Moving from New York to Kentucky gave me an affordable life I love — and retiring at 55 is now on the table
Nick Lyktey shares his experience of moving from New York to Kentucky for a work requirement and deciding to stay due to the lower cost of living. He credits the move with improving his financial stability and enabling earlier retirement plans.
Why it matters
Highlights the trend of internal migration in the U.S. driven by economic factors and the search for affordable living outside major coastal hubs.
Nick Lyktey went to Kentucky to fulfill a one-year working requirement, and stayed years later. Courtesy of Nick Lyktey New Yorker Nick Lyktey moved to Kentucky for work, thinking he'd only be there for one year. He ended up falling in love with Fort Wright, Kentucky, a suburb five miles outside Cincinnati. He says the state's relative affordability has helped him build a better financial future for his family. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nick Lyktey, 34, a New Yorker who grew up in Wantagh, on Long Island, but moved to Fort Wright, Kentucky, five miles outside Cincinnati. He now works as the chief of lab operations at Gravity Diagnostics and has lived in Kentucky for seven years. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
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