Advantages & Disadvantages of Retiring in Detroit

You think about retiring in Detroit but want to get additional information about the city, senior life, safety, living costs, housing situation, entertainment, public infrastructure and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of retiring in Detroit in the following chapters.

Table of Contents

Retire in Detroit – Overview

Living CostsLiving costs in Detroit are relatively low compared to many other big cities in the US.
HousingHousing shortage is not a big problem in Detroit yet and many retirees in Detroit find a decent and affordable place to stay rather quickly.
ClimatePensioners in Detroit experience warm summers and pretty cold winters.
CrimeCrime is a big problem in Detroit and many people who retire in Detroit no longer feel safe in certain parts of the city.
Opportunities to SocializeYou will find many interesting bars and senior centers where you can socialize with other people of your age.
EntertainmentYou can go to the opera, watch a movie, visit a museum and do many other interesting things as a retiree in Detroit.
Public TransportEven though public transport is pretty good near the city center, it gets worse in the suburbs and outskirts of Detroit.
Walkability & BicyclingDetroit is a relatively bicycle-friendly and distances are rather short near the city center so retirees in Detroit will find most things for daily life within walking distance and you may not urgently need a car to get around in an efficient manner.
Medical InfrastructureMany solid doctors and hospitals in Detroit, even though you may have a hard time finding world-class medical treatment unless you have lots of money to spend.
Supply of Material GoodsThanks to decent supply of material goods, retirees in Detroit will never run out of important things of daily life.
advantages and disadvantages of retiring in detroit

Reasons to Retire in Detroit

  1. Retirees in Detroit have a rather easy time finding a decent place to stay
  2. Housing shortage is not a big problem in Detroit yet
  3. Rents are still affordable for most retirees in Detroit
  4. Living costs in Detroit are relatively low
  5. Decent supply of material goods in Detroit
  6. Pensioners in Detroit find most things they need within walking distance
  7. Detroit is a relatively bicycle-friendly city
  8. You may not urgently need a car as long as you live close to the center
  9. Nice summers are attractive to many retirees in Detroit
  10. You can experience real seasons by retiring in Detroit
  11. Detroit has many interesting bars
  12. You can try delicious foods in Detroit
  13. Retirees in Detroit can watch sports games at the highest level
  14. Lots of entertainment in Detroit in general
  15. Decent senior centers in Detroit
  16. Easy to socialize for retirees in Detroit
  17. People in Detroit have decent internet connection
  18. Easy to get from and to Detroit
  19. Overall financial pressure of pensioners in Detroit is rather low
  20. Decent air quality in Detroit

Retirees in Detroit have a rather easy time finding a decent place to stay

One advantage of retiring in Detroit is that you will find a decent place to stay rather quickly.

In fact, you will be in a pretty good position as a tenant and will not have to search as long as people retiring in San José or other popular places.

Housing shortage is not a big problem in Detroit yet

Since housing shortage is not as of a big deal as in many other big cities, overall competition in the housing market is also relatively low and you will find many good deals when it comes to buying or renting a home in this region.

Rents are still affordable for most retirees in Detroit

Compared to many other big cities in the US, rents are still affordable for many retirees in Detroit and you therefore don’t have to spend lots of money on housing and will have more money left to spend on other important things while people retiring in San Francisco or other popular places often struggle to pay high rents in a reliable manner.

Living costs in Detroit are relatively low

Also living costs are relatively low compared to other big metropolitan areas and while people retiring in NYC have to spend lots of money on drinks and many other things of daily life, pensioners in Detroit will have a much easier time in this regard and can afford more nice things for the same amount of money.

Decent supply of material goods in Detroit

You should also know that public infrastructure is pretty decent in Detroit and supply chains work properly so you will find everything you need to live a happy and convenient senior life in Detroit from a materialistic point of view.

