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A former Kiplinger Personal Finance staffer says she and her husband expect to remain in Northern Virginia rather than move to a retirement destination, citing nearby healthcare, public transportation and established community ties. Their choice reflects a broader pattern: a 2024 Transamerica survey found 62% of retirees stayed in their pre-retirement homes. The account is personal, and their plans could change if aging in place becomes impractical.
A former Kiplinger Personal Finance staffer says she and her husband expect to remain in Northern Virginia in retirement, despite years spent writing about attractive retirement destinations, because nearby healthcare, public transit and local connections matter more to their plans than moving elsewhere. Her account illustrates a choice shared by many retirees: a 2024 Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey found that 62% stayed in the home they occupied before retiring.
The writer says she and her husband considered where they might want to live while researching retirement communities and visiting places on vacation. After discussing the options, they concluded that staying near Washington, D.C., was likely the better fit. Their decision is based on their circumstances, not a claim that staying put is preferable for every retiree.
Healthcare access is one reason. The couple lives less than two miles from a major hospital center, with specialists available across the metropolitan area. The writer contrasts this with her rural hometown, where residents may drive more than an hour to see a cardiologist and finding a general practitioner is becoming harder.
Transportation and daily connection also factor into the plan. A Metro station is less than two miles from their home, a bus stop is a block away, and ride-hailing services are another option if they cannot drive. The couple also plans to explore nearby parks and museums, take adult education classes and build relationships with neighbors.
Healthcare and Transit Shape Their Choice
The account shows how retirement location decisions can involve more than housing prices or scenery. For this couple, access to specialists and options for getting around without a car are central considerations as they grow older. The same practical questions may matter to people comparing an overseas move, a rural home or a lower-cost community.
Staying put has costs. The writer says Northern Virginia is more expensive than many other parts of the country and that the couple’s property taxes are high following a rise in their home’s value. Virginia does not tax Social Security benefits, but most other retirement income is subject to state tax at a top rate of 5.75%; eligible retirees may deduct up to $12,000, according to the source. Those details underline the trade-off: local services and familiarity come with expenses the couple will need to manage.
The survey figure offers a broader point of comparison, not a forecast for any individual household. The source does not provide the survey’s sample size or methodology, so its statistic should be read as reported rather than as a guarantee that retirees generally will stay in place.
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What Retirees Choose After Moving
The Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies’ 2024 survey found that 62% of retirees remained in the home they had before retirement. Among those who relocated, 36% said they wanted to be nearer to family and friends, about one-third downsized, and about one-quarter moved to a community with a lower cost of living. The source does not specify whether respondents could give more than one reason.
The writer’s experience among retired friends reflects several of those reported motivations: one couple moved across the country to be close to adult children, while others relocated to the Midwest to reduce living costs. Another couple downsized to a 55-plus community and helps older residents get to medical appointments. These examples come from the writer’s personal network and are not presented as survey findings.
Before retirement, the writer had produced or edited nearly a dozen stories about potential destinations, including college towns, beach communities and places popular with expatriates. The report revisits that earlier interest and explains why the couple’s own priorities led to a different decision.
““I think we’ll probably stay where we are — in Northern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.””
— The former Kiplinger staffer, describing the couple’s likely plan
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How Long Staying Put Will Work
The couple’s plan is provisional. The writer says they may move if their neighborhood changes or if remaining in their home becomes impractical as they age. The report does not give a detailed financial projection, describe their future care needs or state whether they have set a date for reconsidering the decision.
The source also does not quantify the couple’s total retirement costs or compare them with the costs of specific destinations abroad. Its account cannot establish whether staying in Northern Virginia will be more affordable or suitable for other retirees. The survey provides broad reported patterns, but the source does not include its sample size, detailed methodology or a breakdown by destination.
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A Flexible Plan Close to Home
For now, the writer says she intends to treat retirement as an extended staycation: visiting local parks, museums and other places she had little time to explore while working, enrolling in adult education classes and getting to know more neighbors. She describes the couple shoveling snow for older homeowners on their street last winter and hopes younger neighbors might help them in turn someday.
The next major decision point is not tied to a stated date. The couple expects to reassess if health, transportation, neighborhood conditions or costs make staying less workable. Until then, their plan is to use the services and community they already have while remaining open to a move.
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Key Questions
Why did the couple decide not to move abroad?
The writer cites nearby healthcare, public transportation and familiarity with their Northern Virginia community. The source does not say the couple evaluated or rejected a particular overseas destination.
How many retirees stayed in their pre-retirement home?
A 2024 Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey found that 62% of retirees stayed in the home they lived in before retirement. The source does not give the survey’s sample size or methodology.
What are the downsides of staying in Northern Virginia?
The writer says the area’s cost of living is higher than in many parts of the country and the couple faces high property taxes. Virginia does not tax Social Security benefits, while most other retirement income is taxed at a top rate of 5.75%; eligible retirees can deduct up to $12,000, according to the report.
Could the couple still move later?
Yes. The writer says they are prepared to be flexible if their neighborhood changes or aging in place becomes impractical. The report does not identify a deadline or specific trigger for moving.
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