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Cashiers, North
Carolina
| Tiny Cashiers
(the town, not people) sits at 3,485 feet in the western
North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains. The population is roughly 250
people, so the town is easy to miss if not
paying attention. But it is not a place to roll past
since it offers a peaceful high-altitude retirement
lifestyle in a very pretty location. The
cost-of-living is roughly 35% above the national
average, and the median home price is about
$395,000. Cashiers (pronounced
"cashers") is known as a resort community,
and its population grows significantly in the summer as vacation and
second-home owners come to enjoy the cool mountain
air. Of the population, 50% is age 45
or better. The crime rate is well below the
national average, and the median household income
meets the national average.
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Getting to Cashiers can be a bit of a challenge since
it is surrounded by mountains and is only accessible by
narrow two-lane roads that twist through forests and
along tall cliffs. The drive is not for the faint of
heart.
Speaking of heart, Cashiers has a big one even though
it is a little place. It is a welcoming spot, with
plenty of outdoor recreation close at hand. Favorite
retiree activities include golfing, fishing, hiking and
rafting. Although the population grows in the
summertime, winters are peaceful and the perfect time
for cross-country skiing or contemplation in the quiet
woods.
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| Politically, Cashiers leans a bit to the
left. Of the residents, 25% have a college
degree or better. Churches are not in great
abundance but enough are here to meet the needs of most
residents.
Cashiers is the kind of place where residents have to
make their own entertainment. Retirees seeking an
action-packed retirement or one filled with lots of
cultural amenities and nightlife will not be happy
here.
There is no public transportation, which many
retirees will consider a drawback.
Cashiers does not have its own hospital but just 5
miles away in Highlands, the Highlands Cashier Hospital
has 25 beds and is accredited by the Joint Commission.
Thanks to its elevation, Cashiers has a relatively
cool climate. The average January high is 46°, and the
average July temperature is 82°. The area
receives a lot precipitation, about 90 inches each year,
roughly 12 inches of which is snow. Autumns are
simply breathtaking.
With its scenic location, four season climate, low
crime rate and beautiful mountainside homes, Cashiers
should be considered for retirement, although the lack
of public transportation and the small hospital should
be taken into consideration.
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