I can’t believe this list doesn’t include Branson, MO. With moderate weather, great health care,within 800 miles of half the population of the US,local airport, temerate weather 9 months of the year, 11 golf courses including Branson Creek, rated #1 in Missouri by Golf Digest, three lakes for fishing & recreation, great home values, low cost of living, local colleges and great value oriented entertainment with more theatre seats than Broadway and lots of part-time emploment as a result…what could be more appealing as a retirement destination for active living?!!!

February 24th, 2010 | #

You have got to be kidding! San Diego, La Jolla?? I have lived here for over 20 years and am counting the days until I can retire and move! Weather is great yes but there is sky high taxes and traffic is AWFUL! People into themselves!! Can’t wait to leave!!!There is more to life than the weather.

February 24th, 2010 | #

I agree with the guy named Tim. I do not live in Branson, MO. But I am always shocked when it is not in the Top 5 (much less the Top 100) places to retire. I believe millions who’ve visited there would agree.

February 25th, 2010 | #

“…what could be more appealing as a retirement destination for active living?!!!”

Tim – nearly any one of the other 50 states. Climb out of that midwestern thimble you live in.

February 25th, 2010 | #

“…what could be more appealing as a retirement destination for active living?!!!”

Tim – nearly any one of the other 50 states. Climb out of that midwestern thimble you live in.

February 25th, 2010 | #

The Chambers of Commerce of the listed communities must pay this guy. To leave out Northeastern Oklahoma, and Southwestern Missouri towns shows lack of knowledge. Beauty, water sports, temperate climate, central location and very low cost of living in these two areas that have sizable numbers of retirees shold not be ignored. Obviously there is not much research done in developing these lists.

February 25th, 2010 | #

Cheyenne Wyoming! Wow, if you like brutal winters and wind blowing enjoy Cheyenne….LOL

February 25th, 2010 | #

Wow great list – thanks for sharing. I was surprised Clearwater / St Pete (or even Dunedin that made top 10 waterfront communities)didn’t make the list – does Tampa mean just tampa or the Tampa Bay area.

February 25th, 2010 | #

Maybe the list doesn’t include The Villages, FL, because it is not an incorporated city or town. Instead, it is a collection of Community Development Districts, authorized under Florida law, that spans parts of Marion, Lake, and Sumter counties. With over 78,000 residents and growing at the rate of about 200 homes sold per month, this community ought to be on anyone’s most popular list.
The Villages bills itself as “America’s friendliest hometown,” and more than lives up to that name. Two town squares offer nightly free entertainment; there are 9 championship and 28 executive golf courses, the latter free to residents. Every village (63 and counting) has its neighborhood swimming pool, and there are 10 Regional recreation centers in addition, with tennis, bocce, pickleball, and shuffleboard courts outdoors, an olympic swimming pool, and indoor meeting rooms for every interest group from Acoustic Guitar to Zumba.
If this sounds like a commercial, it’s not, because I won’t get a dime. But as a new resident, I love everything about my new home town.

February 25th, 2010 | #

To Jon Williams…Read the list again…The Villages, Florida is #25!!!:wink:

I agree with everything you said about The Villages! It is the best place to live after retirement in the whole country, if not the entire world!!!

February 25th, 2010 | #

You missed Fours Seasons, Missouri. we have a lovely lake, a great local hospital, not bad cost of living, and a mild winter.

February 25th, 2010 | #

[...] Learn more about TopRetirement.com’s list at this Web site. [...]

February 25th, 2010 | #

Happy to see Santa Fe, New Mexico finally made it on the list. It’s a truly great community with colleges, museums, arts, hiking. It’s my choice for retirement…whenever that is possible. Waiting in Buffalo.
Barbara

February 26th, 2010 | #

Please, please take the NC cities off the list. We’ve been way over developed, over run with traffic, over taxed and over burdened with new ‘requirements’ for all sorts of ‘services’.

Yes it used to be nice once, before everyone and their brother moved in. Popularity has a nasty tendency to destroy what made it popular in the first place. I wouldn’t be basing any decision on how high a place is ranked or how many “lists” it makes. Usually indicates you are too far behind the curve and it’s all over done by the time you get there.:shock:

February 26th, 2010 | #

How could Chicago make this list ?

