Would you rather retire abroad?

Lately, it seems that the United States of America does not feel like a happy place to live.

A World Happiness Report, now in its sixth year, awarded Finland the No. 1 spot in a statement released mid-March. The United States ranked No. 18, down four spots from only one year ago.

According to World Happiness Report co-editor and Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs, "The U.S. happiness ranking is falling, in part because of the ongoing epidemics of obesity, substance abuse and untreated depression."

In my research, I learned that 156 countries are ranked on six variables – income, life expectancy, freedom, social support, trust and generosity. The report is produced by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

While thousands of retirees are drawn to Sussex County by lower taxes, proximity to the beach, fine dining and a host of other amenities, there are some retirees who move to other countries to experience a new culture.

In 2008, my friends Betty and Craig retired to the country of Panama because they both wanted a warmer climate and thought their retirement dollars would stretch further. When I visited them several years ago, I was impressed with the low cost, beauty and location of their home.

They have since met many expats who moved into their neighborhood. Because of a lower cost of living, they have money to travel to Portugal and Spain during the hotter months.

On the website Retirementandgoodliving.com, I recently read a blog written by Bobby J, who claims to have found paradise in Guadeloupe. Not to be confused with Guadalupe island off of the west coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, Guadeloupe is an overseas region of France located in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean.

About healthcare in Guadeloupe, Bobby writes, "We have a global insurance policy for our family. The annual premium is less than the premium we were paying for U.S. health insurance for one month...."

In her article, "Best countries to retire to and planning for retirement abroad" (Investopedia, Feb. 6, 2018) Rebecca Lake asserts, "As of January 2018, more than 674,700 Social Security benefit payments were made to Americans living outside the United States."

Included in their top five best places to retire are Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Ecuador and Malaysia.

Lake writes, "Costa Rica... earned the highest scores in the health care, amenities and healthy living categories... The cost of living makes Costa Rica highly affordable, even on the smallest retirement budget. Consumer prices are 24% lower than the U.S. on average, with rent prices averaging 54% lower."

In Sussex County, we are struggling to regulate construction and zoning changes, to improve roads, to increase the capacity of local schools and to welcome tourists.

A March 23 headline in the Cape Gazette reads: "Record 9 million tourists come to Delaware." Ron MacArthur emphasizes, "Tourism seems to be an economic driver in Sussex County, accounting for more than 40 percent – $1.9 billion – of all tourist dollars spent in the state."

Despite our communities' challenges, my neighbors and I often talk about how fortunate we are to live here. My neighbor Joyce shared, "I have lived in Paris, Panama, Brasilia and have spent quite a bit of time in Chile and South Africa – all interesting places with much to offer. But in the U.S., I understand the nuances of daily life and do not have to struggle with language or cultural differences. And I have clean water every time I turn on the tap."