Where would you like to live when you retire? My husband and I are among the millions of baby boomers facing retirement years. It's easier to rule out where we would NOT like to be than to decide where to spend our later years. I know I'd like to be near water, while my hubby just wants to be able to relax.
A healthy lifestyle is at the top of the list of best qualities of a community in the AARP article on the Healthiest Hometowns (Sep/Oct 2008). The better the health habits of the community, the longer the life expectancy. So, which towns made the top ten? Some will actually surprise you:
Not surprisingly, the study found college and university towns ranked highly, due to teaching hospitals and a younger generation demanding fitness trails and bicycle routes. Surprisingly, fewer Southern locations made the list due to higher rates of obesity and chronic disease.
Who knew that Madison, Wisconsin has one of the highest numbers of registered moped drivers? Or, that the Spam Jam in Honolulu celebrates the stuff: Hawaiians eat 7 million cans per year (I remember my Mom making fried spam with pineapple when I was a kid).
While the cities may have received high marks for a healthy lifestyle, affordable quality health care is an issue of concern and not available to all.
Did your idea of retirement heaven make the list?