Fixed incomes go further in Jasper

Boomers who are trying to make the most of their retirement savings find that East Texas, in general, is a cheaper place to live than other cities in Texas, and a cheaper place to buy property than most of the rest of the country.

If you've always lived in Jasper, you may not realize you pay less for basic goods and services, but compare what people are paying elsewhere:

Insurance

Auto insurance is cheaper in Jasper, according to Kevin Davis, communications specialist for State Farm Insurance. Three typical examples submitted by Brent Meaux's Jasper office:

A 63-year-old married male with a 2005 Ford Ranger pickup would pay eight percent more in Dallas, seven percent in more in San Antonio, and 11 percent in Houston.

A 79-year-old widowed female with a 2004 Chevrolet Blazer would pay 12 more in Dallas and San Antonio, 16 percent more than Houston.

A 75-year-old married male driving a 2006 Chrysler 300 would pay nine percent more in Dallas, seven percent more in San Antonio and 12 percent more in Houston.

Real estate

Even with the real estate bubble bursting in many U.S. markets, look at some current median house prices around the country: Miami, $318,000; New York, $491,000; Seattle, 372,000; San Francisco, $701,000; Austin, $184,000.

The median home price in Jasper is $129,900; in Kirbyville, $83,500; and in Newton, $79,900.

Income tax

Texas is one of seven states that do not impose an individual income tax. After you've paid the IRS, most states typically claim three to five percent, and a few like California can be more than nine percent.

Travel and entertainment

Gas prices are all anyone wants to talk about, but, while you can save nickels and dimes per gallon at various stations, generally gas is around $4 a gallon and rising everywhere.

The real savings in Jasper comes in terms of the size of the city. Houstonians, for instance, tend to measure distance in time: it's 45 minutes to the Galleria (or two hours at peak traffic). That translates to $8 worth of gas.

Add in a visit to a friend at the hospital, lunch at a trendy new restaurant, and then a stop at Central Market- you've blown more than a tank of gas just getting around town.

If you still have the energy to go out again, movie tickets, popcorn and sodas for two will set you back about $25, almost double what it costs in Jasper.

Or you can drive a couple miles out of Jasper, turn off the headlights, and admire the stars in a truly velvet black sky. Priceless.