February 26th, 2010 | #

Poorly researched list. I am a Floridian and have lived all over the state. Tallahassee and New Smyrna Beach are ranked WAY TOO LOW. They should easily be in the top 30. As for Orlando, who would want to live there now? Rampant crime, the worst traffic, lacking in real amenities. Southeast Florida has amenities but it is crowded and has a high cost of living. Jacksonville should not even make this list. As for the Tampa bay area, Pinellas County is croded, has poor traffic, has no diversity in age or ethnicity. That’s why you don’t see Clearwater, St. Pete, or even Dunedin (best in Pinellas by far) on the list.

February 27th, 2010 | #

Would someone please explain to me why shuffleboard is considered a big draw for someone looking for an area to retire?

February 27th, 2010 | #

I believe the folks upset about the omissions are overlooking the method by which this list is compiled: It is based on search rankings from this site. Not exactly scientific but interesting nonetheless.

February 27th, 2010 | #

[...] For more information about the top 100 list of best towns and cities for retirement, start at this page. [...]

February 27th, 2010 | #

I will never understand how these things are picked. Of all the towns in Florida that are chosen, I’d not want to live in any of them and I grew up in Florida. We’re retiring to St. Petersburg, which is across the bridge from Tampa (and it’s NOT a part of Tampa, despite what so many of these organizations think) and is completely different from it. There’s nothing Tampa can offer that St. Petersburg can’t, except for the opportunity to play dare with your life every time you go out on the roads. Ah, well, that’s why I never take these things at face value.

February 28th, 2010 | #

Why not give your readers the option of Retireing in Colonial Mexico?:lol:

March 1st, 2010 | #

I am a writer/editor fro http://www.InternationalLiving.com — we just had nearly 500 people attend a conference in Ecuador about retiring abroad. Latin America is extremely affordable (and has GREAT weather), as is parts of Asia and Europe. We’re seeing an increasing number of Americans who can no longer afford high taxes, high health care costs and generally high prices overall looking for opportunities overseas. It just makes sense.

March 3rd, 2010 | #

[...] to a recent study by TopRetirements.com, Austin is among the best places in the United States in which to retire. It’s no surprise [...]

March 5th, 2010 | #

I can’t understand why Halifax, NS, Canada, is the only place in Canada noted for retirement. What happened to British Columbia? It’s 100% better!

March 6th, 2010 | #

[...] and this most recent recognition goes well with Asheville recently being named Number 1 on the 100 Best Places to Retire in 2010. See the article: “Sunbelt Shines on the 100 Best Places to Retire List for [...]

March 7th, 2010 | #

[...] Asheville #1 on the 100 Best Places to Retire 2010 List [...]

March 8th, 2010 | #

I moved to Hendersonville North Carolina about 8 years ago. It has been a miserable experience. The workmen are either nonexistant or have no idea how to do the work they’re hired to do and charge $1000 a day (carpenter, rock guy, and painter charged $1000 a gallon). If you’re in the “waiting to die” group and do nothing but watch TV and want a plastic milkcarton house or trailer costing at least $500K then this could be the place for you.
P.S. Bring your own doctor and dentist because there aren’t any here.

March 9th, 2010 | #

As a transplanted New Englander (CT), living in Cheyenne, Wyoming for the last 5 years, I can see why it made the list. Low taxes, low cost of living (current price of gas is $2.50/gallon),GREAT people. I miss the beaches in the east, I miss the trees and the awesome fall foliage, but I do NOT miss the outrageous cost of living, the traffic, and the high taxes. And with the money I save living here I travel back east to visit every year. The winters are no worse than in New England, and the summmers are warm and DRY! It CAN be very windy at times,as one other commenter noted, but if you like the outdoors and being near the Rockies, great skiing, and Yellowstone, then this is a good place to live. The biggest “traffic jam” I have seen here comes once a year, in July, when they bring all the bulls and horses down the main street for “Frontier Days”. And where else can you live in a state’s capital and be able to get from one end of the city to the other during rush hour in less than 20 minutes?

March 14th, 2010 | #

Glad to see Prescott, AZ is so high on the list. A great community with a bustling downtown and several real estate options throughout the valley.

March 23rd, 2010 | #

Number one, if you want your children to have a bad , miserable inheritance experience, go ahead and put your home in a reverse mortgage? They will be glad to see you get off the planet and have to deal with the crooked banks on this? Most of these cities on the top 100 are large? They seem to be for wealthy Wall Street Journel reading types? There must be nice smaller towns with low cost of living and moderate temperatures not requiring super heating or super air. So middle class, (maybe lower due to past spousal support), collect SS and live off limited funds saved? I vote for mid coastal Oregon.

