retirement relocation decision such as climate, taxes or recreation. The survey also asked participants to rank the importance of each factorwhendecidingwheretorelocate. The Washington Economics Group (WEG) developed a methodology, based on theabovementionedsurvey,torank20citiesbasedonanumberoffactorsand city characteristics. The 20 destinations were chosen because they are cities withanalreadyhighnumberofretirees,orcitiesthatareclassifiedastypically populardestinationsforretireesorbecausetheypossessmorethanonefactor favoredbytheBabyBoomerssurveyedintheMasonDixonpoll. WEGsWhitePaperanalyzes,indetail,theTop10citiesofthislist,and,overall,a Top20thatcanpotentiallyattractagreatnumberofBabyBoomerretirees. WEGs analysis includes a detailed description of each citys climate, cost of living, availability of healthcare services, competitiveness of local fiscal obligations and offering of recreational and other amenities. The analysis scores each factor for each city and based on this, determines an overall score/rankingforthatcityamongallofthoseevaluated. WEGsanalysisconcludedthatthenumberoneretirementdestinationcity among the 20 cities on the list would be Tallahassee, Florida. Tallahassee possesses more of the priority features and characteristics cited by Boomers necessary to provide a high quality of life for retirees. These distinct and desirablecharacteristicsthatTallahasseeexemplifiesare:
WhitePaper |Page1
TheWashingtonEconomicsGroup,Inc.
o Anextremelypleasantclimate:Bestdescribedaswarmwithcoolmonths. o A significantly low cost of living: Tallahassees Cost of Living Index is significantlybelowthenationalaverage. o High quality and affordable healthcare services: In 2010, Tallahassees Capital Health Plan was ranked the No. 1 Medicare Advantage plan in the nation.Thatvaultsanalreadyhighrankingcommunityfurtherupthescale of top locations. The new Florida State University College of Medicine enhances the availability of health services, and area hospitals are of very good quality. Tallahassee Memorial Regional Medical Center has been recognizedforitsqualityofcaremultipleyearsinarow. o Lowlocaltaxrates:TheStateofFloridadoesnotassessanincometax,and Tallahassee residents only pay a 7.5 percent sales tax. An abundance of recreationalamenitiesthatincludeseasyaccesstotheoceanandbeaches, an awardwinning city park system, museums, restaurants and organized festivalsandeventsinthecity.
WhitePaper
|Page2
Overview
Duringthenextfewyears,itisestimatedthat78millionindividuals(slightlyover25 percent of the U.S. population) born between 1946 and 1964, will reach retirement age1.Manyoftheseindividuals,knownasBabyBoomers,willfindthemselvesmaking the decision of whereto spend their retirement years.Many Baby Boomers want to movetoacityortownthatcanbetterservetheirneedsanddesiresduringretirement. There are numerous reasons for Baby Boomers to want to relocate, among these reasons are a desirable climate, more entertainment and recreation amenities, an affordablecostoflivingandpeaceandquiet. MasonDixonPollingandResearchInc.conductedasurveyforConsumerFederationof theSoutheastbetweenNovember14and22,2011,amongadultsbetweentheagesof 47 and 65 (those individuals who qualify as Baby Boomers)2 to gauge their preferencesregardingretirementandthefeaturesandamenitiestheydesiretofindina retirementdestination.Allparticipantsinthepollwereconsideringmovingoncethey reachedretirement.Thepollresultsshowthattherearefivemainfactorsthataremost important for these individuals. These factors are: climate, cost of housing, quality of healthcareservices,localtaxesandrecreationaloptions. Inreviewingthesurvey,wenotedthat,evenwithinthefivebroadcategoriesidentified, some factors appear to weigh more heavily than others with Boomers who are consideringrelocationduringtheirretirement.Forexample,whensurveyrespondents wereaskedtorankdesiredcharacteristicsofarelocationdestinationinpriorityorder, climate came first and housing costs second. Within those top priorities, the survey resultsalsoindicatedthatmorethan50percentofrespondentspreferredacitywitha climate described as warm withcool months. In addition, the issue of housing costs includes more elements than simply the purchase price of real estate. Both homeownersandrentersmustalsoconsiderlocaltaxesakeyissueintheConsumer Federationsurveyandalsohomeownersinsurancecosts.Residentsofinlandareas intheUnitedStatesfarremovedfromthehurricanezoneoftenaresurprisedtolearn thatwindstorminsuranceratesincoastalcommunitiesintheSoutheasthaveincreased quite sharply in the last decade, significantly adding to total housing costs for those consideringamovetoaGulfCoaststate.Communitiesthatarenotlocateddirectlyon the coast may have some advantages in housing costs over a coastal location when housing costs are considered. Similarly, more than 70 percent preferred a medium
1Hellmich,Nancy."BabyBoomersbytheNumbers:Censusrevealstrends."USAToday,March03,2010.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/20091110topblline10_ST_N.htm(accessedFebruary04,2012). 21,000adultsbetweentheagesof47and65wereinterviewedbytelephonefromNovember14throughNovember 22,2011.AllrespondentslivedinstateseastoftheMississippiRiverandwereconsideringmovingtoanotherstate whentheyretired.
WhitePaper
|Page3
sized city or small town. Additionally, more than 20 percent of respondents indicated thatproximitytooceanandbeachrelatedrecreationalactivitieswaseitherthemostor secondmostimportantfactorwhendecidingwheretoretire.Lessthananhoursdrive from a coastline with good beaches is a key consideration with the Boomers whose retirement looms a choice that also allows relocating Boomers to mitigate high insurancecosts. The Washington Economics Group (WEG) developed a methodology that ranks cities based on the previously mentioned factors extracted from the results of the Mason Dixon/CFSEpoll.WEGevaluatedagroupof20citieswithanalreadyhighnumberof retireesandcitiesthatareclassifiedastypicallypopulardestinationsforretirees.Cities were also chosen based on those whose population is consistent with or close to the sizeBoomersfavoredinthepollorthosecitiesthatpossessmorethanonefactorthat was indicated as favorable by the respondents of the MasonDixon poll. This White Paper presents the ranking of the 20 cities analyzed by WEG and includes a detailed analysis of the Top 10 cities on the list. The following sections introduce the methodologyusedbyWEGtorankthecitiesandpresentthedetailedanalysesforthe Top10rankedcitiesonthelist.
WhitePaper
|Page4
Methodology
WEG developed a straightforward methodology that clearly demonstrates how each city is scored. The methodology is complex enough to reflect why one city might be rankedhigherthananother.Atthesametime,itissimpleenoughtobereplicated.This methodology allowed WEG to rank the cities based on a system of point scores that wereassessedafterscoringeachoneofthefivefactorsforeachcity. Thesurveyresultsalsoshowedthat,amongthesefivefactors,individualsvaluesome factors higher than others. On average, cost of housing is the most important factor, followedinorderbyclimate,qualityofhealthcareservices,localtaxesandrecreational options. In addition, respondents to the MasonDixon poll indicated their preferences for individual factors such as climate (warm and cool months) and recreational amenities(preferenceforproximitytotheoceanandbeaches). Oncethesepreferenceswereidentified,WEGproceededtoscoreeachone ofthefivefactorsforeachcityonascalefrom1to4,with4beingthebest availablescoreand1beingthelowestavailablescore.Onceeachcitywas givenascoreforeachfactorconsidered,thenextstepwastocomparethe overallcitypackage.
Scores 4 3 2 1
In order to rank the cities, WEG quantified the importance of each factor based on surveyresponses.Forexample,WEGneededawayoftakingintoaccountthatclimate is more important than recreational amenities.The solution was to assign weights to eachoneofthecategories,thusreflectingitsimportance.Climatewasgivenaweightof 10, cost of living a weight of 8, quality and affordability of available healthcare a 6, state/localtaxesaweightof4andrecreationaloptionsaweightof2. To compare the overall scores for each city, WEG Factor Weight combined the individual scores assigned to each Climate 10 factor and the weights for each factor by CostofLiving 8 multiplying the weights by the scores. This Healthcare 6 4 procedure resulted in a total weighted score for LocalTaxes 2 each factor of each city. Finally, WEG summed all RecreationalAmenities thescoresforeachcategorytoobtainatotalscoreforeachcity.Oncethefinalscorefor each city was obtained, the cities were ranked from highest to lowest. Based on this methodology,thefollowingsectionisadetailedanalysisoftheTop10citiesfromthe list.ThetablebelowliststherankingoftheseTop10communitiesandthepercentage
TheWashingtonEconomicsGroup,Inc. WhitePaper |Page5
ofpointsearnedbyeachcity.Tables2and3onpages31and32respectively,detailthe measurementsusedtoformulatethisrankedlistofthetopfiveretirementfactorsand Top10citiesoutof20cities.

