Across From The Upper Peninsula Is Michigan's Highly-Rated Place To Retire With Beaches, Parks, And Affordable Living

You don't have to move to Florida if you want to spend your retirement as a beach bum. You don't even need an ocean. You might need to like snow as much as sandy beaches, though. Way up at the northern edges of the continental U.S. sits Michigan's Presque Isle County, a frigid Lake Huron hot spot right across from the Upper Peninsula that remains surprisingly affordable despite its lakeside beaches and bountiful nature. It's worth considering as you map out life after work, especially if you don't mind the cold.

According to Stacker, Presque Isle County is particularly good for retirees. The site used data from Niche to sort out the best retirement spots throughout the country, based on factors including recreation, weather, affordability, and more. Presque Isle fared well, scoring a B+ for retirees. That's largely due to its cost of living, which netted an A-, and its outdoor activities, which are centered around Lake Huron and its beaches that also earned an A-. Niche's own rankings hail it as the 12th best Michigan county to retire in — and given there are 82 Michigan counties in all, that's not too shabby.

It's also an easy place to get lost. The nearest major city, Detroit, is over 260 miles away, and Grand Rapids isn't much closer at just under 260 miles. You won't have a ton of neighbors, either: the county's population is just around 13,000, and the biggest metro area nearby, Traverse City, is over two hours away. If you love the outdoors, relish the thought of spending your retirement in a fairly out-of-the-way corner of the country, and don't want to spend a lot of money, Presque Isle County deserves to make your retirement shortlist.

"Presque Isle" is a French term for a plot of land that's almost an island. Presque Isle County is basically a peninsula that branches off of a bigger peninsula — the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Its eastern border is Lake Huron, and along with two inland lakes (Grand Lake and Lake Esau), it gives Presque Isle an abundance of parks, beaches, and other nature to explore.

Range Light Beach is a perennial favorite. Lake Huron's shoreline overall tends to be rocky, but this stretch near the Presque Isle boat harbor is sandy and tranquil; in the warmer months you'll find families, retirees, and Presque Islanders of all ages bathing, kayaking, and picnicking here. If you'd like to walk along sand dunes, Thompson's Harbor State Park is known for them. To get a sense of the variety found on Lake Huron's coast, you'll find sandy beach and rocky ground alike at Besser Natural Area's Bell Bay Beach.

There's more to Besser than a beach. If you hike along the park's mile-long trail, you won't just see Michigan nature in its untamed glory; you'll also walk through the remnants of the abandoned village of Bell. It's kind of a ghostly area, it seems; there's a wrecked ship, the Portland, visible to divers and kayakers nearby. If you're into fishing, boating, and other watery fun, Grand Lake has your number. Anglers can find black crappie, largemouth bass, and trophy-sized pike in this large lake. At the New Presque Isle Lighthouse Park, you'll find the iconic tower that gives the park its name, along with a museum in the old keeper's house. Farther down the shore, you'll find the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse — a rare double shot of 19th-century lighthouses.

As you can see, there's a surfeit of fun, interesting things to do in Presque Isle County, and it doesn't cost a ton to live there, which is good news to anybody living on a limited budget after retiring. Lake Huron is home to some of Michigan's most affordable retirement destinations, and between low housing costs and various benefits and programs that help retirees stretch their income, Presque Isle is right there in the conversation with them.

The median home value in Presque Isle County is $151,300. That's 25% below the state average, and 55% below the national average (via Cost By County). With a median monthly rent of only $683, you might find yourself wondering what decade you're in. Presque Isle also ranks as the 465th most affordable county in the entire country, out of over 3,100; that puts it in the top 15% of cheapest American counties to live in. No wonder Niche gave it an A- for cost of living.

Presque Isle also takes care of its retirees. The Presque Isle County Council on Aging feeds seniors at its centers in Posen and Onaway and delivers meals to the homebound. They also offer in-home care, companionship, and a range of counseling and educational programs, as well as transportation throughout the county. Michigan also offers assistance on the state level and through The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, one of the reasons it's one of the best states to retire to in America. All these programs combine with the low cost of living to make Presque Isle County very inviting for the discerning retiree.