Today’s seniors are in search of a lifestyle as diverse and dynamic as they are. While many folks will choose to remain where they’ve spent most of their lives and built their communities, others will look for new adventures in a different location — and deciding where that place will be is an extremely important choice.
With that in mind, Livability.com has just released its Top 10 Best Places to Retire, 2017. Reno earned the No. 2 spot on this year’s list, trailing Walnut Creek, Calif., at No. 1.
Many retirees are looking to settle down in a smaller town that still has big-city amenities. Reno fits that description perfectly, to the point that it has long proclaimed itself to be “The Biggest Little City in the World.” Located in northwestern Nevada near Lake Tahoe and the California border, Reno is often referred to as a smaller Las Vegas. And while the gaming industry is an important part of the local tourist industry, Reno residents also enjoy the clean air and wide variety of outdoor activities. Temperatures are usually mild, though it can reach the 90s in the summer and the 20s in the winter, and rainfall is rare (an average of only seven inches per year). In addition to a prime spot for retirement, Reno has also been named one of Livability.com’s 100 Best Places to Live (No. 54), as well as one of the 50 Best Cities for Entrepreneurs (No 41).
To determine these rankings, the Livability experts examined surveys and data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Medicare, Esri, NOAA, Walk Score, the EPA and other sources, and crunched the numbers to determine the best U.S. cities for retirees. Research shows that seniors care most about health care, climate, crime rates, cost of living, housing costs and access to recreational activities. Of the 10 cities that delivered on all counts, each offered a totally different lifestyle to fit a wide range of tastes and interests.
“This year’s retirement cities list perfectly reflects the diverse, dynamic lifestyles of today’s retirees,” says Winona Dimeo-Ediger, managing editor of Livability.com. “Some of these cities might surprise you, which is a good thing, because retirement looks very different in 2017 than it has in the past.
Top 10 Best Places to Retire, 2017:
Walnut Creek, CA
Reno, NV
Boca Raton, FL
Plano, TX
Sioux Falls, SD
Vancouver, WA
Birmingham, AL
Littleton, CO
Bismarck, ND
Salt Lake City, UT