Table1. RankingofRetirementDestinationCities Ranking City Percentage ofPointsScored 1 Tallahassee,FL 93% 2 Memphis,TN 88% Athens,GA 85% 3 4 Tuscaloosa,AL 82% Atlanta,GA 78% 5 6(Tie) Oxford,MS 73% 6(Tie) Charleston,SC 73% 8 Louisville,KY 68% Richmond,VA 65% 9(Tie) 9(Tie) Pittsburgh,PA 65%

TheWashingtonEconomicsGroup,Inc. WhitePaper |Page6
CitiesAnalyzed
1. Tallahassee,Florida:TheNumberOneChoice Tallahassee is the capital city of the State of Florida. It is located in the middle of Floridaspanhandle,onlymilesawayfrom the Alabama and Georgia borders. Tallahassees metropolitan area has more than300,000residents3,andthatiswhyit canbeconsideredeitheramidsizecityor a small town. Tallahassee has something to offer individuals with distinct needs andpreferences.Fromthepeaceandquiet experienced in its family neighborhoods to the festivities such as Springtime Tallahassee and the celebrations that accompany a Florida State University Seminoles or Florida A&M Rattlers football game, Tallahassee possesses the sizetomakeresidentsfeelthattheylivein a small town, but with the amenities, facilities and institutions of a larger city. Tallahasseeearnsthetoprankingonthislistbecauseitoffersthebestavailablematch among the five priority characteristics that relocating Boomers say they want, ad requireinaretirementdestination. Climate TallahasseeranksNumber1onthislistintheclimatecategory.Hightemperaturesin thesummercanreach90degreesormore,butusuallyaveragearound87.Autumnand spring temperatures oscillate between the 60s and 70s, and the winter averages temperatures in the 50s4. There is no snowfall during the winter, but for those individualsinterestedinsnowrelatedrecreationactivitiestherearespecializedresorts andattractionsonlyafewhoursawayinAlabamaorGeorgia.
3U.S.CensusBureau,"MetropolitanandMicropolitanStatisticalAreas."AccessedFebruary04,2012.
http://www.census.gov/population/metro/. 4Infoplease,"Climateof100SelectedU.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762083.html.
WhitePaper
|Page7
CostofLiving/Housing Tallahasseesresidentsenjoyarelativelylowcostofliving.TheCostofLivingIndexfor Tallahasseeis95,considerablybelowthenationalaverageof1005.Thisisreflectedby lowerthanaveragehousing,healthcare,gasandfoodprices.Themediansalespriceof asinglefamilyhomeinTallahasseeislessthan$150,0006,whichisexceptionallylow whencomparedwithothercitiesonthislist. Healthcare TheCityofTallahasseeoffershighqualityhealthcareoptionsforitsresidents.Capital HealthPlan,basedinTallahassee,wasrankedthenationstopMedicareAdvantageplan in 2010 and that national ranking of leadership provides a super magnet on a key indicatorforBoomers.Thecityisservedbytwomajorhospitalsandvariouswalkin clinics. Hospitals in Tallahassee offer a wide range of specialized healthcare services from cancer treatment to intensive care services. Tallahassee Memorial Regional Medical Center (TMRMC) has been recognized numerous times in the past, most recently for significantly reducing mortality rates. The Hospital has also received the National Consumer Choice award for outstanding service for 6 years in a row7. Additionally,in2005,theFloridaStateUniversityCollegeofMedicineestablishedanew communitybased medical school that focuses on educating physicians to treat older Floridiansandresidentsofsmallercommunities. LocalTaxes Tallahasseeisanappealingcityforthoseindividualslookingtopaytheleastamountof taxes.Thecitysresidentspayastatesalestaxof6percent,andthecitysresidentspay an additional 1.5 percent local sales tax8 for a total of 7.5 percent. A significantly importantandattractivefeatureofTallahasseeisthatthereisnolocalorstateincome taxintheStateofFlorida. Recreation
U.S.CensusBureau,"2012U.S.StatisticalAbstract."AccessedFebruary04,2012. http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0728.xls. 6NationalAssociationofRealtors,"MetropolitanAreaExistingHomePricesandStateExistingHomeSales." AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.realtor.org/research/research/metroprice. 7TallahasseeMemorialHospital,"TallahasseeMemorialReceivesNationalConsumerChoiceAwardforSixth ConsecutiveYear."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.tmh.org/body.cfm?ID=758. 8CityData,"U.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.citydata.com/us cities/thesouth/Tallahassee.html.
WhitePaper
|Page8
The City of Tallahassee and the neighboring Big Bend region enjoy a rich cultural history, and also offers a wide range of recreational amenities for its residents. For individualslookingforoceanactivities,thecoastlineoftheGulfofMexicoisonlyabout 25milesawayfromthecityandiseasilyaccessiblebycar. TheApalachicolaNationalForestandtheWakullaSprings State Park are located in close proximity to the city, as well as many other state parks where individuals can participate in numerous outdoor activities year round. FloridaStateUniversityandFloridaA&MUniversityhave widelyrecognizedsportsprogramssuchasthenationally rankedSeminolefootballandbaseballteamsthatprovide additionalentertainmentoptionsforthecitysresidents. OverallScore Thecityoffersthelifestylethatretireesarelookingfor.Tallahasseeisasmallcitythat provideshighqualityservices,inwhichresidentscanenjoypeaceandquietwhileatthe same time, participate in a wide variety of recreationalandculturalactivities. OverallScore andScore
Tallahassee is Number 1 on this list OverallScore %ofpossibletotalpoints 112 93%
because it possesses the most desirable climate, a relatively low cost of living, quality healthcare institutions, relatively low local taxes, and many recreational alternatives,allofwhichhavebeenidentifiedasextremelyimportanttoindividuals thatareretiredorabouttoretire.
WhitePaper
|Page9
2. Memphis,Tennessee
Memphis is a city with a population of almost 700,000 residents9 and is located in western Tennessee next to the Mississippi River. Memphis is an attractive option for retirees becauseitcanofferaparticularly low cost of living, an exceptional healthcare system and competitivetaxrates. Climate Memphisexperiencesallfourseasonsthroughouttheyear.Summerscanbeextremely warmwithhightemperaturesreachingover90degreesandprecipitationonmorethan 100 days of the year. Winter months can be particularly cold with average low temperaturesreachingthelow30s.Thecitydoesnotexperiencemuchsnowfallasit onlycollects5.1inchesonaverageeachyear10. CostofLiving/Housing ThecostoflivingintheCityofMemphisislowerthanaverage.MemphisCostofLiving Indexis8911,significantlylowerthanthenationalaverageof100.Thecitysresidents enjoylowpricesonfood,utilities,healthcareandhousing.Themediansalespricefora singlefamily home in Memphis is just above $120,00012, which ranks it among the lowestfoundinthecitiesonthislist. Healthcare Memphisresidentscanfindafullrangeofhealthcareservicesofferedinthenumerous hospitalsinthecity.TheMethodistHealthcaresystem,whichmanagesandoperates7
http://www.census.gov/population/metro/. 10Infoplease,"Climateof100SelectedU.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762083.html. 11U.S.CensusBureau,"2012U.S.StatisticalAbstract."AccessedFebruary04,2012. http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0728.xls. 12NationalAssociationofRealtors,"MetropolitanAreaExistingHomePricesandStateExistingHomeSales." AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.realtor.org/research/research/metroprice.
WhitePaper
|Page10
hospitals,andBaptistMemorialHospitalsarelocatedinMemphis.Manyofthemhave beennationallyrecognizedinthepastforthequalityoftheirhealthcareservices. LocalTaxes Memphisofferslowtaxobligationsforitsresidents.IndividualsinMemphisonlypaya 2percentlocalsalestaxinadditiontothestatesalestaxof7percent13.Thus,Memphis residentspaya9percentsalestaxintotal.Memphisresidentsarenotsubjecttopaying anystateorlocalincometaxes. Recreation Memphis offers a wide range of leisure activities for its residents. The city has many parks,museumsandhistoricalsitessuchastheVictorianVillageandtheNationalCivil Rights Museum, located in the same hotel building where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.ResidentsoftheCityofMemphiscanenjoynumerouslivesportingevents in the city. The Memphis Grizzlies NBA franchise and one tripleA baseball team play theirhomegamesinMemphis.TheMemphisUniversityTigershaveatraditionallytop ranked and popular basketball program, and the FedEx/St. Jude Classic PGA golf tournament is held every year in the city. Residents interested in ocean and beach relatedactivitiesmusttravelinexcessoffivehourstoreachsuchdestinations. Overall,Memphiscanbeanattractivedestinationforretireesasithasahighlyregarded healthcaresystemandoffersalowcostoflivingaswellaslowlocaltaxrates. OverallScore
Memphis drawbacks are its considerable distance to the ocean and beaches. The climate during winters and summers can also be difficultforretirees. OverallScore andScore Score %ofpossibletotalpoints 106 88%
13CityData,"U.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.citydata.com/uscities/thesouth/Memphis.html.
WhitePaper
|Page11
3. Athens, Georgia
Athensisacollegetownlocated in North Georgia with a population of slightly over 100,000residents14.Athensisan attractivealternativeforretirees because the city offers some of the most sought after amenities for retirees. Athens offers its residents a low cost of living, competitive tax rates, an adequate healthcare system and numerousrecreationaloptions. Climate Athensresidentsexperiencethefourseasonsthroughouttheyear.Thesummermonths canaveragehightemperaturesaround90degrees,andthewintermonthsaveragelow temperaturesinthe30s.Thereisanaverageof4inchesofrainfalleachmonth15and eventhoughitisnotverycommon,therecanbesnowfallduringthewintermonths. CostofLiving/Housing ResidentsofAthensenjoyalowercostoflivingthanthenationalaverage.AthensCost ofLivingIndexis9216,significantlylowerthanthenationalaverageof100.Gasprices are about 1 percent higher than the national average. Food and healthcare prices are slightly below national averages, but housing prices are significantly lower than the average. The median sales price for a singlefamily home in Athens is close to $120,00017,whichisamongthelowestfoundinthecitiesonthislist.
WhitePaper
|Page12
Healthcare The City of Athens has two main providers of healthcare services: Athens Regional MedicalCenterandSt.MarysHealthcareSystem.Bothprovideafullrangeofmedical servicestoAthenssresidents. LocalTaxes The City of Athens offers competitive tax rates. The citys residents pay Georgias income taxthat extends between 16 percent and the state sales tax of 4 percent18.A positivefactorandpotentialadvantageofferedbytheCityofAthensisthatitdoesnot assessanyadditionallocalincomeorsalestaxtoitsresidents. Recreation Athens offers a variety of leisure activities to its residents. City residents can enjoy parks,restaurants,cinemasandmuseums.However,theUniversityofGeorgiassports teams that play in the highest division of collegiate sports provide much of the entertainment.Individualsthatenjoyoceanandbeachactivitiesmustdriveinexcessof fourhourstoreachthesedestinations. OverallScore Athens is a small city with attractive features and amenities to offer its retirees. The citys low cost of living and competitive tax rates make it attractive for individuals selecting a retirement destination. The citys healthcare system is adequate, and the climateisnotextremeeventhoughresidentsdoexperiencethefourseasons.
