Forbes has named San Marcos the best place to retire in Texas, pushing San Antonio into second place.
The study took into consideration factors like the cost of living, doctors per capita and the crime rate.
When you think of San Marcos, you may think — college town, the home to Texas State University. But according to Forbes, it’s more than that. It’s a place people want to call home.
The city’s head of economic development says a factor that’s appealing to both age groups is the cost of living, which is 13 percent below the national average. He pointed to a new 55 and older community, Kissing Tree, as a factor he can see making a difference in the coming years.
“This is our vision. We want to build a place where people come together. And that’s exactly what this is,” Gwen Burton said of her Kissing Tree home, one of what will eventually be 3,200 homes.
Burton and her husband said they immediately felt at home when looking for a change of pace. Friday nights look a little different nowadays after the kids went off to college.
“We didn’t have Friday night lights anymore so we thought, you know, we want to look for a place where the people are all coming to same place at the same state in their life,” Burton said.
The Burtons are still working, but San Marcos is where they plan to stay.
“This particular community is thriving. It’s healthy, it’s young, it has access to the arts, there’s theater going on at the university,” Burton said. “We haven’t had that older, permanent demographic that helps support the structure of a city.”
It’s something she sees changing, as the city sees its identity expand beyond the university.
(Information from KXAN.com)
