Small City Retirement for Seniors

Every year, AARP publishes its list of best small cities (less than 100,000 residents) to retire in the United States.  It was published again in October, 2011, and we summarize it here for your perusal.  Senior citizens throughout the world enjoy dreaming about retirement in the ideal location. Ideal for some is a small city.

The links embedded in each state below take you to a description of each small city that seniors might consider for retirement.  We’re sure you can guess what some of them are.  But others will surprise you.

• Vermont
• Georgia
• Washington
• New Hampshire
• Indiana
• Virginia
• Oregon
• Massachusetts
• California
• Maine

Is a Small City for You?

The AARP criteria for inclusion in this annual list is categorized under the label, most livable. The site states, “In making our picks, we focused on cities with a unique sense of place and a manageable size: Each has a population under 100,000 — small enough to easily navigate but large enough to offer a wide array of culture, amenities and services. These are cities with fairly solid economic foundations and low crime rates. Many are home to colleges and universities, as well as museums, concert halls and theaters.”  (AARP, Ten Great Small Cities for Retirement, October, 2011)

So how does a senior citizen determine whether or not a small city is for them?   A lot of the answer lies in what kind of environment the senior has felt most content during her/his life. Some enjoy the hustle and bustle of a large city; the excitement of new-everything and ever-changing.  For others, that level of activity is too much.  The other end of the spectrum is a quiet solitude offered only in secluded very small towns or rural areas.  The contentment that comes with that kind of retirement can only be found where there are few people to disrupt the serenity.

The vast span of options between the two ends of the gamut offer many combinations of retirement possibilities for seniors.  Music, theater, shopping, libraries, cultural activity, medical services, life-long learning opportunity, volunteer options, recreation, an active senior community all contribute to the kinds of choices seniors make when they decide where retirement is for them.