March 31st, 2010 | #

[...] of sources about the people who tend to move more than 20 miles away: – Topretirements’ 2010 list of the 100 most popular retirement communities found that towns in the sunbelt attracted much more interest than those in colder climes – 68 of [...]

April 5th, 2010 | #

I’ve read through lots of recommended retirement location lists, and haven’t found the combination of features I want. I’m starting to think that such a place doesn’t exist. First of all, being a Texan, I’m too used to never having had to pay state income tax in my life, and with too many taxes of all sorts, all of them too high, I refuse to add that one to the list. So that narrows it down to a few states. Problem with Texas is that they make it up through high property taxes which are so high, it’s like having a mortgage long after the house is paid off. Unacceptable. I was taxed out of the paid-for house I was raised in after I inherited it from my folks and it has me really upset. Had to sell it. My ideal would be no state income tax, dirt cheap property and local taxes, low median home price (I like the places listed where the median is under $100K), and preferably some water and scenery not too far away cause I like the outdoors and plan to be the oldest senior in America who snowboards and whitewater kayaks. Don’t need shuffleboard, college, museums, or theatres. (Never can understand why would seniors need a college town if they’re not enrolling in college? To attend the school play put on by the drama department? Student music recitals? No one goes to those. And you can only visit museums or the art shops of Santa Fe so many times before it’s a “been there done that, got the T-shirt.” I found this website from a link in a story done on MarketWatch.com http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-top-10-places-to-retire-2010-02-25

Of the cities discussed, I’m most intrigued by Cheyenne (have always been interested in Wyoming due to clean air, no big city congestion, no state income tax, and the possibility of low cost of living and taxes). And now, Paris, TN, number 4 on the list, looks appealing. Problem with TN is they have state income tax or I’d move tomorrow to work in the Nashville music scene as a songwriter/producer, something I’ve always wanted to do. Do this for me…put together a list of Top 20 cities but limit it to states with no income tax, preferably with mild temps, no traffic, low property tax, clean air, and some scenery. I would simply move to Colorado if it weren’t for the high cost of living. Everyone wants the same things I do. I can travel to the rivers or slopes if I have to for a getaway. Thanks in advance. By the way, large urban areas like Austin and San Antonio should be nowhere near the Top 100 unless you never venture out of your neighborhood. You won’t like the traffic/congestion. It’s an hour traffic jam just to drive through Austin on the way to San Antonio on I-35 and that’s what I want to get away from. I’ve always thought that if I were to retire somewhere in Texas, it might be in the hill country somewhere if I find a cheap house in a town with utility service, grocery store, and a hospital. Seems like too many nice places are ones where you have to pay up to live there. You also have to be careful about the risk that tax-and-spend liberals will take control of government and drive people out of the state like N.J. did. Taxes got so high, people said ‘who needs this’ and exited. I can’t afford my house value to drop cause of no demand, wherever I move. I’ve also thought about a Miami beach condo. No yard to maintain.

April 16th, 2010 | #

worst place is all of Florida, crime is unbelievably high, Murders # 1, Rapes, break-ins, Car-jacks on & on, you can not go out at night and I live in a white collar area!! Look up the Police Blog in all Fl.cities,they don’t tell you much on the news or paper because they don’t want to scare the tourist away but we have tons of shock attacks and murders it’s gotten worst I been here for 15 yrs. and I’m trying my best to get out!!

April 22nd, 2010 | #

I was seduced by all the “places to retire to” ads and publications that proclaim Las Cruces to be highly desirable place to live in retirement. It isn’t. It is not a retirement friendly town.. just ask the City Manager, he’ll quickly state as he did to me that retirees like me were foolish to move here. The predominant Hispanic population is beginning to resent us “gringo viejos” IE old white guys. There is a growing resentment as more foolish “gringos” move here. City services are incompetent. there is no commitment to public safety. the mayor usurps the US Constitution… by not abiding by the rights of a free press. There are not enough policeman on the payroll to provide adequate responses to 911 calls. In my subdivision in a district of 10 square miles, there is only one on-duty officer at any hour of the day.. thus all roads and streets are “NASCAR” events. Call 911 for breaking and entering.. and you get a responding officer 4 hours later asking what you expect as he can’t be expected to show up in within 20-30 minutes of placing a call to 911. Las Cruces is like one big pay toilet: you pay the access fee only to discover the plumbing is broken… no plumbers to fix it. stay away if you are a “gringo” and seeking safety, peace and quiet and quality services. LC sucks as cities go…

May 1st, 2010 | #

[...] categories to help you find articles of interest. Here are the top 5 blog stories so far in 2010: Sunbelt Shines on the 100 Best Places to Retire List for 2010 7 Reasons Not to Retire in These 4 States With Some States in Trouble, Be Careful Where You Retire [...]

