Best Places to Retire In

Are you looking for the best places to retire in? Your post work years are a time to improve your golf game, start a new hobby or take a well-deserved break. For your next destination select your ideal setting.

Retire in Lexington, Ky.

Kentucky’s bluegrass scenery, winding hills and horses abound, make Lexington one of your best places to retire in. Downtown Lexington boasts plenty of entertainment options for retirees:

• The Circa 1922 Ky. Theatre, which shows independent and classic films.

• The Lexington Farmers Market

• Dozens of restaurants

• Rupp Arena, home to the University of Ky.’s storied basketball program.

For the equestrian minded, the city isn’t far from Ky.’s famed horse country and is just 90 minutes from Churchill Downs and the Ky. Derby.

In addition to a deep-seated horse and bourbon tradition, the city also has strong roots in life-long learning. In 1964, before retirees became regular fixtures on college campuses, the University invited them to take up empty seats in classrooms. Today, the school continues the tradition, offering locals 65 and up free access to university classes that have open space.

While most fellows choose to audit courses, many have pursued degrees. A sister program for area residents 50 and over organizes about 100 classes a year on topics ranging from painting to U.S. history.

The median family income is $71,000 and the median home price is $140,000. July is the hottest month of the year with highs in the mid-80s. January is the coldest month with temperatures in the 20s.

Retire in Prescott, Ariz.

Prescott, Ariz. should be one of your best places to retire in options. 50% of the population is over 50 years of age.

• 100 miles north of Phoenix

• Dotted with Victorian homes and 19^th-century Whisky Row saloons

• The world’s oldest rodeo

• More than 800 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places

• Plentiful sunny days, but four distinct seasons

• 650 miles of trails in the adjacent 1.25 million-acre Prescott National Forest

• Half a dozen golf courses

• Revolving art shows, film festivals, craft fairs, and outdoor concerts

• Median family income is $59,000

• Median home price is $285,000

Until recently, the only drawback to settling in Prescott was the high home prices, but with the current market conditions, Prescott has become a decidedly more affordable retirement haven.

Similar to Lexington, Prescott’s Yavapai college’s 17-year old lifelong learning program offers roughly 200 classes a year to seniors. Prescott has ideal temperatures with highs in the mid-90s in July and as low as 28 degrees in January.

Retire in St. Petersburg, Fla.

St. Petersburg, Fla. has the sunny beaches Fla. is known for, but there ample extracurricular activities:

• The Salvador Dali Museum is home to the largest collection of the artist’s work outside of his native Spain.

• The Museum of Fine Arts permanently houses works from Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keefe and other masters.

• The Mahaffey Theater hosts the Florida Orchestra.

• Traveling Broadway acts, while the Sunscreen Film Festival annually showcases independent shorts, features and documentaries from around the world.

For retirees interested in sharpening their intellect, Eckerd College offers two distinct programs: The Academy of Senior Professionals invites retirees to interact with Eckerd students and faculty by auditing classes, advising student teams and even teaching. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offers enrichment classes, workshops and special events for the over 50 set.

The median family income is $55,000 and the median home price is $95,000. The temperatures peak at 90 in the summer and 53 in the winter months.

Retire in Asheville, N.C.

Tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western N.C., Asheville is perhaps best known for the Biltmore, an 8,000-acre estate built by George Vanderbilt beginning in the late 19^th century.

While the city is surprisingly cosmopolitan, it embraces such simple pleasures as

• locally grown food

• bluegrass music

• folksy festivals.

The North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement at the University of N.C. is a hub for seniors looking to volunteer in the community or take workshops in everything from Shakespeare to social networking.

The median family income is $56,000 and the median home price is $180,000. The temperatures range from highs in the 80s in the summer months and lows in the mid-20s in the winter.

Retire in Brunswick, Maine

Brunswick is in a New England fishing village with a quiet coastline offering summer boating.

In the winter, skating on The Mall is a common view. The state’s premier facility is Maine Medical Center, just 30 minutes away in Portland.

Brunswick is home to Bowdoin, a 207-year old, top-ranking liberal arts college that opens its doors to locals interested in auditing classes for free. Seniors can also join the Association of Bowdoin Friends for perks like:

• discounted tickets to concerts

• discounted tickets to sporting events

• borrowing privileges from the university library.

The median family income is $60,000. The temperatures vary in Maine with lows in the single digits and the highs peak at 80 in the summer months.

Best Places to Retire In Throughout the U.S.

With each of the cities highlighted, you have your choice of weather and cost of living conditions; each with picturesque scenery and a full array of activities.

All of the best places to retire in have one common feature, the higher educational programs for retirees, providing volunteer and learning opportunities at little or no cost. Enjoy the hunt for the best places to retire in knowing you have an assortment of options.

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