Pensioners in Detroit find most things they need within walking distance

Not only will you have decent overall supply of material goods, but distances are also rather short near the city center and you will therefore find most things for daily life just a few minutes away from your home and this can be convenient for you as a retiree since the older you get, the less mobile you may become and having all important things close to your home is a real plus since you can be sure to find everything you need in a reliable manner.

Detroit is a relatively bicycle-friendly city

Another upside to retiring in Detroit is that you will also be able to get around by bicycle in a pretty reliable manner since there are many bike lanes and Detroit is also a relatively bicycle-friendly city.

Consequently, you can save lots of money on gas and can also stay fit at the same time.

You may not urgently need a car as long as you live close to the center

Thanks to decent public transport and good biking infrastructure, you may not even need a car when retiring in Detroit and can rather rely on alternative means of transportation to get around and this can be great for you as a pensioner since the older you get, the more likely it will be that you will no longer be able to operate a car in a safe manner and may need alternatives to get around.

Nice summers are attractive to many retirees in Detroit

You will also be able to enjoy pretty nice summers in Detroit and can therefore spend lots of time outdoors which makes your senior life much better since the more time you spend outdoors, the fitter you will stay on average and the better your mood will be.

You can experience real seasons by retiring in Detroit

Not only will you have nice summers, but you will also have pretty cold winters and while people who retire in El Paso or other warm regions will rarely see any snow, you can go skiing or do other winter sports as a retiree in Detroit and can just have a great time.

Detroit has many interesting bars

Another benefit of retiring in Detroit is that there are many great bars where you can hang out with other retirees and can share valuable information and can also discuss things that are going on in the world right now so you can get a different picture of reality and will likely also become more open and tolerant in the long run.

You can try delicious foods in Detroit

Since Detroit is a multicultural city, you can also try many foods from all over the world and you can therefore have many great culinary experiences as long as you have the money to visit many nice restaurants.

Retirees in Detroit can watch sports games at the highest level

Detroit also has many great sports teams and this can be great for you as a retiree since you can watch sports games at the highest level on a regular basis which an make your senior life in Detroit much more interesting.

Lots of entertainment in Detroit in general

You also have more than enough ways how to spend your leisure in Detroit.

For instance, you can go to the movies, visit museums, go to the bookstore and do many things you may be used to from other big cities.

Decent senior centers in Detroit

You will also have decent senior centers where you can meet up with many other people of your age, play parlor games and also make plans on how to support each other so that everyone can benefit from those collaborations in the long run.

Easy to socialize for retirees in Detroit

Since there are many ways to meet new people in Detroit, you will also have a rather easy time socializing and making many new friends within a rather short period of time and you therefore don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated as a pensioner in Detroit.

People in Detroit have decent internet connection

Since most people in Detroit have a decent internet connection, you can also make video calls so you can stay emotionally connected to your loved ones and can also get the latest news so you will know what’s going on in the world and can adjust important decisions accordingly.

Easy to get from and to Detroit

Since Detroit has a big international airport, it will also be pretty easy for your family and friends to visit you from other states or countries and chances are that you will have guests and company quite often so you will not feel lonely in the long run.

Overall financial pressure of pensioners in Detroit is rather low

Since living and housing costs are relatively low, also overall financial pressure is pretty low for most people who retire in Detroit while people retiring in Seattle or other more expensive places often have to worry about their finances quite a lot.

Decent air quality in Detroit

Air quality in Detroit is also pretty decent compared to many other big cities in the US and this can be important in case you already suffer from pulmonary problems and don’t want your health conditions to get worse due to air pollution.

Now that you know the reasons for retiring in Detroit, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of retiring in Detroit in the following chapters so you will be better able to decide whether you still want to retire in Detroit or rather want to spend the last chapter of your life in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Retiring in Detroit

  1. Crime is a big problem in Detroit
  2. Many retirees in Detroit no longer feel safe
  3. Social problems are about to get worse in Detroit
  4. Detroit doesn’t have a high reputation anymore
  5. Your loved ones may worry about your well-being
  6. You may have to justify retiring in Detroit
  7. Detroit may be too cold for many retirees
  8. Detroit is not located at the coast
  9. Public transport gets worse outside the city center of Detroit
  10. Detroit may be too hectic for you

Crime is a big problem in Detroit

One downside to retiring in Detroit is that crime rates are pretty high.

