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.
No. 9. Cheyenne, Wy.
Cheyenne seniors do well financially and have better than average educational and job opportunities.
No. 8. Ann Arbor, Mich.
Good health care and transportation are available to Ann Arbor seniors.
No. 7. Rochester, Minn.
Rochester retirees have access to good health care and score well on general well-being.
No. 6. Ames, Iowa
Transportation is readily available here, which contributes to a high score for overall well-being.
No. 5. Rapid City, S.D.
Rapid City ranks number one for community engagement and does well in the financial well-being of its seniors.
No. 4. Bismarck, N.D.
If seniors can ignore the cold, Bismarck retirees have access to employment and education and health care and ranks well for finances.
No. 3. Columbia, Mo.
Columbia seniors have the same advantages as those in Bismarck, minus some of the cold.
No. 2. Sioux Falls, S.D.
Sioux Falls ranks first in the financial well-being of its seniors, fourth for community engagement and fifth for access to good health care.
No. 1. Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City landed in the top spot in part because of its superior health care system and excellent transportation system.