Advantages & Disadvantages of Retiring in Milwaukee

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

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of retiring in Milwaukee in the following chapters.

Retire in Milwaukee – Overview

Reasons to Retire in Milwaukee

1. Decent public transport in Milwaukee
2. Retirees in Milwaukee can get around by bicycle
3. You may not need a car as a pensioner in Milwaukee
4. Decent medical infrastructure in Milwaukee
5. You will find most things you need close to your home
6. Retirees in Milwaukee can enjoy real seasons
7. Many things to do in nature in the Milwaukee region
8. You can spend lots of time outdoors
9. Retiring in Milwaukee can keep you fit
10. Living costs in Milwaukee are fairly low
11. Housing shortage is not a big problem in Milwaukee yet
12. Rents are still affordable for most people who retire in Milwaukee
13. Decent bars in Milwaukee
14. You can socialize in senior centers
15. Milwaukee is a rather tolerant city
16. Many people in Milwaukee are pretty laid-back
17. You don’t have to worry about running out of important material goods
18. Milwaukee has an international airport
19. Retirees in Milwaukee can stay connected to the world
20. Low overall financial pressure for retirees in Milwaukee
21. Retiring in Milwaukee may still be underrated
22. Milwaukee will be an important place for many years to come

Decent public transport in Milwaukee

One advantage of retiring in Milwaukee is that you will have decent public transport options and this can be great since once you get older, you may no longer be able to drive a car in a safe manner and may need proper transportation alternatives to get around in an efficient manner.

Retirees in Milwaukee can get around by bicycle

Milwaukee is also a relatively bicycle-friendly place and you may therefore be able to get around by bike and can save lots of money on gas while you can also do good for our environment and can also exercise quite a lot so you can burn enough calories to stay in shape.

You may not need a car as a pensioner in Milwaukee

Since you can get around by bicycle or public transport, you may not urgently need a car in the Milwaukee region and this leads to a state where the city becomes less crowded and people can get around in a way that is in line with protecting nature and sustainable living in general.

Decent medical infrastructure in Milwaukee

Another upside to retiring in Milwaukee is that you will also find many decent doctors and hospitals and in case you get sick, you will find proper medical treatment in most cases so you can recover from your health condition as quickly as possible.

You will find most things you need close to your home

Since public infrastructure is pretty decent near the city center, retirees in Milwaukee usually find most things they need for daily life within walking distance and this can be great since the older you get, the less mobile you will be and the harder it will be for you to master longer distances and having everything near your home therefore is a real plus.

Retirees in Milwaukee can enjoy real seasons

Since you will have pretty warm summers and really cold winters, you can also enjoy real seasons in the Milwaukee region and can go swimming in summer and skiing in winter.

Consequently, your senior life in Milwaukee may be more interesting compared to people retiring in El Paso or other warmer regions.

Many things to do in nature in the Milwaukee region

Since there are many lakes and nice forests in the Milwaukee region, you can also spend lots of time in nature and this can be great for you as a retiree since most of those nature activities are for free or only cost very little money and you can therefore make many nice experiences even with a rather limited pension.

You can spend lots of time outdoors

In general, you can also spend lots of time outdoors and can get lots of fresh air in the Milwaukee region and this may greatly improve your overall quality of life compared to people who may just watch TV all day long and don’t have many exciting things to do in nature.

Retiring in Milwaukee can keep you fit

Since you can do many things outdoors and can also get around by bicycle in an efficient manner, retirees in Milwaukee also have a rather easy time staying fit and their risk of suffering from serious health conditions may be lower as well compared to people who don’t get as much exercise.

Living costs in Milwaukee are fairly low

Also living costs are fairly low in Milwaukee compared to most other big cities and while retirees in San José and other expensive cities often have to spend lots of money on drinks and various other nice things of daily life, pensioners in Milwaukee have a much easier time in this regard since everything is less expensive and you can therefore save lots of money in the long run.

Housing shortage is not a big problem in Milwaukee yet

Another benefit of retiring in Milwaukee is that competition in the housing market is rather low and this means that you will find a decent and affordable place to stay rather quickly while people retiring in San Francisco or other popular places often have to search quite long in this regard.

Rents are still affordable for most people who retire in Milwaukee

Also rents are pretty low in Milwaukee compared to most other big cities and this implies that people who retire in Milwaukee don’t have to spend lots of money on housing but will have more money to spend on other important things of daily life while people retiring in Seattle and other regions where rents are far higher will have to spend a much higher fraction of their pension on housing.

Decent bars in Milwaukee

You will also find many decent bars in Milwaukee where you can hang out with other like-minded people of your age and can have interesting conversations about what’s going on in the world.

You can socialize in senior centers

In general, it is also pretty easy to socialize in senior centers or in various other locations since people in Milwaukee are usually friendly and outgoing and you can therefore make many new social connections and friends within a rather short period of time.

Milwaukee is a rather tolerant city

Since Milwaukee is one of the most tolerant cities in Wisconsin, you also don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated due to your background since you will be welcome from all parts of the world as long as you are friendly and tolerant yourself and also willing to adapt to local traditions.

Many people in Milwaukee are pretty laid-back

Milwaukee is also not the most hectic city and many people are not as career-focused and busy as in many other big cities in the US and this makes it easier for you to get in touch with people.

