Viva Las Vegas : City Now No. 1 With U.S. Seniors

Las Vegas, the home of the showgirl and the high roller, had a new honor bestowed on it Tuesday--it is now rated the No. 1 retirement place in the United States, according to a new survey.

Such traditional retirement venues as Florida and California take nose dives in the survey which says a new generation of Americans about to retire are heading for the deserts, hills and mountains rather than sunny coastlines.

According to “Retirement Places Rated,” a 300-page reference guide published Tuesday by Macmillan Travel, only two Florida towns now rate in the top 10 retirement places and California is shut out completely from the list.

Overall, Florida remains the top retirement destination, although the numbers of people leaving the state to retire elsewhere is rising, the survey said.

David Savageau, the author of the guide--now in its fourth edition--said Las Vegas tops the list because of its bright climate, active part-time job market, low cost of living and general livability.

“I did a double take when it came out tops. But it is growing so fast that by 1997, it will have 1 million people in its metropolitan area,” he said.

“It is more than just a gambling and entertainment Mecca. It is also a haven for people heading out of California. A chief attraction is that it does not have a personal income tax.”

The St. Petersburg-Clearwater area of Florida is second on the list, followed by Bellingham, Wash.; Fort Collins-Loveland, Col.; Medford-Ashland, Ore.; Tucson, Ariz.; Coeur d’Alene, Ida.; Traverse City, Mich.; Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz., and Melbourne, Fla.

Savageau compiles the list based on seven criteria, including cost of living, access to work, climate, crime rates, recreational activities and access to services like health care.

He said, while Florida is still the No. 1 retirement destination, there are signs it is losing its allure.

“There are signs that it is losing favor with the generation now retiring. Florida is now up there with Michigan, New York and Illinois as states that are exporting retiring people to other states.

According to the 1990 census, 450,000 people over the age of 60 moved to Florida between 1985 and 1990 but 121,000 people over 60 left the state during the same period.”

He said California now exports more people than it attracts.