Retiree’s Choice of Community: The Importance of Recreation and Parks

The economic vitality of many communities has declined as a result of changes in their economic structures. In some places, economic growth is being fostered by the inmigration of retirees. This exploratory study investigated the importance of public recreation services and parks in retirees’ choice of community, using a random sample of retired persons who had moved to South Carolina in the past twelve months. The instrument developed for the study was comprised of three sections: (a) importance of recreation and parks; (b) demographics, and (c) personal characteristics. Results suggest that retirees who perceive recreation or parks to have been important in their selection of a community appear to have different values and feel more attached to their new community than do those who do not perceive these services to have been important. The findings suggest that recreation park agencies have a vital role to play in the attraction of new residents.