Anyone here have experience living in Orange MA (or elsewhere in Franklin County)?

Strongly considering moving to Franklin County MA (most likely Orange) for what will eventually become my retirement home. Anyone have thoughts/experiences of living there? I've been where I am for 25 years so I have a ton of questions ranging from trash collection to whether there's good public radio reception.

podunk77 said:

Strongly considering moving to Franklin County MA (most likely Orange) for what will eventually become my retirement home. Anyone have thoughts/experiences of living there? I've been where I am for 25 years so I have a ton of questions ranging from trash collection to whether there's good public radio reception.

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Sorry, no details. Should be a good place to watch the leaves change in the fall! And you probably already know this: Wawa 34 miles east, B-East 39 miles west, Mt. Snow 55 miles north.


Good luck with your move.

A lot of people contemplating retirement in New England give a close look at NH because there is no income tax on either earned income or pensions. Nothing comes to mind that is available in Orange that is not also available in Southern NH.

joshua segal said:

A lot of people contemplating retirement in New England give a close look at NH because there is no income tax on either earned income or pensions. Nothing comes to mind that is available in Orange that is not also available in Southern NH.

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There are a lot of reasons not to retire in NH, but that list shortens compared to Orange.

One big issue for retirement is access to quality health care. Orange is a long drive to Boston, but doable in a pinch.

Thanks for the responses, though obviously I'd still like to hear from anyone who has lived in the Orange/Greenfield area. I'll be a retired Mass state employee and so, like in NH, my pension won't be state-taxable in Mass either. The health care angle is an interest one, though I suppose anyone who lives outside a major urban area would have to travel for specialized care. So long as there are hospitals and the basic gamut of providers within a half-hour drive, I'm ready to trade specialized medical care for a lot of greenery and a more relaxed way of life. I'm hoping the latter will go a long way toward my not needing the former.

My husband grew up near Umass and I went there (as does my oldest now). I've driven through Orange 100s of times on Rt 2. I'd never move there. That's all I can say. Not opposed to quiet and boonies at all, but my suburban background says ick. Mostly because when I retire I don't want to require a car to get everywhere. So the boonies of Maine in a small village within walking distance to everything is our choice (Bethel ME). Gets me out of the house (with cane and walker) everyday on foot. Socialize with people, see life coming/going, etc. but that's my personal prejudice - your idea of being off far from others is just as valid - just not my choice. I'll be further from a hospital, but if 30 min longer ride is life/death then life is too precarious to live alone anyway and when I'll have to move to assisted living or something. And that area has a fairly red-necky attitude - not that there's anything wrong with that, just not my kind of vibe.

yeggous said:

There are a lot of reasons not to retire in NH, but that list shortens compared to Orange.

One big issue for retirement is access to quality health care. Orange is a long drive to Boston, but doable in a pinch.

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For day-to-day stuff, both Monadnock in Peterborough and Cheshire in Keene are adequate; and for the tough stuff, Dartmouth is about as close to southern NH as Boston is from Central MA.

One has to wonder which is worse for their health. Living at a distance from Boston's great healthcare or actually living in metro Boston.