New Hampshire is the fifth oldest state in the country and will soon move into the fourth place position. There is high demand for affordable elderly housing - not just in the way of a nursing home (skilled nursing care) but in sub-division-style housing that's designed towards the needs of the elderly or an aging population.
Currently, Belknap County is the fastest growing county in the state. There are more sub-divisions on paper than you can count right now and more coming in all the time.
In Alton, there is a proposal that's going through the planning stages of a 52-unit elderly (age 62 and up) housing development that will be situated on only 14 acres. There's little/to no amenities to this development now and one has to wonder what the impact will be on the senior center and other town departments/budget accounts.
In a nutshell - expect there to be a shortage in the elderly housing market in the area and a strain on the resources, such as medical care, community services, etc. The elderly who can afford it, often travel to the seacoast or Boston for specialized medical care (i.e. joint replacement operations or oncology services) because they often feel they'll get better care in the "big cities". (I'm NOT saying this is necessarily true - I am saying that it DOES HAPPEN.)
Now, from my own perspective....
The Lakes Region has had a building boom over the past few years. There has been a steady rise in population. It's not as quaint and quiet as it used to be. Hubby and I are looking at staying in NH for our winters but dream of retiring in Nova Scotia (Digby) to get away from the buzz of the Lakes area.
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