Athens offers numerous recreational options,anadequatehealthcaresystem andalowcostofliving.However,there isagreatdistancebetweenthecityand theoceanandbeaches. Score %ofpossibletotalpoints OverallScore andScore 102 85%
. WhitePaper |Page13
18CityData,"U.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.citydata.com/city/AthensGeorgia.html
4. Tuscaloosa,Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a small city in the middle of the State of Alabama. The Tuscaloosa metropolitan area has a population of almost 200,000 residents19.Thecitycanbean alternative for retirees because it has some of the characteristics and offers a selectionoftheamenitiesthat retirees look for when deciding where to locate. Tuscaloosa offers a pleasant climate with mild winters and almost no snowfall. Residents of Tuscaloosa enjoy a relatively low cost of living and an adequate healthcare system. Recreational options in TuscaloosacenterontheUniversityofAlabamaathleticprograms. Climate Tuscaloosas residents experience the four seasons throughout the year, however, the winter is mild when compared to other cities on this list. The summer months can averagehightemperaturescloseto90degrees,whilewintermonthshavelowaverage temperatures close to 40 degrees. Even though temperatures are not extremely cold, therearesmallamountsofsnowfalleachwinter20. CostofLiving/Housing Tuscaloosas residents enjoy a lowerthanaverage cost of living. Tuscaloosas Cost of Living Index is 9421, significantly below the national average of 100. Healthcare and foodpricesareslightlylowerthanthenationalaverageaswell.Gaspricesarealmost15 percent lower than the national average. In Tuscaloosa, the median sales price for a singlefamilyhomeisslightlyabove$130,00022,whichislowwhencomparedtoother citiesonthislist.
WhitePaper
|Page14
Healthcare TuscaloosasmainhospitalistheDCHRegionalMedicalCenter,anditoffersafullrange of healthcare services. The DCH Regional Medical Center, which is part of the DCH HealthSystem,hasthemosttechnologicallyadvancedtraumacenterintheregion,and itservesallofWesternAlabama. LocalTaxes Tuscaloosaisacityinwhichthefiscalobligationsofitsresidentsareonparwiththe nationalaverage.TheStateofAlabamahasincometaxratesbetween25percentanda statesalestaxof4percent.Inaddition,theCityofTuscaloosachargesa2percentlocal salestax23. Recreation Tuscaloosa is a city heavily influenced by the student population of the University of Alabama. One in three residents of Tuscaloosa is a student, which is why activities related to the University of Alabama and its athletic programs, especially the mens footballteam,arethemainattractionsinTuscaloosa.Thecityalsohasvariouscultural attractionssuchashistoricalsitesandmuseumsliketheAlabamaMuseumofNatural HistoryandthePaulW.BryantMuseum. OverallScore Tuscaloosacanbeanattractiveoptionforretireesduetothecityscomfortableclimate andlowcostofliving.Thehealthcaresystemissmallbutadequate,andlocaltaxesdo notpresentadisadvantage.
Recreationaloptionsarenotnumerous andindividualsinterestedintheocean and beaches will have to drive almost fourhourstogetthere. Score %ofpossibletotalpoints OverallScore andScore 98 82%
23CityData,"U.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.citydata.com/us
cities/thesouth/Tuscaloosa.html.
WhitePaper
|Page15
5. Atlanta,Georgia
Atlanta is one of the biggest and most dynamic cities in the southern United States. Atlantas metropolitan area has a population of over 5 million residents24. Atlanta can offer retirees an outstanding healthcare system that is nationally recognized and a cost of living that is slightly below the national average. The city also offers numerous recreationaloptionsrangingfromculturalattractionstoprofessionalsportsteams. Climate Like many cities, Atlanta also experiences the four seasons. Warm months can bring high temperatures over 90degrees, and there is precipitation on more than 100 days out of the year25. Winter months can bring temperatures down to the mid 30s; however, they average around 45 degrees. The city experiences minimal snowfall duringthewintermonths. CostofLiving/Housing ThecostoflivingintheCityofAtlantaisslightlylowerthanthenationalaverage.At95, theCostofLivingIndexisbelowthenationalaverageof10026.Foodandgaspricesare atthesamelevelorslightlylowerthannationalaverages.However,housingpricesare some of the lowest of any city in America. The median sales price for a singlefamily home in Atlanta is almost $120,00027. Therefore, the city is considered to have the mostaffordablemajormarketintheU.S.
WhitePaper
|Page16
Healthcare Atlanta is a national leader in the healthcare field with more than 50 hospitals in its metropolitan area. The citys hospitals have been continuously recognized as some of the best in the country. The Grady Health System is the main healthcare provider in Atlanta and serves the medical students and schools of Emory University and MorehouseCollege. LocalTaxes WhencomparingthefiscalobligationsofAtlantasresidentstothoseoftherestofthe country, the city finds itself in the middle of the ranks. Atlantas residents pay the Georgia state income tax which ranges from 1 to 6 percent and a state sales tax of 4 percent.Inaddition,Atlantasresidentsmustalsopaya3percentadditionallocalsales tax28. Recreation TheCityofAtlantahasawidevarietyofrecreationalamenitiesandactivitiesavailable toitsresidents.TheCityoffersanumberofmuseumsandculturalheritagesitesaswell as events and festivals such as the Dogwood and Arts Festivals and the Atlanta Oysterfest. The city also enjoys the presence of major sports franchises. The Falcons, the Braves and the Hawks are franchises of the National Football League, Major League Baseball andtheNationalBasketballAssociationrespectivelythatplaytheirhomegamesinthe CityofAtlanta.GeorgiaTechUniversityisalsolocatedinAtlantaandfieldsteamsinall majorcollegiatesports. ResidentsoftheCityofAtlantathatareinterestedinoceanactivitiesand/orthebeach musttravelapproximatelyfivehoursawayfromthecitytoreachsuchdestinationsa considerabledistance. OverallScore Atlanta can provide retirees a leading healthcare system that offers a variety of specialized care, a relatively low cost of living, and many recreational options are all availableinAtlanta.
28CityData,"U.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.citydata.com/uscities/thesouth/Atlanta.html.
WhitePaper
|Page17
The citys size presents some problems for its residents, which is one of the reasons it receives a lower score than other smaller cities. Traffic congestion Score %ofpossibletotalpoints OverallScoreandScore 94 78%
isexceptionallycommoninAtlantasdailylife,andcityresidentsmayfinditdifficult toenjoythepeaceandquietfoundinsmallercities.
WhitePaper
|Page18
6. Oxford,Mississippi(Tiedat#6)
Oxford is a small city with a population of just under 20,000 individuals29. It is located in northern Mississippi near the Tennessee border. The population of the City of Oxford consists mainly of young people due to the presence of the University of Mississippi. Oxford can be attractive for retirees for reasons such as a low cost of living;however,Oxfordslocation,sizeandpopulationcompositionmaynotbestfitthe needsofaretiree. Climate Residents of Oxford experience the four seasons. Summer months average high temperatures between 85 and 90 degrees, and winter months average low temperatures in the 30s. On average, there are only small amounts of snowfall each yearandaboveaveragerainfalllevelsduringJuneandJuly. CostofLiving/Housing The Cost of Living Index for Oxford, MS is 8830, significantly lower than the national averageof100.Housing,healthcareandfoodpricesinOxfordareallsignificantlylower thannationalaverages.Gaspricesarealmost2percentlowerthanthenationalaverage. Healthcare TheCityofOxfordhasonemainhospital,theBaptistMemorialHospital.Itoffersafull range of healthcare services for northern Mississippi residents including the Baptist HeartCareCenter,whichspecializesinthetreatmentofheartrelatedailments.
29CityData,"U.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.citydata.com/city/OxfordMississippi.html. 30U.S.CensusBureau,"2012U.S.StatisticalAbstract."AccessedFebruary04,2012.
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0728.xls.
WhitePaper
|Page19
LocalTaxes ThefiscalobligationsofresidentsofOxfordrankinthemiddlewhencomparedtothe othercitiesonthislist.Oxfordresidentsarenotobligatedtopayincomeorsalestaxes tothecity.However,theymustpaytheStateofMississippiastateincometaxbetween 3to5percentandastatesalestaxof8percent31. Recreation Oxford residents can enjoy various leisure activities. The city has parks, restaurants, culturalattractionsandheritagesites.TheUniversityofMississippifieldsteamsinall major sports, which can offer a leisure alternative almost all year long. However, individualsthatenjoyoceanandbeachrelatedactivitiesmusttravelatleastsixhours toreachsuchdestinations. OverallScore Oxfordisasmallcollegecitythatcanofferretireesbenefitssuchasarelativelylowcost of living. However, the city is small and most of its population is collegeage young adults.
Oxford possesses options for its older residents: it has parks, heritage sites, culturalattractionsandtheUniversity ofMississippiseducationalandsports Score
OverallScoreandScore 88 73%
%ofpossibletotalpoints
activities.However,thecityislocatedsixhoursawayfromtheoceanandbeaches. The healthcare system is rather limited, and some patients in need of specialized carewouldneedtotraveltoabiggerhealthcarehub.
31CityData,"U.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.citydata.com/city/OxfordMississippi.html.
WhitePaper
|Page20
6.
Charleston,SouthCarolina(Tiedat#6)
Charleston is a midsized colonial city located on the coast of South Carolina. Charlestons metropolitan area has a population of over 650,000individuals32.TheCity offers retirees a highly regarded healthcare system andcompetitivelocaltaxrates. The citys colonial heritage provides a dynamic environmentfullofcultureand a wide range of entertainment optionsforitsresidents.
Climate Charleston is another city that experiences the four seasons. Summers can be extremely warm with average high temperatures reaching over 90 degrees. There is precipitation more than 110 days out of the year33. Cold weather months experience averagelowtemperaturesaround40degrees,andthereislittlesnowfallinthecity. CostofLiving/Housing Charlestonoffersitsresidentsacostoflivingthatisclosetothenationalaverage.The CostofLivingIndexfortheCityofCharlestonis10134(thenationalaverageis100).The mediansalespriceforasinglefamilyhomeinCharlestonisslightlyabove$200,00035. However,Charlestonsresidentshavetobeartheburdenofpayinggaspricesthatare morethan5percenthigherthanthenationalaverage. Healthcare Charlestons healthcare system consists of numerous hospitals and healthcare centers that provide a wide range of services for the residents of eastern South Carolina. The
WhitePaper
|Page21
