Article Surfing Archive

Young retirees looking out for the best cities in the U.S. to retire young but still be engaged in an active lifestyle may take a look at the top ten cities that have been chosen by the Money Magazine with Bert Sperling of Bestplace.net this year. The best cities have been selected based on important factors for an active lifestyle such as population growth, cost of living, economic health, recreation opportunities and leisure activities. The city's proximity to a large metro area, college presence in the vicinity and housing costs that are below $350,000 have been taken into account. However, the study also made a few exceptions for cities that offered unique benefits and did not strictly fit the criteria.

1. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: Pronounced as 'Core da lane', this city offers a wonderful ski environment, stunning scenery and a flourishing golf culture. The city is picking up in the tourism sector. The median home price is $311,700 and the population is 38,246.

2. Charlottesville, Virginia: The Blue Ridge Mountains, University of Virginia, and variety of entertainment and recreation, makes Charlottesville an attractive option to retire in. This is also a city with a strong historical background. All these positive features offset the slightly high median home price of $398,400. The population of Charlottesville is 41,425.

3. Logan, Utah: Home to the Utah State University, Logan is a popular city that offers various recreational activities including plenty of water sports at Bear Lake. Logan has a historic downtown and the scenic Logan Canyon Scenic Byway is a great attraction. The city has a median home price of $205,400 and population of 44,599.

4. Blacksburg, Virginia: A town that has been growing steadily over the last 4 decades, Blacksburg is home to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute also known as Virginia Tech, a very vibrant college community and lots of scenic beauty. The median home price is $233,400 and the town has a population of 39,915 residents.

5. Burlington, Vermont: A college town through and through, Burlington boasts of being home to four colleges - the University of Vermont, Burlington College, Champlain College and a Community College of Vermont campus. The median home price is $378,000 and the town has 37,884 residents.

6. Anacortes, Washington: An awesome place if you want to enjoy your retirement with a lot of fun and entertainment. The jewel of Fidalgo Island, Anacortes is favorably located near British Columbia. There is no limit to the water sports that the sea offers or to other outdoor activities such as golfing, bird watching, camping etc. The median home price is $347,600 and the town has a population of just 15,514 with a 15-year growth rate of 24.5 %.

7. Sarasota, Florida: You would love this spot for its exquisite architecture, pure white sands and wonderful beach sports. The medium home price is a little expensive at $423,400 and the population is at 53,477. Being the hub of architectural marvel Sarasota in the State of Florida might not offer much for the home buyer in terms of housing bargains.

8. Hanover, New Hampshire: Also known as the "Upper Valley", Hanover in New Hampshire is a peaceful place to settle in, for its wonderful valley setting. Located at driving distance from Boston, Montreal and New York City, Hanover also offers great skiing activity. The median home price is at $297,400 and the population is 8,305 with a 15-year growth rate of 13.2 %.

9. Manhattan, Kansas: If one wishes to settle in a city that offers year-round entertainment, Manhattan in the State of Kansas would be the perfect choice. The city offers golf, art, shopping and some of the country's best music festivals during the month of June. The median home price is $188,600 and the population is 44,630.

10. Ames, Iowa: This can be the perfect choice for the one who wants a laid back lifestyle and a quiet life. The city offers some of the most affordable housing options and the crime rate is also quite low here. The city also is home to the Iowa State University. The Median home price is at $176,700 and the population is 54,817.