Why Is Elmhurst Seen As Bad Place To Retire?

ELMHURST, IL – A recent survey of Elmhurst residents shows that residents like to live here, but many don't think it's a good place to retire.

The Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University mailed a survey randomly across town. A total of 609 responded, either by mail or online.

During Monday's City Council meeting, Mindy Schneiderman, who managed the survey for NIU, was asked about the response to the retirement question.

While 98 percent rated Elmhurst as a good or excellent place to live, only a little over half gave similar ratings for the city as a place to retire.

She said residents with negative views of Elmhurst as a place to retire were mostly in the 40-to-64 age group.

"Some of them are approaching retirement," Schneiderman said. "The reason they are concerned is that they won't be able to afford to continue living in Elmhurst – the (home)owners especially because of the high taxes."

Homeowners were more likely than renters to rate Elmhurst as a fair or poor place to retire – 51 percent to 24 percent, according to the survey.

The percentage of Elmhurst's population that is 65 or older is 16.5 percent, according to the U.S. Census. That is almost identical to the state and national rates.