MedicalUniversityofSouthCarolinaMedicalCenteristhemainhealthcareproviderin the region, and the Medical University of South Carolina is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States. Its facilities and personnel are equipped to offer a full rangeofhealthcareservicestoCharlestonsresidents. LocalTaxes Charlestonisoneofthecitiesonourlistofselectedlocationsthatdoesnotassesscity incometaxesandcitysalestaxes.ResidentsofCharlestonhavetopaytheStateofSouth Carolina income and sales tax. The state income tax can vary from 3 percent to 6.5 percent,andthestatesalestaxrateis6percent36. Recreation Charlestonpossessesarichcolonialheritage.Thecityhasmanyculturalattractionsand is in close proximity to Francis Marion National Forest. Charleston sits next to the AtlanticOceanontheSouthCarolinacoast.Thus,itsresidentsenjoyaperfectlocation foroceanandbeachrelatedactivities.Thecityishometoaminorleaguebaseballteam, butnomajorprofessionalsportsteamsarelocatedintheStateofSouthCarolina.The University of South Carolinas and Clemson Universitys sports teams are located in othercitiesofSouthCarolina. OverallScore Charleston,SCisacityfullofheritageanddestinationsofhistoricalimportance.Itisa city that can offer retirees an adequate healthcare system and competitive local tax rates.ThecityhasmanyrecreationaloptionsandislocatedontheAtlanticcoast.
Charlestonreceivesalowerscoreasits climatecanbecold inthewinter.Cost oflivingisaverageatbest. Score %ofpossibletotalpoints OverallScoreandScore 88 73%
36CityData,"U.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.citydata.com/us
cities/thesouth/Charleston.html.
WhitePaper
|Page22
8.Louisville,Kentucky
Louisville is located in the heart of the midwestern United States. Slightlyover1millionpeopleinhabit the citys metropolitan area. Louisville offers retirees a low cost of living and many entertainment alternatives. Climate is not a strong point for Louisville, and local taxes are average when compared to the othercitiesonthislist. Climate TheCityofLouisvilleislocatedintheheartofthemidwesternUnitedStates,whichis why it experiences a continental climate. Louisvilles climate is characterized by temperature differences between seasons. Louisville has very cold months with low temperatures reaching less than 25 degrees with little snowfall and summer months withaveragehightemperaturesreaching90degrees37. CostofLiving/Housing Louisvilleisanotherlowcostcityfoundonourlistofthetopcitiestoretire.Louisvilles Cost of Living Index is 90, significantly lower than the national average. This is reflected in lower food, healthcare and housing prices. The median price for a single familyhomeinLouisvilleisbelow$135,00038.Ontheotherhand,gaspricesareabout2 percenthigherthanthenationalaverage. Healthcare TheCityofLouisvilleoffersanadequatehealthcaresystemforitsresidents.Therearea number of specialized centers such as the Caritas Medical Center that offers a wide rangeofexpertiseindifferenthealthrelateddisorderssuchascanceranddiabetes.
37Infoplease,"Climateof100SelectedU.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762083.html. 38NationalAssociationofRealtors,"MetropolitanAreaExistingHomePricesandStateExistingHomeSales." AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.realtor.org/research/research/metroprice.
WhitePaper
|Page23
LocalTaxes Louisville has a tax environment that is best described as average. The city is in the StateofKentucky,whichassessesastateincometaxbetween26percentandastate sales tax of 6 percent. Additionally, Louisville residents must pay a 1.75 percent local salestax39. Recreation It can be said that Louisvilles most famous attraction is Churchill Downs, the horseracing track where the Kentucky Derby is held every year. There are other culturalattractionssuchashistoricalmonumentsandbuildings.Thecityishometothe River Bats, a tripleA baseball team. The University of Louisville Cardinals also fields teamsinallmajorsports;however,theUniversitysmenbasketballteamcapturesmost oftheattention.Forthewouldberetireeswhoareinterestedintheoceanandbeaches, Louisville would not be attractive to them as the ocean and beaches are many miles away. OverallScore Louisville can be attractive for some individuals looking for a retirement destination. Thecityoffersalowcostoflivingandanadequatehealthcaresystem.Ontopofthat, LouisvillehasbeenrankedamongthesafestcitiesinAmericaformanyyears40.
Louisvilles drawbacks are the citys climate, which consists of intense summers and winters, average local tax rates and the significant distance Score
OverallScoreandScore 82 68%
%ofpossibletotalpoints
betweenthecityandtheoceanandbeaches.
39CityData,"U.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.citydata.com/uscities/thesouth/Lousville.html. 40"TensafestU.S.cities?Winnersmaysurpriseyou."USAToday,September28,2010.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/09/safestuscitiesmaysupriseyou/1 (accessedFebruary18,2012).
WhitePaper
|Page24
9. Richmond,Virginia(Tiedat#9)
Richmond is located in eastern Virginia. The population of Richmonds metropolitan area is more than one million individuals. The City of Richmond can offer retirees a good healthcare system and a wide variety of entertainment options. However, cost of living inRichmondishigherthanmost oftheothercitiesonthislist,and local taxes are around the nationalaverage. Climate The City of Richmond experiences all four seasons. However, its climate can be best describedashavingcoldwintersandmildsummers.Typically,thereisprecipitationon more than 100 days41 out of the year. Warm months have average temperatures between 75 and 80 degrees. The winter months have an average temperature in the mid30s,andthecityaveragesonlysmallamountsofsnowfalleachyear. CostofLiving/Housing Richmondsresidentsendurearelativelyhighcostofliving.TheCostofLivingIndexfor Richmond is 10742, above the national average of 100. This is reflected in the median sales price for a single family home, which is over $223,00043 and the relatively high priceofhealthcareservices,foodandothergoods.GaspricesinRichmondaretypically aroundthenationalaverage. Healthcare Richmond has a recognized healthcare system with a strong reputation. This system includesmorethan18hospitals withintheRichmond metropolitanarea.TheVirginia CommonwealthUniversityCenterisoneofthelargesthealthcareprovidersinthestate.
41Infoplease,"Climateof100SelectedU.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762083.html. 42U.S.CensusBureau,"2012U.S.StatisticalAbstract."AccessedFebruary04,2012. http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0728.xls. 43NationalAssociationofRealtors,"MetropolitanAreaExistingHomePricesandStateExistingHomeSales." AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.realtor.org/research/research/metroprice.
WhitePaper
|Page25
Also, Richmonds hospitals are national leaders in neuroscience research and heart bypasssurgery44. LocalTaxes Richmondranksinthemiddleofourlistofselectedcitieswhenevaluatingthelevelof taxitsresidentspay.ThecityislocatedintheStateofVirginia,whichassessesastate income tax with a rate between 2 percent to 5.75 percent and a state sales tax of 4 percent. The City of Richmond does not have an additional income tax, but it does chargea1percentsalestax45. Recreation Richmond is a city full of history and is home to more than 100 tourist and visitor destinationsthatrangefromhistoricalbattlegroundsfoundin theNationalBattlefield Park to colonialtime houses and buildings. The city also offers other cultural and recreationalamenitiessuchastheRichmondSymphony,anumberofballetcompanies, the citys planetarium and many of museums. Richmond is host to a tripleA baseball team and the sports teams for the University of Virginia Commonwealth. In addition, the city also hosts two NASCAR races each year at the Richmond International Speedway.Residentsthatwanttoenjoytheoceanandbeacheswillhavetodrivealittle overtwohourstoVirginiaBeach. OverallScore Richmondcanbebestdescribedasanaveragecityforretirees.Itofferssomeamenities, butnothingthatmakesitsuperiortotheothercitiesonthislist.
Richmonds cost of living is higher than the national average. The citys local taxes and climate are average. Score %ofpossibletotalpoints OverallScoreandScore 78 65%
44CityData,"U.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.citydata.com/uscities/thesouth/richmond.html. 45Ditto.
WhitePaper
|Page26
9.Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania(Tiedat#9)
Pittsburgh is a city located in western Pennsylvania with more than 2 million46 individuals living in its metropolitan area. The city has experienced dramatic changes over the recent decades as it has transformed itself from an industrial town heavily dependentonlowskilljobs to a knowledge city with strongindustryclustersinfieldssuchasscienceandtechnology.Pittsburghhasmany positiveattributessuchasalowcostoflivingandoutstandinghealthcareinstitutions, whichmakesitanattractivecityforretiredindividuals. Climate Pittsburghs climate is predominantly cold year round. The city experiences mild summersandverycoldwinters.Warmmonthshaveaveragetemperaturesinthemid 70s,andthereisprecipitationduringmorethan150days47outoftheyear.Thewinter months average temperatures are below 28 degrees, and the city endures large amountsofsnowfalleachyear. CostofLiving/Housing The City of Pittsburgh offers its residents a lowerthanaverage cost of living. In fact, Pittsburghisoneofthecitiesonourselectedlistwiththelowestcostofliving.TheCost ofLivingIndexforPittsburghis9048(thenationalaverageis100).Additionally,median salespriceforasinglefamilyhomeinPittsburghisslightlyover$120,00049.Oneofthe
WhitePaper
|Page27
few factors that negatively influence the cost of living for Pittsburgh are gas prices, whicharealmost2percenthigherthanthenationalaverage. Healthcare Pittsburghoffersahighlyregardedhealthcaresystemforitsresidents.TheUniversity ofPittsburghMedicalCenter(UPMC)consistsofmorethan20hospitalsintheregion and offers a full range of medical services including specialized research and surgical centers.TheUPMCsystemhasbeenrankedamongthetophealthcaresystemsinthe UnitedStatesformanyyears. LocalTaxes The City of Pittsburgh is not an attractive choice for those retirees looking to pay the lowest tax rates available. The State of Pennsylvania has a state income tax rate of 3 percent and a state sales tax of 6 percent. In addition to these taxes, the City of Pittsburghalsoassessesitsresidentsalocalincometaxwitharateof3percentanda localsalestaxof1percent.ThecombinationofstateandlocaltaxesinPittsburghisa significantnegativefactorthatshouldbeconsideredbyindividualsdecidingwhereto livewhentheyretire. Recreation TheCityofPittsburghoffersavarietyofrecreationalamenitiesforitsresidents.There are historical monuments and buildings as well as many other cultural attractions spreadthroughoutthecity,suchasPointStatePark,thePennsylvaniaStationandthe University of Pittsburghs Cathedral of Learning50. The city is home to the renowned PittsburghSymphonyOrchestraandanumberofperformingartscenters. One of the citys main recreational attractions includes its sports teams. The National Football Leagues Pittsburgh Steelers, Major League Baseballs Pittsburgh Pirates and the National Hockey Leagues Penguins play their home games in Pittsburgh. In addition, the University of Pittsburgh also fields teams in all major American sports. Therearestateparkswithlakeswithinafewhoursfromthecity;however,individuals interested in the ocean and beaches would have to drive approximately three hours away from the city. It must be noted that many of these recreational activities are limitedsincetheyareonlyavailableduringwarmweathermonths.

