Dream of retiring in a cute mountain town like Aspen?<\/p>\n
At a budget of $2,500 a month<\/a>, Aspen is off the table \u2014 but you have plenty of other options. Take a closer look at these budget-friendly mountain towns as you hunt for the perfect place to retire<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Salida, Colorado<\/p>\n With an average rent of $1,174 for a one-bedroom apartment, Salida costs 28% less than the national average of $1,631 per month, according to Apartments.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n But its charms extend past its modest price point. The downtown is walkable, with a vibrant arts scene. And residents can hit the slopes at nearby Monarch Mountain.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSalida is a beautiful small town located on the Arkansas River, surrounded by the Sawatch Range,\u201d explains Sain Rhodes, real estate expert with Clever Offers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Discover More: 25 Cities Where You Can Retire in Great Weather for $2,000 a Month<\/a><\/p>\n Check Out: 5 Clever Ways Retirees Are Earning Up To $1K per Month From Home<\/a><\/p>\n Idaho Springs, Colorado<\/p>\n Another Colorado mountain town worth exploring, Idaho Springs sits just off the I-70 corridor for easy access to both the Front Range and other mountain towns<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In town, enjoy a bite at Beau Jo\u2019s, known for their dense \u201cmountain pie\u201d style pizza. Then walk down the street to Tommyknocker Brewpub for a pint (try their maple nut brown ale, it\u2019s delicious).\u00a0Then saunter home past art galleries to your apartment averaging $1,146, leaving room in your budget for transportation, healthcare and entertainment.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ruidoso, New Mexico<\/p>\n Ruidoso clocks in even cheaper, with an average rent of $957.\u00a0Ben Mizes, president of Clever Real Estate<\/a>, recommends Ruidoso for its abundant amenities and budget-friendly pricing<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cResidents receive mountain views, a nearby ski area, hiking and mild weather at a fraction of the cost you would pay in Colorado or Utah,\u201d Mizes said. \u201cWith an average rent below $1,000, a monthly retirement budget of $2,500 is more than doable.\u201d<\/p>\n Boone, North Carolina<\/p>\n Boone costs a little more, with rents averaging $1,231. But many retirees find it worth every penny.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSet in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Boone offers low property taxes, college-town vitality (courtesy of Appalachian State) and wide-ranging four-season beauty<\/a>,\u201d adds Mizes. \u201cMedian rents and home prices are affordable, and retirees enjoy arts, trails and health care, without falling into some of the high cost-of-living traps.\u201d<\/p>\n Las Cruces, New Mexico<\/p>\n Las Cruces sits at the base of the Organ Mountains, with their distinctive upward-jutting ridges. The Organs provide beautiful high-desert hiking and camping, and Las Cruces\u2019 southern latitude ensures mild winters.\u00a0<\/p>\n New Mexico State University brings a college-town vibe<\/a>, with a strong arts scene. Retirees can also enjoy year-round golfing, although the summers can get warm despite the 4,000-foot elevation.\u00a0<\/p>\n One-bedroom apartments average $992, keeping it affordable for retirees on a fixed income.\u00a0<\/p>\n Buffalo, Wyoming<\/p>\n Looking for a more sparse suburban feel in your mountain town?\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBuffalo, Wyoming has a small-town feel and lots to do in the surrounding area,\u201d notes Harrison Stevens, vice president of marketing at TurboTenant<\/a>. <\/p>\n Nearby activities include hiking in the Bighorn Mountains or Crazy Woman Canyon, fishing at Lake DeSmet and teeing up at the Buffalo Golf Club. While residents can enjoy cross-country skiing nearby, the nearest downhill resort is Meadowlark Ski Lodge about 50 miles north.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Apartments.com doesn\u2019t have data for Buffalo, BestPlaces.net<\/a> reports it costs within 5% of the state average rent of $1,161. That keeps it viable for retirees on a $2,500-per-month budget.\u00a0<\/p>\n More From GOBankingRates<\/p>\n This article originally appeared on The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dream of retiring in a cute mountain town like Aspen? At a budget of $2,500 a month, Aspen…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":381955,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[28,147,530],"class_list":{"0":"post-381954","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-personal-finance","10":"tag-personalfinance"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/381954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=381954"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/381954\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/381955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=381954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=381954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=381954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n GOBankingRates.com<\/a>:
\n 6 Mountain Towns Where You Can Retire Comfortably on $2,500 a Month<\/a><\/p>\n