Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Travel
  3. 5 Southern Cities Where You Can Make Your Early Retirement Dreams a Reality

5 Southern Cities Where You Can Make Your Early Retirement Dreams a Reality

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors December 13, 2019
Skip gallery slides
FB
Best Cities to Retire Early Palm Bay
Credit: Charles McMahon / 500px/Getty Images

For most people, retiring in your 40s seems like a feat achievable only by a select few superheroes. In reality, the secret to early retirement all boils down to something quite simple: saving. With smart financial planning, anyone can join the live-the-good-life club well before their 60th birthday. And, according to a report by Realtor.com, if you live in a handful of lucrative destinations, your chances are even better.

Inspired by the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) principle outlined in the 1992 bestseller Your Money or Your Life, the real estate website rounded up a list of cities where aspiring early retirees can purchase an affordable home (a key to FIRE followers' success) in a job market that's robust and high-paying. Want to start yourself on a path to success (or, better yet, a path to mid-week brunching at noon while everyone else works their day jobs)? Here are the top five places you should start your house hunt and job search in the South.

Start Slideshow

1 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Living in These Southern Cities Can Get You on Track to Early Retirement

1 of 6

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Huntsville, Alabama

Best Cities to Retire Early Huntsville
Credit: Stephen Saks/Getty Images

Along with Houston and Cape Canaveral, Huntsville serves as one of the few epicenters of NASA's space program. Couple that with a heavy presence from the military and tech worlds, and the job market here is always booming (and not just for rocket scientists). The difference between Huntsville and most space and tech hubs, however, is the affordability. Housing prices here hover around $200k, with some historic fixer uppers able to be scored for much less. That's good news for FIRE fans, who should have plenty of their high-paying salaries left over post-mortgage for stashing away into savings.

2 of 6

3 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Knoxville, Tennessee

Best Cities to Retire Early Knoxville
Credit: Anne Rippy/Getty Images

Boasting big city amenities and small-town vibes, Knoxville doles out the best of both worlds. It also happens to be an extremely smart place to set down roots: With no state income tax and low local property taxes, residents here are able to take home a larger portion of their well-earned dough. And, with major employers like the University of Tennessee and the U.S. Department of Energy nearby, the dough is plentiful.

3 of 6

Advertisement

4 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Beaumont, Texas

Best Cities to Retire Early Beaumont
Credit: Anne Rippy/Getty Images

As a birthplace of the 20th century oil boom—in 1901, a well struck oil underneath the city and gushed for nine days—Beaumont has an undeniably rich history. Today, the still-thriving fuel industry is simply making residents rich. As an industrial hub, Beaumont boasts a high percentage of lucrative jobs. Add on the fact that sizeable homes here can be scored for a steal ($163k is the median sales price) and early retirement dreams seem a little more in reach.

4 of 6

5 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Best Places to Retire Early Winston Salem
Credit: kmason photography/Getty Images

In terms of size and recognition, Winston-Salem pales in comparison to its North Carolina neighbors, Charlotte and Raleigh. Yet, in terms of quality—and cost—of living, the mid-sized city has it all. Here, the median home sale price comes in at a reasonable $178k. And with nearly 20 percent of the jobs considered high-paying (big employers here include the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Hanes, and BB&T Bank), that leaves a good chunk of cash left over to invest.

5 of 6

6 of 6

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Palm Bay, Florida

Best Cities to Retire Early Palm Bay
Credit: Charles McMahon / 500px/Getty Images

Why wait to retire to the Sunshine State when you can move there now and smartly save for retirement while living your beachfront dreams at the same time? In the coastal town of Palm Bay, residents have the laid-back lifestyle, but are within close striking distance to major employers like the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and Disney World. And despite Palm Bay's waterfront address, real estate prices here are reasonable, with a median home sale price of $220k.

6 of 6

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Southern Living Editors

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 6 Living in These Southern Cities Can Get You on Track to Early Retirement
    2 of 6 Huntsville, Alabama
    3 of 6 Knoxville, Tennessee
    4 of 6 Beaumont, Texas
    5 of 6 Winston-Salem, North Carolina
    6 of 6 Palm Bay, Florida

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    5 Southern Cities Where You Can Make Your Early Retirement Dreams a Reality
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.