50
CityData,"U.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.citydata.com/us cities/thenortheast/Pittsburgh.html.
WhitePaper
|Page28
OverallScore TheCityofPittsburghcanbeanattractivealternativeforretirees.Itoffersalowcostof living coupled with a good healthcare system and numerous recreational options. Pittsburgh can be a good option for individuals interested in sports and cultural activitieswhodonotmindthecoldweatherordonotneedtobewithincloseproximity totheoceanorbeaches.
Pittsburghs climate is cold most of the year. The city is not located close to the ocean, and local taxes can become a heavy burden for its Score %ofpossibletotalpoints OverallScoreandScore 78 65%
residentsincomparisontotheothercitiesonthislist.
WhitePaper
|Page29
Conclusion
Closeto80millionindividualsintheU.S.willsoonbemakingchoicesregardingtheir retirement,andoneimportantdecisionwillbethecityortowninwhichtheychooseto reside. In this White Paper, The Washington Economics Group developed a methodologythatrankedcitiesbasedonanumberoffactorsextractedfromtheresults of the MasonDixon survey among Baby Boomers regarding their retirement preferences. Thesurveyaskedparticipantsaboutdifferentfeaturesandcharacteristicstheywished tofindinthecitytheychosetoretire.Additionally,thesurveyaskedwhichfactorswere mostimportantwhendecidingwheretoreside.TheresultsoftheMasonDixonsurvey showthatBabyBoomersplaceahighvalueonsomecharacteristicsofthecitywhere theychoosetospendtheirretirementyears,whileotherfactorsarenotasimportant. TherearefivemainfactorsthatBabyBoomershighlyconsiderwhenchoosingwhere tolive,andthesefactorswereanalyzedindetailinthisWhitePaper.Theyare:climate, costofliving,qualityandaffordabilityofavailablehealthcareservices,localtaxesand recreationalamenities.WEGdevelopedamethodologythatrankedall20citiesonthe listbasedonscoringeachfactorforeachcityandincludedadetailedanalysisforeach oneoftheTop10cities.
WEGsAnalysisdemonstrates thatbasedontheMason Dixonsurveyresults,thecity withthemostdesirablesetof characteristicsforretiring BabyBoomersis Tallahassee,Florida. Tallahasseepossessestheright combinationoffeaturesthat makeitanidealdestination forretirees.
WhitePaper
|Page30
Table2.ScoresforCityFactors
Weight City 10 Climate 8 CostofLiving/Housing 6 HealthCare 4 LocalTaxes 2 Recreation
Tallahassee,FL
Memphis,TN Athens,GA Tuscaloosa,AL Atlanta,GA Oxford,MS Charleston,SC Louisville,KY Richmond,VA Pittsburgh,PA RaleighDurham,NC Indianapolis,IN Lexington,KY Toledo,OH Cleveland,OH Boston,MA Milwaukee,WI Washington,DC Philadelphia,PA NewYork,NY
4
3 3 4 3 3 3 2 2 1 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
3
4 4 3 3 4 2 3 2 4 2 4 3 4 3 1 2 1 1 1
4
4 4 3 4 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 3 4 4 4 4 4 4
4
4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 1 1 3 2 2 2 1
4
2 2 2 2 1 3 1 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 3 2 3 2 3
WhitePaper/Page31
Table3.OverallScoresforCities
Weight: Rank City 10 Climate 8 6 4 Local Taxes 2 Recreation TOTAL Costof Healthcare Living/Housing %of possible points obtained
1
2 3 4 5 6 6 8 9 9 11 11 13 13 15 16 16 18 19 20
Tallahassee,FL
Memphis,TN Athens,GA Tuscaloosa,AL Atlanta,GA Oxford,MS Charleston,SC Louisville,KY Richmond,VA Pittsburgh,PA RaleighDurham,NC Indianapolis,IN Lexington,KY Toledo,OH Cleveland,OH Boston,MA Milwaukee,WI Washington,DC Philadelphia,PA NewYork,NY
40
30 30 40 30 30 30 20 20 10 20 10 20 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
24
32 32 24 24 32 16 24 16 32 16 32 24 32 24 8 16 8 8 8
24
24 24 18 24 12 24 24 24 24 24 24 12 18 24 24 24 24 24 24
16
16 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 8 12 8 8 4 4 12 8 8 8 4
8
4 4 4 4 2 6 2 6 4 4 2 2 2 2 6 2 6 4 6
112
106 102 98 94 88 88 82 78 78 76 76 66 66 64 60 60 56 54 52
0.93
0.88 0.85 0.82 0.78 0.73 0.73 0.68 0.65 0.65 0.63 0.63 0.55 0.55 0.53 0.50 0.50 0.47 0.45 0.43
WhitePaper/Page32
APPENDIX: THEWASHINGTONECONOMICSGROUPQUALIFICATIONS ANDPROJECTTEAM
WhitePaper/Page33
TheWashingtonEconomicsGroup(WEG)hasbeensuccessfullymeetingclientobjectives since 1993 through economic consulting services for corporations, institutions and governments of the Americas. We have the expertise, highlevel contacts, and business alliancestostrengthenyourcompetitivepositioninginthegrowingmarketplacesofFlorida andLatinAmerica. Our roster of satisfied clients, over the past eighteen years, includes multinational corporations, financial institutions, public entities, and nonprofit associations expanding theiroperationsintheAmericas. EXCLUSIVECONSULTINGAPPROACH: Each client is unique to us. We spend considerable time and effort in understanding the operations,goals,andobjectivesofclientsastheyseekourconsultingandstrategicadvice. Wearenotamassproductionconsultingentitynordoweaccepteveryprojectthatcomes tous.Weengagealimitednumberofclientseachyearthatrequirecustomizedconsulting services in our premier areas of specialization. These premier and exclusive services are headedbyformerU.S.UnderSecretaryofCommerce,Dr.J.AntonioVillamil,withoverthirty years of experience as a business executive and as a senior public official of the U.S. and mostrecentlyofFlorida. PREMIERCONSULTINGSERVICES: Comprehensive Corporate Expansion Services. Our seamless and customized service includes site selection analysis, development of incentive strategies and community and governmentalrelations. EconomicImpactStudieshighlighttheimportanceofaclient'sactivitiesinthegeneration ofincome,outputandemploymentinthemarketareaservicedbytheentity.Thesestudies are also utilized to analyze the impact of public policies on key factors that may affect a client'sactivitiessuchastaxchanges,zoning,environmentalpermitsandothers. Strategic Business Development Services. These services are customized to meet client objectives,withparticularemphasisinthegrowingmarketplacesofFlorida,Mexico,Central and South America. Recent consulting assignments include customized marketing strategies,countryriskassessmentsforinvestmentdecisionsandcorporatespokesperson activitiesandspeechesonbehalfoftheclientatpublicorprivatemeetings.
ForafulldescriptionofWEGcapabilitiesandservices, pleasevisitourwebsiteat:
www.weg.com
TheWashingtonEconomicsGroup,Inc. RepresentativeClientList 19932011

