Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Salado, Texas
Once a College Town, Today Charming, Rustic Salado is a Favorite with Artists and Weekend Vacationers
Along dusty Interstate 35 in central Texas, the charming village of Salado is a diamond in the rough. It started out as a college town in the 1850s and was a busy stagecoach stop on the Chisholm Trail.
The college closed, but Salado morphed into a casual, trendy artists' colony and today thrives as a weekend getaway for people from Waco, Temple and Austin. With 18 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places, early Texas never feels far away. Main Street is full of cute boutiques, fun antique stores, cool art galleries and delicious restaurants, many housed in historic, refurbished mansions. Nooks and crannies off the main drag hide even more places to explore. Many of the galleries sell goods made by local artists, and their glassworks, paintings, jewelry, sculptures and more come in all price ranges.
Each October, Art in the Park showcases the work of more than 100 artists, and September's Chocolate and Art Festival celebrates all things chocolate with music, wine tastings and chocolate sculpting events. There is even an annual honoring of Scottish clans.
Large retailers are few. Many residents travel 10 miles north to Belton or Temple for everyday shopping and services. Most neighborhoods are leafy, and many homes are brick ranch ramblers. Pace Park, shaded by tall cottonwoods, sits next to Salado Creek and is a nice spot for a picnic.
Population: 2,400 (city proper)
Age 45 or Better: 48%
Cost of Living: 27% above the national average
Median Home Price: $560,000
Climate: A humid subtropical climate means hot, moist summers and mild winters. In summer, temperatures reach the 90s. Winters usually bring temperatures in the 40s, 50s and 60s. On average, the area receives 35 inches of rain per year.
At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients? No, but Scott and White Memorial Hospital is 13 miles away in Temple and accepts Medicare patients.
At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission? No, but Scott and White Memorial Hospital is 13 miles away in Temple and is accredited.
Public Transit: No
Crime Rate: Well below the national average
Public Library: Yes
Political Leanings: Conservative
College Educated: 56%
Is Texas Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? Yes
Cons: The tornado risk is 130% above the national average.
Notes: Salado has grown by 9% within the last decade, and it enjoys a good reputation. Some people call it a smaller, less pretentious, less expensive version of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Salado Creek has flooded in the past and probably will again in the future. Home prices have increased 6% from a year ago.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes
Texas:
With a name based on a word used by Caddo Indians meaning "friends," Texas is the second biggest state in the United States. It is estimated that 70% of population lives within 200 miles of Austin- the capital of Texas.
Houston is the largest city in Texas, while Dallas-Fort Worth is the largest metropolitan area in the state. Connecticut and Delaware could fit inside Texas' largest county - Brewster.
The historical people of Texas include members of the Native American tribes of Apache, Choctaw, Tonkawa and Hasinai. When Texas became the 28th state of the United States (1845), it adopted the official flag called the Lone Star Flag. Texas has a number of symbols, including the Bluebonnet - the state flower.
The land of Texas is larger than all of New York, New England and Ohio combined. Almost 10% of these lands are covered by forest. Two-thirds of the population lives in a major metropolitan area. This state had famous natives and residents such as Mary Kay Ash, George W. Bush, Tommy Lee Jones and Joan Crawford.
Texas has nearly 24,000 farms and 90 mountains a mile or more high. This state is the nation's leading producer of natural gas, oil, wool, cotton, watermelons and rice. It also has the most airports of any state in the nation and is one of the most business-friendly states. Its culture comes from a blend of Southern, Southwestern (Mexican) and Western influences.
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