With Mike DeSenne, Executive Editor – Kiplinger.com (Kiplinger Washington Editors)
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Choosing a retirement destination with a low cost of living can really help stretch a fixed income. But the place you select should offer more than just affordability. Safety, livability and economic stability are equally important qualities to retirees.
Using data on more than 200 metropolitan areas across the U.S., Kiplinger identified the places with the cheapest living costs specifically for retirees. They placed particular emphasis on reasonable price tags for the two of the biggest retirement budget-busters – health care and housing, and also looked at states’ tax burdens on retirees. Plus, in case you find that you want or need to go back to work to earn extra income, they sought out economically healthy areas with relatively low poverty. The results favored areas with large populations of adults over 65, and because safety is paramount they weeded out cities with above-average crime rates.
After narrowing the field to 32 finalists, Kiplinger selected the 10 affordable cities that, as a group, offer retirees diverse choices in terms of size, climate, geography and lifestyle. See which locale best suits your retirement plans.
