Featured photo: Downtown Flint
Photos by Tanya Terry
Written by Tanya Terry
Many residents who have been in Flint for years can point out several things they personally love about their city. But, beyond that, Flint has been named the Best Place To Retire in America, according to a census data report carried out by consumer finance startup, DollarHand.com.
For the report, over 600 cities’ data were analyzed using the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey of 2020 and the Neighbour Scouts statistics, according to Justine Tannenbaum, senior digital marketing executive for Dollar Hand.
The Courier asked Tannenbaum how she felt about the fact this report ranked both Flint and Gary, Indiana in the top five on the Best Places To Retire in America list-after both cities had been placed on multiple Worse Cities to Live in America lists.
“We are totally aware of this, and that’s why we were so delighted that the statistics showed such fantastic news,” she said. “Whilst these places have been discredited in the past, it is clear the communities have made significant effort to improve their cities in the past five years. The statistics don’t lie! “
The report, shared with the Courier, analyzed numerous variables including median home values, homeowner costs, rent, health insurance coverage and safety levels. Tannenbaum confirmed all these factors were considered equally. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Flint city, Michigan shows homeowner-median selected monthly owner costs-without a mortgage to be well under $500 in 2016-2020. According to City of Flint data found at FPD22_CHIEFtGREEN_STATS_YEAR2022_July31st_SUN_01.pdf (cityofflint.com), total crime was down 12.95% between 2021 and 2022 and violent crime was down 24.15% during the same period, as of July 31, 2022. This type of data was used to create a score which resulted in Flint, Michigan, scoring 38.04, making it the strongest ranked in the table of top 15 best places to retire in America.
Dollar Hand also took into account Flint has access to impressive woods, water and trails.
It was announced Chevy Commons would be the site of a new state park in Flint.
Information about some of Flint’s current nature and parks can be found here: THE 10 BEST Parks & Nature Attractions in Flint – Tripadvisor
Dollar Hand was founded early September 2021.
“We pride ourselves in offering financial tips and news, as well as general everyday guides and property advice too,” said Tannenbaum. “As a loans connection service start-up, we also help borrowers in need of urgent money for emergency expenses to get the most affordable loans possible, to make sure they are not ripped off with insurmountable rates. We thoroughly enjoyed creating the data report on the top places to retire in the U.S., which took a few weeks to complete since we had to compile all the relevant data and analyze accordingly. We were so delighted for Flint that the city gained this fantastic exposure that will certainly boost community spirit. So, we believe it is definitely worth sharing the great news.”
Justine Gray, co-founder of Dollar Hand, had this to say: “On the surface, people may be impressed by places in California or Florida, but when you look at the data and the opportunities to buy an affordable forever home, you may be surprised by what cities in the Mid-West have to offer.”
