Chapel Hill is a particularly beautiful (population just over 53,000) college town in the gentle hills of central North Carolina. The University of North Carolina (24,000 students) is the centerpiece of this charming  town with a cosmopolitan flair that makes it appealing as a retirement community. This entire area is highly educated, with Duke University nearby in Durham, and NC…...

Tucson, Arizona (population 542,000, elevation 2,375 ft.) has been one of the fastest growing retirement communities in the country for a long time, and with good reason. Like Anacin, it offers a combination of ingredients to solve retirees problems - it is warm in winter, blessed with sunshine almost 300 days per year, has beautiful surroundings, and has ample land…...

Dade City is a small town with an old-Florida feel that attracts plenty of retirees - 40 percent of the population is age  45 or older. Weeping willows and moss-draped trees render it a classically Southern small town. There is a comfortable, homey feel in this sunny, friendly community. Photo of courthouse courtesy of Ebyabe and Wikipedia, Licensed under CC…...

Durango is one of the most interesting small towns in Colorado. Not just for retirees, but also for young people (average age is 29).  Located in the southwestern part of the state, Durango has convenient access to at least 5 major ski areas including Purgatory (about 25 miles away).  The Animas River, a gold medal fly fishing stream, flows through…...