MULTINATIONALCORPORATIONS LockheedMartin FedExLatinAmerica IBM Motorola SBCCommunications AmeritechInternational LucentTechnologies MediaOne/AT&T JosephE.Seagram&Sons,Inc.(Vivendi) MicrosoftLatinAmerica Carrier Medtronic PhelpsDodge EssoInterAmerica VisaInternational MasterCardInternational TelefonicaDataSystems BureauVeritas(BIVAC) MerckLatinAmerica DMJM&Harris WilburSmithAssociates PBSJ FLORIDABASEDCORPORATIONS SprintofFlorida FloridaMarlins FloSunSugarCorp. FarmStores TheBMICompanies SpillisCandela&Partners TheBiltmoreHotel/Seaway TrammelCrowCompany AdvantageCapital WCIDevelopmentCompanies IberiaTiles FloridaHospital MercyHospital TheSt.JoeCompanies FloridaPower&Light(FPL) InternationalSpeedwayCorporation LATINAMERICABASEDINSTITUTIONS FederationofInterAmericanFinancialInstitutions (FIBAFIN) TheBrunettaGroupofArgentina AssociationofPeruvianBanks PeruvianManagementInstitute(IPAE) MercantilServiciosFinancieros,Venezuela AlliedDomecq,Mexico FonalledasEnterprises FINANCIALINSTITUTIONS InternationalBankofMiami PanAmericanLife ABNAMROBank BarclaysBank LazardFreres&Co. BanqueNationaledeParis HSBC/MarineMidland FiduciaryTrustInternational SunTrustCorporation FirstUnionNationalBank(Wachovia) UnionPlantersBankofFlorida(Regions) BankAtlanticCorp. HemisphereNationalBank BankUnited,FSB MercantilCommercebankN.A. PointeBank,N.A. TheEquitable/AXAAdvisors PUBLICINSTITUTIONS,NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS&UNIVERSITIES BaptistHealthSystems JacksonHealthSystems MiamiDadeExpresswayAuthority MiamiDadeCollege MiamiMuseumofScience ZoologicalSocietyofFlorida FloridaInternationalUniversity UniversityofMiami InterAmericanDevelopmentBank(IDB) UnitedNationsEconomicDevelopmentProgram(UNDP) UniversidadPolitcnicadePuertoRico SistemaUniversitarioAnaG.Mndez(SUAGM) KeiserUniversity FullSailRealWorldEducation FloridaPortsCouncil FloridaSportsFoundation FloridaCitrusMutual FloridaNursingHomesAlliance FloridaBankersAssociation FloridaOutdoorAdvertisingAssociation CityofPlantation CityofWestPalmBeach Econ.Dev.CommissionofLeeCounty Econ.Dev.CommissionofMiamiDade(BeaconCouncil) Econ.Dev.CommissionofMidFlorida JacksonvilleChamberofCommerce SWFloridaRegionalChamberofCommerce EnterpriseFlorida,Inc. TheBeaconCouncil VisitFlorida LouisianaCommitteeforEconomicDevelopment UniversityofSouthFlorida/ENLACE SpaceFlorida StateofFlorida
J.ANTONIOTONYVILLAMIL
PrincipalAdvisor,TheWashingtonEconomicsGroup(WEG). Dean,SchoolofBusinessofSt.ThomasUniversityofFlorida
Tony Villamil has over 30 years of successful career as a business economist, university educatorandhighlevelpolicymakerforbothfederalandstategovernments.Hehasserved asaPresidentialappointeeU.S.UndersecretaryofCommerceforEconomicAffairs,andheis the founder of a successful economic consulting practice, The Washington Economics Group, Inc. (WEG). Since August 2008, Tony is the Dean and Research Professor of EconomicsattheSchoolofBusinessofSt.ThomasUniversity,whilecontinuingtoserveas PrincipalEconomicAdvisortotheclientsofWEG. Tony is a recent member of the Presidents Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations in Washington, D.C. He is the immediate past Chairman of the Governors Council of Economic Advisors of Florida, and during 19992000,he directed the Tourism, International Trade and Economic Development Department of the State in the Office of GovernorJebBush.Presently,heisontheBoardofDirectorsoftheSpanishBroadcasting System (NASDAQ), Mercantil Commercebank, N.A., PanAmerican Life Insurance Group (PALIG)andEnterpriseFloridatheStatesprincipaleconomicdevelopmentorganization. Amongotherleadershippositions,heiscurrentlyChairmanoftheEconomicRoundtableof theBeaconCouncilMiamiDadeCountysofficialeconomicdevelopmentorganization.He alsoservesasSeniorResearchFellowofFloridaTaxWatch,anestablishedfiscalandpolicy research organization of the State. Tony is a member of the Superintendents Business Advisory Council of MiamiDade County Public School System; one of the largest school systemsofthenation. Mr. Villamil earned bachelor and advanced degrees in Economics from Louisiana State University (LSU), where he also completed coursework for the Ph.D. degree. In 1991, FloridaInternationalUniversity(FIU)awardedhimadoctoraldegreeinEconomics(hc),for distinguishedcontributionstotheNationinthefieldofeconomics.Hespeaksfrequently to business, government and university audiences on economic topics, and was until the summer of 2008 a member of the Graduate Business Faculty of Florida International University(FIU).
AssociateConsultantforEconomics Pablo Cepeda is an Associate Consultant for Economics at The Washington Economics Group(WEG).Inthisrole,PabloservesasaneconomicconsultanttoWEGclients,providing experteconomicanalysisforbusinessandpublicpolicydecisionmaking. PabloreceivedhisBachelorsofScienceDegreeinEconomicsandInternationalAffairsand hisMastersDegreeinAppliedEconomicsfromFloridaStateUniversity. The Washington Economics Group, headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida, has been successfully meeting client objectives since 1993 through strategic consulting services for corporationsandinstitutionsbasedintheAmericas.TheGrouphastheexpertise,highlevel contacts, and business alliances to strengthen a firms competitive position in the rapidly expandingmarketplacesofFloridaandLatinAmerica.
PabloCepeda

