An Overview of American Retirees Living in Mexico

The Community Foundation International recently completed a report of American retirees living in the coastal communities of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco and Quintana Roo. The report was the result of 103 questionnaires given to 88,000 retirees.

Seventy-three percent of the questioned retirees were less than 70 years old. The most popular costal communities for those interviewed were Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada, San Felipe, Mulege, Loreto, La Paz, East Cape, Todos Santos and Los Cabos, in Baja California and Baja California Sur. Also included were the Riveria Maya in Quintana Roo, Riveria Nayarit in Nayarit, and Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco and Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca. Their favorite inland cities were Chapala in Jalisco, San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, and Mexico City.

Not surprisingly, the majority chose Mexico because they could experience a better lifestyle in Mexico than in the U.S. on their respective incomes. Sixty-one percent of those interviewed said they would be willing to pay higher property taxes if their community would provide better public services, including water, security, fire protection, and sidewalks. Cleaning their beaches was also high on the retirees’ list of public services.

Only 14% of the retirees were interested in golf, while 30% said they were more interested in fishing. Even bird watching at 15% was more popular than golf.

The group as a whole had a strong philanthropic bent. Almost 70% contributed financially to one or more Mexican charitable organizations, with 53% contributing more than $100 annually. Nearly 60% volunteered their time to a Mexican charitable cause and 29% volunteered on a weekly or regular basis. U.S retirees in Mexico said they volunteered because of their strong sense of social responsibility and desire to make a difference in their adopted communities. Survey respondents reported that their volunteer efforts increase their sense of belonging in Mexico, and contribute to an increased sense of community among local neighbors and friends.