Advantages & Disadvantages of Retiring in Memphis

You think about retiring in Memphis but want to get additional information on senior life, public infrastructure, housing situation, living costs, medical infrastructure, safety 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 Memphis in the following chapters.

Retire in Memphis – Overview

Reasons to Retire in Memphis

1. Retirees in Memphis can enjoy nice summers
2. You can go skiing in winter
3. You can spend lots of time outdoors in nature
4. Real seasons may be interesting for many pensioners in Memphis
5. Living costs in Memphis are rather low
6. Rents are still affordable for most retirees in Memphis
7. Easy to find a decent place to stay for people retiring in Memphis
8. Competition in the housing market is rather low in Memphis
9. Low overall financial pressure for retirees in Memphis
10. Memphis may be underrated
11. Decent supply of material goods in Memphis
12. You can get around by bicycle in an efficient manner
13. Memphis has many interesting bars
14. Decent senior centers in Memphis
15. Many recreational spaces in Memphis
16. Memphis is not the most hectic city
17. Decent internet connection in Memphis
18. Your loved ones have an easy time visiting you in Memphis
19. Memphis will be an important city for many decades
20. Decent doctors and hospitals in Memphis

Retirees in Memphis can enjoy nice summers

One advantage of retiring in Memphis is that you can enjoy really nice summers with many hours of sun in this region and can have a great time outdoors with other fellow retirees and this can greatly improve your overall quality of life in the long run.

You can go skiing in winter

Not only can you enjoy nice summers, but you will also have rather cold winters and will experience snow quite often.

Consequently, if you are still fit enough, you can go skiing or do other winter sports as a retiree in Memphis while people retiring in San Antonio or other warmer places rarely get this opportunity.

You can spend lots of time outdoors in nature

You will also find some nice lakes and forests in the Memphis region and this allows you to spend lots of time outdoors in nature so you can get fresh air and can stay fit in the long run.

Real seasons may be interesting for many pensioners in Memphis

Since you will have hot summers and relatively cold winters, you can also experience real seasons in the Memphis region and this can be great since you will have a much more interesting climate than people retiring in El Paso or other places where it is just warm all year long and retiring in Memphis can therefore make sense if you are not a person who really loves the heat for the entire year and want to have some variety in this regard.

Living costs in Memphis are rather low

Another upside to retiring in Memphis is that living costs are pretty low compared to other big cities and this means that you will be able to afford more nice things of daily life in Memphis for the same budget compared to people retiring in Los Angeles or other cities where everything is much more expensive.

Rents are still affordable for most retirees in Memphis

Not only living costs are pretty low, but also rents are still affordable in the Memphis region and this can be great since you don’t have to spend a big portion of your pension on housing but will have much more left to spend on other nice things compared to people retiring in San José or other places where rents are much higher.

Easy to find a decent place to stay for people retiring in Memphis

Since housing shortage is not a big problem in Memphis yet, it is also pretty easy for many retirees to find an affordable and decent place to stay within a rather short period of time while other people in more popular regions often have to search for many months in this regard.

Competition in the housing market is rather low in Memphis

Also competition in the housing market is rather low and since Memphis is not the most popular city, it may continue to stay rather low for many years or even decades and this puts you in a pretty good position as a tenant.

Low overall financial pressure for retirees in Memphis

Since housing and living costs are fairly low, also overall financial pressure for people retiring in Memphis is far lower than for retirees in NYC who need a really good pension just to get along somehow.

Memphis may be underrated

You should also know that Memphis may still be underrated compared to many other big cities in the US since you can enjoy many nice things in the Memphis region and live a comfortable life at a rather low price.

Decent supply of material goods in Memphis

Thanks to good public infrastructure, supply chains in the Memphis region work properly and this means that you also don’t have to worry about running out of important material goods as a retiree in Memphis while supply of material goods might be a problem if you retired in smaller towns or villages.

You can get around by bicycle in an efficient manner

Since Memphis is a relatively bicycle-friendly city, you can also get around by bike in a pretty efficient manner and this can be great for you as a retiree since you can stay fit, do good for our environment and also save lots of money on gas in the long run.

Memphis has many interesting bars

There are also many interesting bars in the Memphis region where you can hang out with like-minded people and can discuss what’s going on in the world so you stay up-to-date with latest developments and can also see the world from a different perspective.

Decent senior centers in Memphis

You will also have decent senior centers where you can meet up with other people of your age and can play parlor games and also share useful advice and experiences with each other so that many people can benefit from your knowledge and you may get some helpful advice as well.

Many recreational spaces in Memphis

Another benefit of retiring in Memphis is that you will find many parks and other recreational spaces where you can just sit down on a bench and enjoy your leisure without getting distracted by loud car noises or other unpleasant surprises.

Memphis is not the most hectic city

Compared to other big metropolitan areas, Memphis is also not the most hectic region and this can be great for you as a retiree since people will not be in a rush most of the time and will have more time socializing with you.