ManagingDirectorofClient Services
MARYSNOW
Mary Snow is the Managing Director of Client Services at The Washington Economics Group, Inc.(WEG).SheservesasWEGsclientliaison,workingwithclientstofacilitatetheirbusiness interestsandachievetheirgoals. PriortojoiningWEG,MarywasagovernmentalconsultantforRobertM.Levy&Associateswith officesinMiamiandTallahassee.Sherepresentedclientsinterestsatthelocallevelandtothe StateLegislature. Mary received her undergraduate degree in Political Science with a minor in Education from FloridaStateUniversity.MaryisaresidentofCoralGables,Florida.
HAYDEEM.CARRION
ExecutiveandSeniorResearchAssistant
Ms. Carrion has been Executive Assistant to Dr. Villamil since the firms founding in 1993. Ms. Carrionisaspecialistinmultimediapresentationsandinthepreparationanddesignofreportsand documentsforclients. She also is the Senior and Project Research Assistant and has extensive experience in the preparation of electronic data, presentation of quantitative information, Internet research and desktoppublishing. Haydee has been with WEG for 17 years. Ms. Carrion holds AA and AS degrees in Business AdministrationandOfficeSystemTechnologiesfromMiamiDadeCollege. Haydeeisaresidentof MiamiDadeCounty.

