Golden place for golden years

San Antonio area earns golden status as retirement hub, new studies show

Retirees are flocking to the San Antonio area more than any other city in the state.

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The San Antonio area already is home to tens of thousands of military retirees. Now, two new studies underscore the region’s prominence as a retirement hub.

AdvisorSmith, a platform for business insurance, ranks San Antonio seventh on its list of large U.S. cities gaining the most new residents 65 and older in 2019. According to U.S. Census Bureau data cited by AdvisorSmith, San Antonio attracted 4,724 retirees who moved here from another county, state, or country that year.

According to the Census Bureau, 12 percent of San Antonio’s more than 1.5 million residents were 65 or older in 2019, compared with the national figure of 16.5 percent.

With a tally of 5,739 new retirees in 2019, Houston lands at No. 3 on the AdvisorSmith list. Here’s how other big Texas cities ranked:

No. 16 Dallas, 2,968 new retirees
No. 17 Fort Worth, 2,844 new retirees
No. 21 Austin, 2,607 new retirees

AdvisorSmith looked at data for 84 U.S. cities with at least 250,000 residents each.

In another study, the Insurify insurance marketplace rated U.S. cities based on factors regarding real estate affordability, life expectancy, accessibility to health care, low rates of property crime and violent crime, and driver and pedestrian safety. It then selected the best city for retirees in each state. The San Antonio suburb of Floresville rose to the No. 1 spot in Texas.

Floresville — the Peanut Capital of Texas — is home to a little more than 8,000 residents, 17.4 percent of whom were 65 or older in 2019, according to the Census Bureau.

“Deciding where to retire is an exciting prospect for many soon-to-be retirees. It can feel very liberating to choose where to live independent of work commitments, which most often determine residency,” Insurify says. “Many ‘snowbirds’ flock from all over the country to retiree hotspots with warmer climates like Florida or Arizona, but the best city to retire might be a lot closer to home. In fact, retiring in-state can be a very desirable option, particularly if remaining close to family or friends is a priority.”

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State Fair News

Texas drivers can now say 'howdy' with State Fair themed license plate

SFOT

State Fair of Texas license plate.

State Fair of Texas fans can now display their love on their license plate: The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Board of Directors has given their approval for a State Fair of Texas specialty license plate, marking an exciting milestone for Fair enthusiasts, not to mention supporters of higher education.

Texans will be able to purchase the custom-designed plates starting in 2025. The plate features Texas icon Big Tex and his signature, “Howdy, Folks!”

The Big Tex Scholarship Program provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors from across the state of Texas. Beneficiaries include students who have participated in livestock events at the State Fair; graduating seniors from six Dallas Independent School District high schools near Fair Park; and longtime seasonal employees of the State Fair of Texas or their dependents.

The Big Tex Scholarship Program has awarded more than $18.8 million to more than 3,500 Texas students since 1992.

Texas license plates come in all sorts of themes: military, high schools, Texas institutions, hobbies, nature, sports, fraternities & sororities, and charities.

“The State Fair of Texas is a cherished tradition, and this new specialty license plate provides an incredible opportunity for Texans to showcase their pride while supporting Texas students,” said Karissa Condoianis, SVP of Public Relations.

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