May 18th, 2010 | #

Many cities listed on Topretirement’s,100 Best Places List rank high on the Sperlings Crime Index. These cities are at or near border states like California, Texas and Arizona. Now I know why Arizona was forced to passthe SB 1070 Immigration I.D. Bill. We look forward to retirement and continue to pay higher taxes and the Federal Government refuses to implement laws regarding ILLEGAL aliens. The state of Arizona and Govenor Benson have my full support.
Thank you!

May 22nd, 2010 | #

Southern Oregon (Medford/Jacksonville/Ashland) used to make these lists, but not lately, and I can’t figure out why. We’ve got a variety cultural, entertainment and enrichment opportunities, relatively low-cost of living, and a moderate four-season climate. We’re located midway between San Francisco and Portland, with good air connections in every direction. There are so many outdoor sports opportunities, year-round, and a relaxed lifestyle. Having lived in Eureka, CA, which made the list, and moved to Ashland, OR, which did not, I can attest that the latter has the former beat, hands down. Come vist and see!

May 26th, 2010 | #

henderson nevada? only if you want to live in a barrio…crime, urban sprawl, terrible traffic, and worse crime…

May 27th, 2010 | #

COME TO TUCSON!!!!! there are many empty houses- still great warmth- no pun intended- you can find all manor of entertainment,cultural activities.
CHEAP rent- 299 in a gated community with pool and security- some great doctors – and of course wonderful nurses.

June 7th, 2010 | #

No one commented on the number one place…Asheville NC! I am from NC so I may be slightly biased, but Asheville is a beautiful place. I would certainly consider retiring there. Southport is a very nice place as well.

June 10th, 2010 | #

The state tax kills paris, tn for me and thats a shame as paris is a very nice town. I grew up in ky and graduated from Murray State and murray is on the list, great town but again a state tax!! Find a nice town in Texas to live in, I did (Beaumont). No state tax, decent weather, friendly people and a local school system that is out of control (taxes)…can’t have it all. Superintendents in Texas make about as much as the president of the U.S..go figure. Branson is another great area to live except for one thing, it is in Missouri!!!

June 10th, 2010 | #

Well, being born and raised in Missouri, I can tell you that while it has a LOT to see and do, it taxes you to no end. I moved to Louisiana which is real friendly to you.

First, if you are like me, retired military followed by retired government, LA does not charge you one penny of state income tax on your retired pay. If you are retired and have other income, then it is charged as 2% up to 12,500, 4% up to 50,000, and 6% for anything above 50,000.

You get a $75,000 home exemption which is capped once you reach age 70. As for property taxes, I pay $1,203 a year on a $200K home, which is 3700 sqft of living space. (we entertain alot).

Sales tax varies by Parish(county). State sales tax is 4% with individual parishes allowed to charge up to 5% for a max of 9%, most do not charge that much, generally around 7.5 to 8.5%.

Drivers Lic cost 21 dollars, vehicle license is $20 for two years on cars and $40 for four years on trucks.

Today, gas is 2.36 a gallon.

I keep my house a/c running at 72F, the most I have paid is $133.00 for electric, that was two years ago, I stay around $105-$110 mostly.. Ok, I paid higher the first year, but the house had old single pane windows which I had changed out that winter, my bill that first summer was around $188.00 a month.

For me I increased my disposible income by about 23%. Now I can go visit any place I want anytime without worrying about money.

Just my opinion.

June 22nd, 2010 | #

Paul,
You should try to retire in Laughlin, NV. It is a small casino town bordering AZ. The town has low crime, senior friendly, and the Colorado River, Lake Mead, and Lake Mojave. It is a beautiful small town. Let me know if you need any questions.
sweetangel4564@yahoo.com

June 25th, 2010 | #

I grew up in No.Ca. Now, live in So.Ca. California is polluted and overcrowded.Crime everywhere. We grew up in an agriculture town where our doors were opened at night. Everywhere there is grafetti. Hiway 99 use to be beautiful. Now grafetti everywhere. All cities expensive. 9%sales tax. Hiways are jammed in North/Southern Ca. Small beautiful towns have crime and we have the most prisons. California is wrecked. Hopefully, I can find a place like Ca. was in 1950′s to live. Too sad.

