Iowa’s rural nature may be one of the state’s best assets for attracting retirees, according to a national magazine’s latest list of best places in America to retire. Tim Smart, managing editor of U.S. News and World Report, says the list of one-thousand cities includes nine in Iowa. Smart says retirees aren’t just thinking of warm weather but quality of life.
Smart says: "There seems to be a movement among retirees, particularly baby boomer retirees, away from the more populated states, away from the coast and into the middle part of the country and places like Nebraska, Iowa, Idaho are becoming more popular as retirement spots because the cost of living is so much more affordable." Smart explains what factors go into a good place to retire.
He says, "Having access to health care, having a reasonably low crime rate, having cultural and recreational amenities, having a cost of living that was either close to or better than the national average." The Iowa cities on this year’s list are: Ames, Ankeny, Bettendorf, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Iowa City, Urbandale, and West Des Moines. Smart says the many factors that are considered when people make the decision on where to retire has changed over the past 20 years.
He says, "There was quite an emphasis when we interviewed people on this place has great bike trails or this place has great walking trails. People seem to have more time and, frankly, more money than they used to have." To see the full report, visit " www.usnews.com/listings/retirement ".