ABSTRACT
The growth of rural retirement communities has expanded and contracted over the years. During the 1980s, in-migration to rural communities slowed because of the decline of traditional industries of farming and mining. Between 1990 and 1998, rural retirement communities grew rapidly and accounted for a quarter of all rural population growth during that period of time. Assuming that inflation erodes retirement income, retirees can become a tax burden as their needs and demands for health services increase. In theory, retirees can be an economic benefit to rural communities as consumers of housing, food, entertainment, and health services which, in turn, create jobs and stimulate businesses. Late-life migrants to rural areas are better educated, married, and have higher incomes compared to those who are native residents. Information about the attributes of rural retirement communities and the positive and negative impact of retiree migration to rural communities is important, although much of this information is dated and some is speculative.
