Retirement trends have changed almost completely for the boomer generation, which counts high activity availability and proximity of city culture among some of the most desirable qualities people look for in a retirement locale today. Living longer and much more actively than their parents, boomers are shifting their retirement preferences accordingly, writes CNN Money/Fortune.
CNN and Fortune compiled a new list of top retirement locations, published this week, citing retirees’ desire to be surrounded by outdoor activities, city life, and other common qualities.
CNN Money writes:
This is the first generation in which a large percentage of the population has stayed physically fit throughout middle age, says Dr. Nicholas A. DiNubile, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “The boomers really know that you have some control over Father Time,” he says.
But where to spend all those additional years? This group doesn’t necessarily want the obvious locales, like Florida or Arizona. “Retirees today are looking at it with a sense of adventure as opposed to a sense of inevitability,” says retirement consultant Maria Dwight. They may not weigh the pros and cons in terms of days of sunshine or number of golf courses, but rather the number of hiking and biking trails, the opportunity for educational enrichment, and the caliber of the art and restaurant scene. Since so many are still working or would like the option to, a strong job market is a plus too.
Among the top retirement locations deemed by Fortune/CNN: Santa Fe, New Mexico and Napa, California for their sunny climates; Charleston, South Carolina and Madison, Wisconsin in the category of “small cities”; mountain towns including Bend, Oregon and Burlington, Vermont; and big cities New York and Boston.
Check out the full list at CNN Money/Fortune.com.
Written by Elizabeth Ecker