Every retiree has their own priorities for retirement – whether they are looking for affordability, culture, recreation, or something else.
The team at Travel + Leisure magazine offered a new take, using financial and lifestyle data analyzed by Investopedia to build unranked national regional lists of the best cities in the U.S. for retirement. Only one Colorado city made the top 10 list for the western U.S. and top 50 nationally – Pueblo. The magazine highlighted numerous activities and attractions, as well as its affordable homes.
Here’s a look at why Pueblo made the list and who else was considered the best in the West.
Why was Pueblo ranked one of the best cities for retirement?
Travel + Leisure noted several attractions in Pueblo as well as its affordable homes (median home value of $271,800) and hundreds of medical providers.
On the recreation side, downtown Pueblo’s Riverwalk was highlighted for its options for shopping and dining. Its noted cultural attractions included the city’s public art, guided history cruises and the Rosemount Museum.
Nature lovers can check out the 400 animals at the Pueblo Zoo or enjoy the fishing, sailing, boating, hiking, picnicking, and river tubing at Lake Pueblo State Park, the magazine also noted.
What other cities in the West are best bets for retirement?
The magazine named nine cities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Wyoming to its top 10 in the West:
- Pocatello, Idaho
- Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
- Twin Falls, Idaho
- Pomeroy, Washington
- Omak, Washington
- Great Falls, Montana
- Carson City, Nevada
- Evanston, Wyoming
- Ontario, Oregon
Seven more cities, all in neighboring states in the Southwest, also made the top 50:
- Las Vegas, New Mexico
- Santa Rosa, New Mexico
- Hugo, Oklahoma
- Parker, Arizona Albuquerque, New Mexico Muskogee, Oklahoma Lake Havasu City, Arizona
What was the study based on?
Travel + Leisure says it used data from Investopedia that analyzed “factors such as cost of living, housing, transportation, health care, taxes, and access to arts, culture, and travel.”
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network.
