Midwest Is Best, When It Comes to the 30 Best Cities for Older Americans in Retirement

USA Today reports that almost all of the 30 best U.S. cities for older Americans identified by 24/7 Wall St. are in the Midwest, with Wisconsin having eight; Minnesota five; Iowa four; and Illinois, North Dakota, and Missouri two each. These cities were cited according to an index of a dozen measures, including access to healthcare, financial well-being, and leisure activities. In 30th place is Fargo, N.D., which has a relatively high concentration of leisure and amusement options per capita, including theaters, fitness and recreation centers, and museums. A higher number of Fargo seniors report feeling healthy, versus the average across all U.S. cities. Rochester, Minn., topped the list, featuring more than 177 primary care physicians per 100,000 senior residents. Only 11 percent of seniors in Rochester report being in "fair" or "poor" health, a full 5 percentage points under the national average. Relative financial security is a hallmark of Rochester's seniors, versus older Americans nationwide. Nationally, 8.9 percent of seniors depend on food stamps, compared to 4.2 percent in Rochester; 52.5 percent of Rochester's seniors have retirement income, up from the national average of 48.6 percent.