I recently ran across this article listing the 25 best places to retire in the US. I don't golf, and so some of these places don't interest me. And I really wonder about the criteria and the weights attached to each of them. The article pays too much attention to venues for activities and the arts and not enough attention to the quality and scope of health care.
One of the towns listed is Northfield, Minnesota. I lived in Northfield for 4 years. I can see why it might be considered a decent place to retire. The town's motto is "Cows, Contentment, and Colleges", or at least it was when I was a student there back in the early 1960s. It's a lovely small town with two excellent liberal arts colleges that are vibrant and exciting. But it's pretty small, with comparatively few choices for shopping and restaurants; and it gets mighty cold in the winter.
Another city listed is Traverse City, Michigan. I can see why this place is listed, too. In fact most cities along the west coast of Michigan would be great places to retire.... in the summer. But many of them also get tonnes of lake-effect snow in the winter. Some of my friends summer in Michigan and winter in the south or southwest US.
I see that Tyler, Texas, is listed among the top 25. As I said, I don't golf (anymore), and that seems to be a big selling point for Tyler. But then I don't see why just about any place around Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, etc. would not be worth considering. Taxes are low, housing prices are low, and there are plenty of options for shopping and dining. Summers aren't fun in the heat and humidity, though.
Five years ago, Ms Eclectic and I realized that small town living was great for us then but would not be what we wanted in retirement. We wanted more convenient shopping and dining options, we wanted access to better health care facilities, and we wanted to be closer to our children and grandchildren. That was when we made the decision to leave the wonderful small town and the friends we had made in Clinton, Ontario, and move back to London, Ontario.
Be realistic with your retirement plans. Older people tend to need/want more and better health care. Also family and friends are important.
These two criteria seem to get short shrift in that article. My advice to people looking into retirement plans is to make sure you consider, even attach strong weights to, (1) health care services and (2) relationships. We did and we are delighted that we made the decision to return to London.
Something that helped us understand the importance of these two criteria was the book, You Could Live a Long Time - Are You Ready? by Lyndsay Green. I highly recommend it. Also, see the links here and here.