Dg. Bennett, IMPLICATIONS OF RETIREMENT DEVELOPMENT IN HIGH-AMENITY NONMETROPOLITAN COASTAL AREAS, Journal of applied gerontology, 15(3), 1996, pp. 345-360
Retirement migration has been well documented over the past 2 decades.
Initially, there were many reservations expressed about the economic
impact of retirees on receiving communities; however several recent st
udies have documented a positive financial benefit of retirement migra
tion for the destination areas. Although acknowledging the economic be
nefit of retirees on receiving communities, this article addresses the
broader implications of the retirement boom on sparsely populated non
metropolitan coastal counties. The relationship between this aspect of
economic development and the rise of the tourist industry in these ar
eas is also examined. Other issues investigated include infrastructure
requirements; environmental concerns; medical facilities and personne
l; and rising taxes, utilities, and other costs.