ATTRACTING RETIREES AS AN ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY - LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE

Attracting retirees has been promoted as an economic development strat egy for rural communities. Implicit in efforts to attract retirees is the assumption that retirees will continue to migrate at the same rate , bringing with them relatively high incomes and relatively low demand s for services. Using currently available information, this article ex amines this assumption, and provides a less rosy picture, by analyzing how changes in demographics, income, wealth, and living preferences r esult in future retirement decisions that differ from the current patt ern. This study should provide additional guidance and caution to plan ners and policy makers contemplating retiree recruitment as a rural de velopment strategy, as well as directions for further research.