The Growth of Active Adult Age-restricted Retirement Communities in Connecticut

The traditional definition of retirement and retirement migration is changing in the United States. This change in retirement is being fueled by the baby boomer generation. Historically, retirement migration has led retirees to move to warmer destinations to live out their remaining years. However, this trend, spurred on baby boomers' desire to do things differently from previous generations, is changing as new, local retirement migration destinations become available. Active adult age-restricted retirement communities have grown in the state of Connecticut as a non-traditional retirement destination. Connecticut's population has a higher percentage of baby boomers than the national figure. These figures suggest the potential for a rise in the development of a new retirement alternative. Towns around the state must consider if the development of these new communities is a positive economic development option. Rocky Hill, Connecticut has seen eight such communities built in recent years and has illustrated conclusions through revisions to the Planning and Zoning Regulations that their community may be saturated with this type of development. Other towns around the state and in the region can look to the example of Rocky Hill to determine if they wish to promote the development of active adult age-restricted retirement communities.