You don’t have to worry about running out of important material goods

Thanks to good public infrastructure, you will also find everything you need to live a happy and convenient life as a retiree in Milwaukee and don’t have to worry about running out of important material goods.

Milwaukee has an international airport

Since Milwaukee has an international airport, it will also be pretty easy for your loved ones visiting you and chances are that you will have more guests and company by retiring in Milwaukee compared to retiring in other smaller towns that are harder to reach.

Retirees in Milwaukee can stay connected to the world

Since you will have decent internet connection, you can also stay in touch with your loved ones through video calls or by using social media and can also get the latest news in real-time so you will always be able to stay up-to-date with latest developments and can adjust important decisions accordingly.

Low overall financial pressure for retirees in Milwaukee

Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, also overall financial pressure for pensioners in Milwaukee is rather low while people who retire in Seattle or other more expensive places often have to worry much more about money and financial problems.

Retiring in Milwaukee may still be underrated

Since Milwaukee has a lot to offer at a reasonable price level, retiring in Milwaukee may still be underrated and you can therefore have a really great time even though your pension may not be high.

Milwaukee will be an important place for many years to come

Since Milwaukee is the biggest city in Wisconsin, it will be an important economic region for many decades and you therefore don’t have to worry about running out of important public infrastructure as a retiree in Milwaukee anytime soon.

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

Disadvantages of Retiring in Milwaukee

1. Pretty poor air quality in Milwaukee
2. Crime is a big problem in Milwaukee
3. Many retirees in Milwaukee no longer feel safe
4. Many people in Milwaukee live below the poverty line
5. Social inequality may even get worse in the near future
6. Milwaukee is a landlord-friendly city
7. Pensioners in Milwaukee are not able to enjoy the beach
8. Milwaukee may be too cold for many retirees
9. Public infrastructure gets worse in the suburbs of Milwaukee
10. You may have to live in a rather dodgy neighborhood
11. Natural disasters may damage or destroy your home
12. Retiring in Milwaukee is not very popular

Pretty poor air quality in Milwaukee

One problem with retiring in Milwaukee is that air quality is pretty poor and if you already suffer from pulmonary problems, chances are that those problems may get worse due to bad air quality and in such a case, you may be better off moving to Virginia Beach or other cleaner regions instead.

Crime is a big problem in Milwaukee

You should also know that Milwaukee is not the safest city.

In fact, crime rates are pretty high and the city also has to deal with many social problems which may greatly lower overall quality of life in the long run.

Many retirees in Milwaukee no longer feel safe

Due to high crime rates, many pensioners in Milwaukee also no longer feel safe and are no longer willing to go outdoors during nighttime since they fear getting involved in serious incidents and those fears may also translate into all sorts of mental problems in the long run.

Many people in Milwaukee live below the poverty line

Another downside to retiring in Milwaukee is that many people in this region live below the poverty line. In fact, you will be confronted with poverty on a daily basis and this is not only not a nice picture but may also make you feel guilty.

Social inequality may even get worse in the near future

Due to increasing property prices, rents and other issues, social inequality is about to get worse and crime rates may increase even further in the Milwaukee region and this may greatly lower overall quality of life in the long run.

Milwaukee is a landlord-friendly city

Another disadvantage of retiring in Milwaukee is that the city is also a rather landlord-friendly place and you may therefore not have as many rights as a tenant compared to people living in Oakland or other places that are more tenant-friendly.

Pensioners in Milwaukee are not able to enjoy the beach

Since Milwaukee is not located at the coast, you will not be able to enjoy the beach on a regular basis while people living in Sacramento or other places near the coast can enjoy many nice hours in those beautiful locations.

Milwaukee may be too cold for many retirees

Retiring in Milwaukee may also not be the best idea for you in case you can’t stand cold weather at all since winters can be pretty cold and snowy.

In such a case, you may be better off retiring in Dallas or other warmer places.

Public infrastructure gets worse in the suburbs of Milwaukee

While public infrastructure is pretty decent near the city center of Milwaukee, it gets worse in the suburbs and outskirts and you may have a harder time getting around and managing your life in those regions as a retiree of Milwaukee.

You may have to live in a rather dodgy neighborhood

If you don’t have a good pension, you may also not be able to live in the nice parts of Milwaukee and may end up in one of those really dodgy neighborhoods where you may just not feel safe and welcome at all which may greatly lower your overall quality of life in the long run.

Natural disasters may damage or destroy your home

You should also be aware of the fact that wildfires, storms and other natural disasters may destroy your home and if you are unlucky, you may even lose your life due to those events.

Retiring in Milwaukee is not very popular

You should also know that due to high crime rates and other social problems, Milwaukee also doesn’t have the highest reputation and your loved ones may not understand your decision of retiring in Milwaukee and you may have to justify quite a lot in this regard.

Top 10 Retiring in Milwaukee Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Milwaukee A Good Place To Retire?

While Milwaukee can be a great place to retire since living and housing costs are fairly low and you will find most things you need pretty close to your home, you should also know that the city has to deal with many social problems and crime rates are far higher than national average so many retirees in Milwaukee no longer feel safe in this region.

Alternative Cities To Retire

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

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Louisville

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Baltimore

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Memphis

Sources

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

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.