Retirees are three times more likely to relocate to counties in Colorado and other Western states with protected public lands like National Parks, Wilderness and other conservation areas, according to a new report from the Center for Western Priorities.

Retirees are three times more likely to relocate to counties in Colorado and other Western states with protected public lands like National Parks, Wilderness and other conservation areas, according to a new report from the Center for Western Priorities.



Seniors who have the financial means to move bring a lot of spending power with them, from investment portfolios, pensions, and Social Security. Bob Noble, president of the Grand Junction Newcomers Club, says the economic benefits from these new residents ripple across the community.



"They buy houses, they buy furniture. The daily services, like gasoline and groceries, provide a boost to the economy, obviously," says Noble.



The report says 70,000 baby boomers reach retirement age every week. Some decide to stay put, but more than 500,000 seniors relocated to Western states between 2000 and 2010, including 34,000 that picked Colorado. According to the report, that influx of new residents created more than 19,000 new jobs.



The report goes on to note seniors ranked clean air, clean water and access to outdoor recreation at the top of their list of priorities, even over factors like quality health care and lower taxes. Noble says it was fishing for him, and skiing for his wife, that helped them pick Colorado.



"When we first looked over Grand Junction as a possible place to retire, we then became aware that the community was ideally situated for access to those things," he says.



The report found that Western communities are uniquely positioned to entice retirees and the economic development they bring. Grand Junction made the top five on AARP's Best Places to Retire list in 2012. The ranking was due in large part to the city's access to nearby National Forests, National Monuments and parks.