Decent internet connection in Memphis

Thanks to the good internet connection most retirees in Memphis have, you will be able to stay connected to the world and to get the latest news in real-time and you will also be able to use social media or make video calls so you can stay in touch with your loved ones.

Your loved ones have an easy time visiting you in Memphis

Since Memphis has a big airport, people from all over the US and even the world have a rather easy time visiting you in this place and this can be great since you will have guests quite often and chances are that you will never feel lonely due to that.

Memphis will be an important city for many decades

Since Memphis is one of the biggest cities in Tennessee, it will also be an important place to live and retire for quite a long time and you therefore don’t have to worry about public infrastructure becoming worse anytime soon.

Decent doctors and hospitals in Memphis

You will also find decent doctors and hospitals in Memphis and in case you get sick, chances are that you will find a solid expert who will be able to treat and cure your disease in a pretty efficient manner.

Now that you know the reasons for retiring in Memphis, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of retiring in Memphis so you can get a more realistic picture of reality and will be better able to decide whether you still want to retire in Memphis or rather want to move to a different place instead.

Disadvantages of Retiring in Memphis

1. Crime is a big problem in Memphis
2. Some people who retire in Memphis no longer feel safe
3. Many retirees in Memphis complain about cold winters
4. Pretty poor air quality in Memphis
5. Many pensioners in Memphis complain about poor public transport
6. Many people in Memphis live below the poverty line
7. Social inequality is about to get worse
8. Natural disasters may become a problem
9. Many dodgy neighborhoods in Memphis
10. Memphis is not located at the coast
11. Memphis is not the most popular city
12. Your loved ones may worry about your well-being in Memphis

Crime is a big problem in Memphis

One problem with retiring in Memphis is that crime rates are pretty high and many people fear getting involved in serious incidents in this regard sooner or later.

Some people who retire in Memphis no longer feel safe

Many retirees in Memphis also no longer feel safe in certain parts of the city and think about moving to Virginia Beach or other safer places where they might feel safer and may be better able to enjoy the last chapter of their lives.

Many retirees in Memphis complain about cold winters

You should also know that winters in Memphis can be pretty cold and if you are a person who can’t stand cold weather at all, you may be better off retiring in Austin or other warmer regions instead.

Pretty poor air quality in Memphis

Another downside to retiring in Memphis is that air quality is pretty poor compared to most other big cities in the US and this is bad news for you as a retiree since the older you get, the more likely bad air quality will adversely affect your health and you may therefore suffer from all sorts of health conditions in the long run.

Many pensioners in Memphis complain about poor public transport

Memphis also doesn’t have a great public transport system and this can be problematic for you as a retiree since once you are no longer able to drive a car in a safe manner, you may no longer be mobile anymore and may have a hard time getting around in this city.

Many people in Memphis live below the poverty line

You should also be aware of the fact that poverty is a big problem and many people in Memphis don’t have enough money to cover their basic expenses.

Consequently, many people become increasingly desperate and this is just not a nice picture at all and may lead to all sorts of social problems in the long run.

Social inequality is about to get worse

Also the gap between the poor and the rich is about to increase even further in the Memphis region and this may further increase crime rates and is just not a nice picture in general since people of different social classes may no longer hang out with each other and social cohesion may deteriorate slowly but surely.

Natural disasters may become a problem

Another disadvantage of retiring in Memphis is that natural disasters may damage or even destroy your property sooner or later and if you are really unlucky, you may even lose your life if you are not careful.

Many dodgy neighborhoods in Memphis

There are also many rather dodgy districts in Memphis and if you don’t have the money to live in a nice neighborhood, you may just not feel welcome in your borough and you may also have to deal with safety concerns on a regular basis.

Memphis is not located at the coast

Since Memphis is not located at the coast, you will also not be able to spend lots of time at the beach and your overall quality of life as a retiree in Memphis may therefore be lower compared to people living in Long Beach or other coastal cities where you can go swimming and relax at the beach on a regular basis.

Memphis is not the most popular city

You should also keep in mind that Memphis is not the most popular city. In fact, since crime rates and social inequality are pretty high, it doesn’t have a great reputation and many of your friends may not understand your decision of retiring in Memphis and you may therefore have to justify quite a lot in this regard.

Your loved ones may worry about your well-being in Memphis

Since Memphis is not the safest city, your family and friends may also worry about your well-being quite often and you may therefore unintentionally impose a significant emotional burden on them.

Top 10 Retiring in Memphis Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Memphis A Good Place To Retire?

While retiring in Memphis can be a good idea since living and housing costs are pretty low and you will also have decent medical infrastructure and solid supply of material goods, you should still know that Memphis is not the safest city and social inequality may increase crime rates even further in the long run.

Alternative Cities To Retire

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

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Las Vegas

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Detroit

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Boston

Sources

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

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.