In fact, Detroit is among the cities with the highest crime rates in the US and if you want to be on the safe side, you may rather want to move to Virginia Beach or other safer places instead.

Many retirees in Detroit no longer feel safe

Due to high crime rates, many retirees in Detroit no longer feel safe in certain parts of the town and also no longer want to leave their homes in the evening or at nighttime and may therefore get socially isolated sooner or later.

Social problems are about to get worse in Detroit

Since many people in Detroit live below the poverty line and all sorts of social problems may get even worse in the near future, overall quality of life may drop significantly and you may be confronted with many unpleasant things as a pensioner in Detroit while you retirees in San Diego or other nicer places may have a much better time overall.

Detroit doesn’t have a high reputation anymore

Another disadvantage of retiring in Detroit is that the city doesn’t have the highest reputation anymore and many of your family and friends may not understand why you want to retire in Detroit and you may therefore have a rather low social standing among your peers.

Your loved ones may worry about your well-being

Since Detroit is not a safe place at all and crime is a real problem, your loved ones may also worry about your well-being quite often and you may therefore unintentionally impose a significant emotional burden on them by retiring in Detroit.

You may have to justify retiring in Detroit

Since Detroit has a pretty poor reputation and is also a pretty unsafe city with many social problems, your loved ones may also not want to let you retire in such an environment and may do everything to convince you to retire in a safer place instead.

Detroit may be too cold for many retirees

Another problem with retiring in Detroit is that you will also have pretty cold winters and people who can’t stand the cold at all may be better off retiring in San Antonio or other warmer places instead.

Detroit is not located at the coast

Since Detroit is not located at the coast, you will also not be able to relax at the beach on a regular basis and this may really lower your overall quality of life as a retiree and you may therefore secretly envy people retiring in Los Angeles or other regions at the coast who have more opportunities in this regard.

Public transport gets worse outside the city center of Detroit

You should also know that while public transport is pretty decent in the center of Detroit, it gets significantly worse in the suburbs and you may therefore have a harder time getting around by bus or other means of public transport if you can’t afford to live close to the city center.

Detroit may be too hectic for you

Detroit is also a pretty big and hectic city and if you rather want to retire in a quieter place, you may be better off moving to Anaheim or other smaller cities instead.

Top 10 Retiring in Detroit Pros & Cons – Summary List

Retire in Detroit ProsRetire in Detroit Cons
Rents are still affordable for most retirees in DetroitHigh crime rates in Detroit
Living costs in Detroit are pretty lowMany pensioners in Detroit no longer feel safe
Easy to find a decent place to stay for pensioners in DetroitMany people in Detroit live below the poverty line
Overall financial pressure is rather lowSocial problems in Detroit are about to get worse
Decent bars and restaurants in DetroitDetroit doesn’t have the highest reputation
Detroit is a bicycle-friendly cityYou may have to justify retiring in Detroit
Public transport is decent near the city centerYour loved ones may worry about your well-being
Pensioners in Detroit may not need a car to get aroundPublic infrastructure gets worse outside the center
Lots of entertainment in DetroitHard to find world-class medical treatment in Detroit
Decent supply of material goods in DetroitRetirees in Detroit can’t enjoy the beach

Is Detroit A Good Place To Retire?

While retiring in Detroit can be great since living and housing costs are pretty low while you will still be able to enjoy good public infrastructure, you should still know that Detroit is not the safest city, many people live below the poverty line and the city also has to deal with all sorts of social problems.

Alternative Cities To Retire

If you don’t want to retire in Detroit, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Denver

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Portland

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Las Vegas

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/detroitcitymichigan

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.

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