Not everyone wants to grow old in an urban area, or even on a secluded beach. Some would rather enjoy the amenities of small towns, if the towns provide the right support system.
Milken Institute, a research organization and think tank that concentrates on capital, jobs and health, compared small metropolitan areas to see where seniors would have the best chance of retiring happily and successfully. Small cities in the Midwest predominate the rankings.
To come up with the rankings, Milken researchers considered health care, wellness, living arrangements, transportation, financial characteristics, employment and educational opportunities, community engagement and overall livability.
Following are the 10 best small metropolitan areas for retirement listed in reverse order with an example of why each ended up at the top of the list. The small metropolitan areas that made the top 10 hae populations includiing surrounding communities of 98,000 to 351,000. The entire report is available here.
No. 10. Fargo, N.D.
Fargo ranked well for community engagement and overall well-being.