Best Choice For Retiring Boomers: Head South - An Analysis of Selected U.S. Cities

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Best Choice For Retiring Boomers: Head South - An Analysis of Selected U.S. Cities

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Best Choice for Retiring Boomers: Head South An Analysis of Selected U.S.

RepresentativeOfficeinWashington,D.C. Dawson&Associates,Inc. 1225IStreet,NW,Suite250 Washington,DC20005

U.S.andGlobalHeadquarters 2655LeJeuneRoad Suite608 CoralGables,FL33134

ofpointsearnedbyeachcity.Tables2and3onpages31and32respectively,detailthe measurementsusedtoformulatethisrankedlistofthetopfiveretirementfactorsand Top10citiesoutof20cities.

http://www.census.gov/population/metro/. 4Infoplease,"Climateof100SelectedU.S.Cities."AccessedFebruary04,2012. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762083.html.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762083.html. 38NationalAssociationofRealtors,"MetropolitanAreaExistingHomePricesandStateExistingHomeSales." AccessedFebruary04,2012.http://www.realtor.org/research/research/metroprice.

APPENDIX: THEWASHINGTONECONOMICSGROUPQUALIFICATIONS ANDPROJECTTEAM

TheWashingtonEconomicsGroup,Inc. RepresentativeClientList 19932011

You might also like