U.S. retirement trends have been tracked for the past fifteen years by the International Community Foundation, a research group out of National City, California.  Statistics on Mexico coastal communities has recently been released. 

In order to better understand some of the key trends and drivers for U.S. retirees in Mexico’s coastal areas, the Foundation conducted an online survey between June-November 2009, resulting in over 1,000 total responses. They targeted U.S. retirees over 50 years of age that are residing part-time or full-time in Mexican coastal communities including Puerto Vallarta, the Riviera Maya, Cabo San Lucas, Rosarito, La Paz, Loreto, Puerto Peñasco, and many smaller villages along Mexico’s extensive coastline.

Mexico continues to be a long-term retirement destination, especially in cities that already have a large retirement community.  For further interesting details, go here.

Here is the new 2011 result from International Living’s research. We continue to report these articles to emphasize how popular Mexico is for retirement.

 2011 Global Retirement Second Place Winner:  MEXICO

White sand beaches and turquoise-blue seas, with hammocks swaying nearby…centuries-old Spanish-colonial cities with winding, cobblestone streets and fountain-filled plazas…towering Mexico is rich in romance, as the one million-plus U.S. and Canadian expats who live there will tell you.

But expats don’t live by romance alone. Fortunately, Mexico also provides solid, modern-day comforts and conveniences. That secluded, away-from-it-all beach on the deserted, packed-sand road? You can get within a few miles of it on a modern highway—one of the many that criss-crosses Mexico. Those centuries-old cities with their colonial homes? Today their walls conceal telephone and high-speed Internet cables and their roofs sport satellite dishes and solar water heaters.

Likewise, health care is very much 21st century, with first-rate hospitals, clinics, and medical staff. (Don’t speak Spanish? Many doctors, especially in private clinics, speak English.) And the bill will likely run you half or less of what you’d pay at home.

In fact, life in Mexico can cost you up to 40% less than what you’d pay in the U.S. for a similar lifestyle. It’s also lived at a slower, more gracious pace. And that is what, finally, many expats seek. As expat Jill Jackson, who lives in Loreto, Baja California Sur, explains: “It lets me be the person I have always wanted to be.”

August 22, 2011       International Living Magazine

China is angry over US debt and says that America has to re-establish what it calls the “common-sense principle that one should live within one’s means.”  Good advice for anyone facing economic stress today with the decline of the US dollar. 

China has expressed strong concern at the downgrading of America’s triple A credit rating by Standard and Poor.  As the largest single creditor to the US, China has every right to demand that the US address its structural debt problems to ensure the safety of Chinese dollar assets.

With this increasing economic uncertainty, many in the US are considering relocation overseas and Mexico is a favorite choice with its simpler lifestyle, lower cost of living, and easy access to family back home.  We at Learn Vallarta can help you explore your options.

Some excerpts from Euronews/August 6, 2011

Here are two scenarios, one based on renting with no car and the other based on owning a two bedroom condo with a car, neither one on the beach but within walking distance.  As you can see, it is entirely possible to live on a social security income of $1200/month simply and comfortably.  If you have more to spend or invest, then the sky is the limit.  Read article…