When many Americans start thinking about retirement, their thoughts often drift down to Florida. The state is still the most popular choice among retirees, attracting twice as many people as its closest competition, North Carolina. But there are plenty of great alternatives to Florida, and one you might want to turn your attention to is Nampa, Idaho. The city was recently voted one of the top four places to retire in the state by U.S. News.
Nampa is nicknamed the “Heart of the Treasure Valley,” referring to a sprawling region in Idaho that houses around 40% of the state’s population. As the region’s heart, Nampa offers convenient access to Idaho’s wine country, various golf courses, natural playgrounds and hiking trails, and downtown shopping and dining.
Nampa is also a relatively affordable place to live, ranked the fifth-most affordable in Idaho by real estate company Redfin. While the cost of living here is around 4% higher than the national average, this is inflated by its housing prices being almost 130% above national average. Practically everything else, such as groceries, utility bills, transportation, and goods and services, costs between 8% and 29% below the national average. So long as you can afford to buy here, you can enjoy lower average costs in your day-to-day. And those days may very well include trips to Nampa’s great outdoors or into its historic downtown.
Outdoor recreation for all ages in Nampa
Retirees can explore Nampa’s surrounding nature by lacing up their hiking boots and hitting the trails. Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge, which is less than a 20-minute drive from downtown, has the 3.75-mile Kingfisher Trail. This easy out-and-back route takes you along Lake Lowell and through forest and sagebrush. Keep an eye out for over 250 bird species and bring your rod along if you fancy casting a line out for largemouth or smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, or catfish…