Marian Dulberg moved from a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house into a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in 2022. Her original plan was to head to North Carolina after retiring, but instead, she just swapped Nassau County for Suffolk.

"I miss my house, but I'm happy," said Dulberg, 73. "I'm near my daughter, my son-in-law, my granddaughter and the beaches. I love Long Island."

Long Islanders have some of the highest median property taxes in the country, according to The Tax Foundation. And median home prices continue to climb here, too, particularly in communities that are already among Long Island's priciest areas . Our region's cost of living has driven plenty of retirees away over the years.

So the decision for many seniors to stay on Long Island despite it all are driven by emoti

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