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A report by Seniors Guide features a retired Kiplinger writer who plans to remain in Northern Virginia, citing nearby health care, public transportation and community connections. The article also points to a 2024 Transamerica survey in which 62% of retirees said they stayed in the home they lived in before retirement. Costs, taxes and future care needs may affect whether staying remains practical.
Seniors Guide published a report in which retired Kiplinger Personal Finance writer Sandra Block explains why she and her husband expect to stay in Northern Virginia during retirement, rather than move to a destination they have considered on vacation. Her reasons include nearby medical care and public transportation, while the report also acknowledges higher housing costs and the possibility that their needs may change.
Block writes that she spent years researching retirement destinations, including college towns, beach communities and places abroad, and sometimes imagined living in places she visited. After discussions with her husband, however, they expect to remain near Washington, D.C. Their home is less than two miles from a major hospital center and a Metro rail station, with a bus stop nearby. She says access to specialists and ways to get around without driving are important advantages.
The article cites a 2024 Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey reporting that 62% of retirees were staying in the home they had lived in before retirement. Among retirees who moved, the survey found that 36% wanted to be closer to family and friends, about one-third downsized, and about one-quarter moved to an area with a lower cost of living. These figures describe reasons reported by survey respondents; they do not establish what choice will work best for an individual household.
Block also describes trade-offs in her own plan. She says the cost of living and property taxes are high in her area. Virginia does not tax Social Security benefits, she writes, but other types of retirement income are generally taxed at a top rate of 5.75%, with a deduction of up to $12,000 for eligible retirees. She says the couple regards their current plan as manageable for now, while recognizing that staying could become impractical.
The trade-offs behind staying put
The report illustrates that a retirement location is not only a question of scenery or housing prices. Health-care access, transportation and social support can shape whether someone can remain independent as driving becomes harder or medical needs change. Block’s examples offer one household’s reasoning, not a recommendation that all retirees should remain where they are.
Staying can also preserve familiar relationships and local routines, but it may come with higher expenses or a home that no longer suits its occupants. Moving can reduce costs or bring someone closer to family, yet the source does not compare the financial or care outcomes of those choices. The practical question is whether the advantages of a particular place continue to outweigh its costs as circumstances evolve.
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Survey findings and personal experience
The source is a first-person report by Block, identified as a contributing editor at Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine, and distributed by Tribune Content Agency. Its central account is her and her husband’s tentative decision to stay in Northern Virginia after years of considering other retirement locations. The survey figures provide broader context, but the article does not supply the survey’s sample size, full methodology or detailed breakdowns.
Block contrasts her current area with the rural Virginia community where she grew up. She says people there may drive more than an hour to see a cardiologist and that general practitioners are becoming harder to find. She also notes that her hometown lacks public transportation. Those observations are her account of the two places, rather than a statewide assessment of rural health care or transit.
Her plans for retirement include visiting local parks and museums, taking adult education classes and getting to know neighbors. She writes that she and her husband shoveled snow for older homeowners nearby, and hopes younger neighbors may help them in the future. The report presents such informal support as part of their experience, not a guaranteed substitute for paid services or medical care.
“For now, I think our plan is manageable, but I’m also aware of the need to be flexible.”
— Sandra Block, describing her current plan
Whether staying will remain practical
The report does not say whether Block and her husband will ultimately remain in their home throughout retirement. She says their neighborhood could change or aging in place could stop being practical, but gives no timetable or specific trigger for a move. The couple’s future health, finances and transportation needs are not known.
The survey figures are also limited in the source material: no sample size, precise field dates or methodology are provided. The article does not quantify how much more Block’s area costs than alternatives, estimate the couple’s retirement budget, or compare the long-term expenses of staying with moving. Its observations should be read as one person’s experience alongside survey results, not as a forecast or general financial guidance.
Revisiting the retirement plan
Block says she plans to keep exploring nearby parks, museums and adult education, while building relationships with neighbors. She does not announce a planned move or a specific future review date. Her account points instead to an ongoing decision: the couple may stay while their home, costs, access to services and day-to-day needs remain manageable.
For readers weighing a similar choice, the report’s factors can frame questions to discuss with family and relevant financial or housing professionals: how close essential care is, whether transportation will remain available without a car, what local taxes and housing costs mean for the household budget, and what support is realistically within reach. The source does not provide a universal formula, and future circumstances may alter the balance.
Key Questions
What is the report’s main development?
Sandra Block says she and her husband expect to stay in Northern Virginia during retirement, based on nearby medical care, public transportation and local connections. She describes this as their current plan, not a final commitment.
What did the 2024 survey find about retirees staying home?
The report says a 2024 Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey found that 62% of retirees were staying in the home they lived in before retirement. Among those who relocated, reported reasons included being closer to family and friends, downsizing and finding a lower-cost area.
Why does Block say staying near home suits her household?
She cites a major hospital center less than two miles away, specialists in the Washington metropolitan area and access to Metro rail and bus service. She says those options could help if she and her husband later give up driving.
What are the drawbacks of staying in Northern Virginia?
Block says the area has a higher cost of living and high property taxes. She also recognizes that neighborhood conditions or the couple’s needs could change, making aging in place less practical.
Does the report say retirees should stay close to home?
No. It presents Block’s personal decision and survey findings, but does not establish that staying is better than moving. The right choice depends on a household’s finances, health-care access, transportation, relationships and changing needs.
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