SPECIAL FROM Grandparents.com
Cost of living, number of sunny days or proximity to leisure activities are all important to consider when researching where to retire. But other, less obvious factors may make the difference between feeling young and active—and feeling old and out of touch.
We’ve rounded up a few cities with some unique characteristics that may make you feel older than you really are.
Provo, UT
WikiMedia:
Home to Brigham-Young University, Provo, Utah is also home to the youngest population in the country. The average median age for Provo residents is 23.4, which means its residents are 14 years younger than the average American. Surrounding yourself with young, vibrant college students might be one way to stay young, but watching those bouncing coeds frolic along the campus can also do the reverse: serve as a reminder for how long ago you were doing the same thing.
Madison, WI
Listening to your own grandchildren screeching on the playground (with joy, of course) is one thing. Being surrounded by other people’s screaming kids is quite another. With the most playgrounds per resident – seven per every 10,000 residents – in the nation, moving to Madison, Wisconsin, might need to come with a set of earplugs.
Chula Vista, CA
WikiMedia:
Trying new things you never got a chance to try is part of what makes retirement so grand. If chomping on a mouth guard, strapping on a helmet, and flying through the air on a flimsy, wheeled board doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, then Chula Vista, California, may not be for you. With the most skateboard parks per 100,000 residents, this board-acious city is a skating aficionado’s concrete paradise.
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Baton Rouge, LA
For some people, few things in this world can make them feel older than a senior center. So if you’re someone who cringes at the thought of being surrounded by the muted tones of a retirement facility, then Baton Rouge, Louisiana, may not be your best bet. With the most recreational and senior centers per 20,000 residents, don’t be surprised if you wake up one morning with a purple perm and reservations for the Early Bird Special.
Buffalo, NY
WikiMedia:
Sometimes all it takes to feel your age is a heavy rainstorm—and the accompanying achy joints. If you live in Buffalo, New York you may feel your age (and then some!) almost every day. With more than 130 rainy days per year, Buffalo has the most rainy days in the country.
Milwaukee, WI and Worcester, MA
Being single and ready to mingle in your golden years can be just as (if not more) exciting as dating in your 20s and 30s. That is, if the eligible singles aren't more than two decades younger than you. As the top cities for women seeking men age 35 and under and men seeking women age 35 and under, Milwaukee and Worcester, respectively, might not top your retirement list if diving back into the dating pool is part of the grand plan.
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Flint, MI
WikiMedia:
While there are many cities that are still suffering from the economic downturn, the city of Flint, Michigan, has the highest rate of urban blight in the country, according to the Greater New Orleans Data Center. If we truly are a product of our environment – as businessman and philanthropist W. Clement Stone once said – then surrounding ourselves with dilapidated buildings and homes is enough to make anyone feel old and rundown.
Read more from Grandparents.com:10 Best Suburbs in America for People Over 507 Worst Places to Retire5 Last-Minute Ways to Stash Retirement Cash
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