Report: Southern cities are best retirement locations

Baby Boomers looking for a good place to retire should head south. First stop: Tallahassee, Fla. That is the conclusion of a new report, “Best Choice for Retiring Boomers: Head South – An Analysis of Selected U.S. Cities.” Tallahassee ranked No. 1 among 20 desirable retirement cities, followed by Memphis, Tenn., and Athens, Ga.

Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, scored highest in the conditions Boomers say they are looking for in a place to retire. Those priorities include a warm climate, low cost of living, favorable tax rate and quality health care.

Boomers also are looking for arts and cultural opportunities, according to the report, as well as options for life-long learning. Southern college towns rated high in those conditions, accounting for four of the five top cities: Tallahassee, home to Florida State University and Florida A&M University; Athens, (3), home to the University of Georgia; Tuscaloosa, Ala., (4), home to the University of Alabama; and Oxford, Miss., (6), home to the University of Mississippi.

All but one of the top 10 ranked cities are located in the South. In order, the top 10 cities are: Tallahassee; Memphis; Athens; Tuscaloosa; Atlanta; Oxford and Charleston, S.C. (tied); Louisville, Ky.; Richmond, Va.; and Pittsburgh, Pa. (tied).

The next 10 cities, in order, are: Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Indianapolis, Ind., (tied); Lexington, Ky., and Toledo, Ohio (tied); Cleveland; Boston and Milwaukee (tied); Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and New York.

The report is an analysis of a survey of retirement relocation preferences conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research. The analysis was conducted by Coral Gables, Fla.-based The Washington Economics Group (WEG), a business consulting firm.