A new report from the census reveals the "best place to retire". And they will tell you that it varies depending on who's doing the retiring.
Seventy-one percent of people 60 and older who moved to another state in the previous five years settled in a metropolitan county, according to the second edition of "Retirement Migration in America," based on 2000 Census data, by Charles Longino, a professor of gerontology at Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, N.C.
NeighborhoodScout put the data together to get their list of best places to retire and live.
"Sometimes you don't have to go that far outside the city to find quiet areas that are peaceful," Schiller said. "We looked for places that had that. These places are the best overall combination of safety from crime, and peace and quiet," he said.
Using FBI and U.S. Justice Department crime statistics, Schiller's methodology ranks towns based on number of violent crimes and property crimes per capita.
To find quiet areas, Schiller measured population density. "Peace and quiet means a little less densely populated, but also somewhat fewer college students and small children, so a little bit quieter," he said.
These locales also have a high proportion of college-educated residents, Schiller said.
Plus, all of these locales are within 75 miles of the city center, and they all offer an array of housing options, including single-family homes, condominiums and rental units.
Two separate lists
Schiller created two lists: One is the best towns for retirees, based on the criteria detailed above, in the 15 biggest metro areas nationwide, regardless of housing costs.
The second list takes housing costs into account, detailing the best places that are also a good value. Still, even this second list doesn't describe cheap places, Schiller said. "These are not the cheapest places. These are places that are great quality at a fantastic value," he said.
Top towns in 15 metro areas -- if money's no object
- In the Boston metro area: New Castle, N.H.
- In the New York metro area: Point Lookout, N.Y.
- In the Philadelphia area: Newton Square, Pa.
- In the Washington-Baltimore area: Pikesville, Md.
- In the Atlanta area: Decatur, Ga.
- In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area: Palm Beach, Fla.
- In the Detroit area: Farmington, Mich.
- In the Chicago area: Lake Forest, Ill.
- In the Dallas-Ft. Worth area: Highland Park, Texas.
- In the Houston area: West University Place, Texas.
- In the Minneapolis-St. Paul area: Edina, Minn.
- In the Phoenix area: Fountain Hills, Ariz.
- In the Seattle area: Mercer Island, Wash.
- In the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose area: Belvedere-Tiburon, Calif.
- In the Los Angeles area: Bradbury, Calif.
Top towns that are also a good value
- In the Boston metro area: Sandwich, Mass.
- In the New York metro area: Southbury, Conn.
- In the Philadelphia area: Jenkintown, Pa.
- In the Washington-Baltimore area: Boyce, Va.
- In the Atlanta area: Monticello, Ga.
- In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area: North Palm Beach, Fla.
- In the Detroit area: Rochester, Mich.
- In the Chicago area: Michigan City, Ind.
- In the Dallas-Ft. Worth area: Lindale, Texas.
- In the Houston area: Bellaire, Texas.
- In the Minneapolis-St. Paul area: Paynesville, Minn.
- In the Phoenix area: Sun City, Ariz.
- In the Seattle area: Greenbank, Wash.
- In the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose area: Martinez, Calif.
- In the Los Angeles area: Yucaipa, Calif.
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