June 26th, 2010 | #

Paul,

I would like to invite you to Solera Chandler, AZ by Del Webb. It is located in the southeast corner of Chandler, AZ, a suburb of the Pheonix area. Here is the community site… http://www.solerachandler.com/.
We are a few hours to snow skiing in the White Mountains and Flagstaff, 4.5 hours to the Grand Canyon, 5 hours to San Diego and LA and 2 to 3 hours to great fishing in the Salt River basin to the northeast of Mesa, AZ.
See you soon,

June 30th, 2010 | #

Branson?? You’ve got to be kidding! Been there, won’t go again. If you are a redneck country western fan you’ll love it, but it’s sure not for me. That said, have given up on FL due to the oil spill. Now focussing on NV. Any suggestions?

June 30th, 2010 | #

well if you hate Branson then you will love Vegas with all of its crime, major traffic conjestion, the second most dangerous highway in the country { Interstate 15 } super high insurance rates, high utility rates poor healthcare but the housing is getting cheaper { highest foreclosure rate in the nation} been here 20 years and can”t wait to get back near Branson. oh by the way I am a redneck and dame proud of it, better than being a city idiout

July 8th, 2010 | #

Interesting comments. I had considered a few locations until I read the comments. Have to agree some of the crime and problems are not shared; thus making this list questionable. In everything I have read, books, discussion groups, websites, etc. I will say I have not heard any negatives regarding the Villages. My concern is the heat, but guess being in the pool sounds like a great resolution. By the way, I live near Athens and if you want to live near a party University, (Univ of GA) then this might work. Being a native Atlantan, can’t imagine why Athens is on a list. College students, parties, crime is it. Nothing else. Sounds like Chamber of Commerce hype to me. To each is own I guess. Thanks everyone for sharing!

July 12th, 2010 | #

I am in the military and I am due to retire in December. I moved to Midway Fl, in 2008. I’m a first time home owner. I purchased my home August 2008; high-in-sight my taxes were about $500 that year. Now I pay over $3,000 in taxes for a home that is about 1850 sq ft and just enough yard to surround it. And I am told it’s because I am not a resident of Florida. My electricity bill is between $250 – $500 a month; and I am hardly home. Is this right?

July 19th, 2010 | #

[...] ones best match your livability criteria and weighting. A good place to start is with these lists: 100 Best Places to Retire Best College Towns Most Under-Rated Places to Retire Best Small Towns for Retirement Best Cities [...]

July 20th, 2010 | #

NO!!!! HIWAY ROBBERY!!! Taxes high because you are not a resident? Electric 250 to 500 per month!!! Thanks, but no thanks!!! Ca. lookks good to that and Ca. is no where to come to now!!! Crowded beaches, smog. Jails.

July 22nd, 2010 | #

Your rating of Winston-Salem should include Greensboro either in addition to in place of Winston-Salem. From restaurants to colleges/universities to beautiful neighborhoods to lower crime rate, Greensboro is the best choice in the Triad over Winston-Salem and/or High Point. There is a real culture gap compared to the Northeast in terms of museums. Raleigh is one of the most non-descript, nothing cities I have ever visited. Charlotte is the most like a true large city but getting to and from there is a nightmare of awful road non-planning. North Carolina has a number of pluses but if not for the weather I’ll take upstate New York for it’s beauty in a heartbeat. I like North Carolina but I still love New York.

August 1st, 2010 | #

[...] August 3, 2010. You can probably imagine the questions that come up when your editor meets someone and they find out about our association with Topretirements.com. The #1 question is almost always, “What is the best place to retire”. They mean it as a serious question, so before we answer we have to pause and try not to be too overbearing. That’s because the answer we always give sounds a little too snide – “That depends on you”. (Here is the link to our list of the “100 Best Retirement Towns for 2010“. [...]

August 3rd, 2010 | #

I was wondering where Palm Coast Florida was in the rating. Recently Fortune magazine rated Palm Coast as one of the top 5 places to retire. As a resident this great place to live, work and play. With low home prices low crime and close to the ocean in my opinion there is no better place to live..

August 26th, 2010 | #