Retirement looks different for everyone. Maybe your dream is lounging by the beach or boating over crystal blue waters. Or maybe it’s exploring the great outdoors or taking in museums, live music and theater.
Perhaps you don’t plan to “retire” at all, but instead start a new business after your main career ends. No matter what your vision looks like, there’s a place to bring it to life, and our 2021 Best Places to Retire list can help you home in on that location.
We looked at nearly 100 different metrics (for a total of over 150,000 unique data points) to determine the top 10 most desirable places to retire in the U.S. Home prices, weather and access to health care factored in, as did local amenities and facilities. The result is a wide-ranging list of towns that spans all the way from New Hampshire to Texas to Idaho.
We focused on places whose COVID-19 vaccination rates were close to or higher than their state average. And while some of the activities listed below may be modified due to the on-going pandemic, these locations also have abundant outdoor resources.
Need help finding the perfect spot to put down roots and enjoy this exciting life stage? Dig in and enjoy.
Carmel, Indiana
Courtesy of The City of Carmel
Population: 99,339
Population 50+: 40%
Days of sunshine a year: 187
Median home price: 381,015
Don’t let its picturesque Main Street and affordable housing fool you. Though Carmel may seem like just another quaint suburb of Indianapolis, this year’s winner is bustling with activity and culture in its own right.
The town is home to its own orchestra, several art councils and theater troupes, a Center for Performing Arts and a number of museums. The Museum of Minature Houses is a particularly unique one. Featuring over 1,000 to-scale miniature (and historically correct) homes, the museum has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors since its opening nearly 30 years ago. You can even take part in a three-level scavenger hunt while you’re there.
Carmel also plays host to a year-round slate of events, including regular farmers markets, an annual German Christkindlmarkt, and festivals for art, coffee, beer and more.
The city is a pioneer in road safety: It has been replacing traditional intersections with safer roundabout versions for years (there are now 140 and counting), and it’s known as the Roundabout Capital of the U.S.
Carmel also boasts plenty of shopping in its Arts & Design District. To keep fit, walk or bike the 25-mile Monon Trail, explore the lush Coxhall Gardens park, or head to the …….