US Towns

However NJ and Calif ranked 48th and 50th respectively in net migration of people over 60.
I.e. more old people moved out of NJ and CA.

California (6) was #3 behind FL (8) and AZ (7) for number of cities in the top 50 in the book "Retirement Places Rated: What You Need to Know to Plan the Retirement You Deserve"

"MONEY magazine and CNN/Money spent months looking for Great American Towns -- where you would want to raise your children and celebrate life's milestones. "

2009 List

Rank	City	Population		13	Superior, CO	10,500
1	Louisville, CO	18,800		14	Farmington, UT	16,500
2	Chanhassen, MN	23,700		15	Westerville, OH	35,700
3	Papillion, NE	22,200		16	Acton, MA	21,100
4	Middleton, WI	16,900		17	Newcastle, WA	9,800
5	Milton, MA	25,400		18	Highland Heights, OH	8,600
6	Warren, NJ	16,100		19	Hopkinton, MA	14,000
7	Keller, TX	38,100		20	Chaska, MN	23,900
8	Peachtree City, GA	34,500		21	Montville, NJ	22,300
9	Lake St. Louis, MO	13,900		22	Draper, UT	38,600
10	Mukilteo, WA	20,500		23	Solon, OH	22,000
11	West Goshen, PA	8,800		24	Mansfield, TX	44,100
12	Sammamish, WA	35,200		25	Ellisville, MO	9,200

2006 List

Rnk	Town	Population:	Typical single-family home:
1	Fort Collins, Colorado	128,000	$215,000
2	Naperville, Illinois	141,600	$360,000
3	Sugar Land, Texas	75,800	$170,000
4	Columbia/Ellicott City, Maryland	159,200	$350,000/$550,000
5	Cary, North Carolina	106,400	$280,000
6	Overland Park, Kansas	164,800	$250,000
7	Scottsdale, Arizona	226,000	$500,000
8	Boise, Idaho	193,200	$215,000
9	Fairfield, Connecticut	57,800	$545,000
10.	Eden Prairie, Minnesota	60,600	$300,000
11	Plano, TX	250,100
12	Eagan, MN	63,700
13	Olathe, KS	112,100
14	West Bloomfield , MI	65,000
15	Richardson, TX	99,200
16	Gilbert, AZ	178,100
17	Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ	51,600
18	Santa Clarita, CA	172,500
19	Carrollton, TX	124,700
20	Henderson, NV	232,100	$318,000
21	Bellevue, WA	117,100
22	Newton, MA	83,200
23	Sandy, UT	89,700
24	Westminster, CO	105,100
25	Ann Arbor, MI	113,300
28	Edison, NJ	100,500	$355,000
31	Livermore, CA	78,400	$580,000
32	Wayne, NJ	55,200	$450,000
34	Folsom, CA	65,600	$490,000
50	Middletown, NJ	67,800	$390,750

Big Cities

1. Colorado Springs, CO
2. Austin, TX
3. Mesa, AZ
4. Raleigh, N
5. San Diego, CA
6. Virginia Beach, VA
7. Omaha, Ne
8. Columbus, Oh
9. Wichita, KS
10. New York, NY

In 2013, physical health reached its lowest point in the past six years, in large part due to rising rates of obesity, based on self-reported height and weight. The rise in obesity, which had eased somewhat, resumed at alarming rates in 2013.

Over the six years of our well-being measurement, Americans\0xFFFD life evaluations have improved, emotional health and healthy behaviors have remained stable, and basic access, physical health, and work environment have declined.

In 2013, physical health reached its lowest point in the past six years, in large part due to rising rates of obesity, based on self-reported height and weight. The rise in obesity, which had eased somewhat, resumed at alarming rates in 2013.

These high well-being locations tend to exhibit many shared characteristics, including lower chronic disease rates, lower incidence of obesity, more frequent exercise, less smoking, and a more positive outlook on their communities.

1. North Dakota
2. South Dakota
3. Nebraska
4. Minnesota
5. Montana
6. Vermont
7. Colorado
8. Hawaii
9. Washington
10. Iowa

1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
2. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
3. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
4. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
5. Denver-Aurora, CO
6. Raleigh-Cary, NC
7. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
8. Austin-Round Rock, TX
9. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
10. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA

1. Provo-Orem, UT
2. Boulder, CO
3. Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
4. Honolulu, HI
5. Ann Arbor, MI
6. Naples-Marco Island, FL
7. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
8. Lincoln, NE
9. Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, ME
10. Madison, WI

1. Bellingham, WA
2. Billings, MT
3. Barnstable, MA
4. Burlington-South Burlington, VT
5. Sioux Falls, SD
6. Charlottesville, VA
7. Medford, OR
8. Prescott, AZ
9. Yakima, WA
10. Topeka, KS

 6. Ann Arbor, MI
 7. Atlanta, GA
 8. Ashville, NC
 9. Reno, NV
10. Corvallis, OR

1. Salt Lake City - Ogden, UT 2. Washington DC 3. Seattle - Bellevue, WA 4. Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater, FL 5. Denver, CO

6. Raleigh - Durham, NC 7. Toronto, Canada 8. Houston, TX 9. Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN 10. Phoenix - Mesa, AZ

Atlanta Cincinnati Minneapolis - St. Paul Salt Lake City Tampa

Denver Houston Raleigh - Durham Seattle Washington D.C

Online quize at FindYourSpot.com

"Looking to settle in Shangri-La? Check out ten towns that are making a strong play for perfection, with eco-smart designs, adventure-friendly innovations, and plentiful outdoor playgrounds - plus a commitment to the good life that really hits home."

Salt Lake City, Utah Littleton, New Hampshire Fort Collins, Colorado Charleston, South Carolina Davis, California

Portland, Oregon Chicago, Illinois Madison, Wisconsin Pasadena, California Portland, Maine.

1. Portland, Ore
2. Jackson Hole, Wyo.
3. Burlington, Vt.
4. Fort Collins, Colo.
5. Minneapolis, Minn.
6. Asheville, N.C.
7. Flagstaff, Ariz.
8. Seattle, Wash.
9. Knoxville, Tenn.
10. Juneau, Alaska

Best & Worst Cities for Recreation | WalletHub®
Top 10

1. Cincinnati, OH
2. Orlando, FL
3. Omaha, NE
4. Minneapolis, MN
5. Tampa, FL
6. St. Petersburg, FL
7. St. Louis, MO
8. Boise City, ID
9. Buffalo, NY
10. Sacramento, CA

Best Cities 2010: 10 Best Cities for Recreation | Parenting
Top 10

1. Jacksonville, FL
2. Albuquerque, NM
3. Scottsdale, AZ
4. Anchorage, AK
5. Aurora, CO
6. Augusta, GA
7. San Diego, CA
8. Little Rock, AR
9. Louisville, KY
10. Oklahoma City, OK

10 Best Places for Outdoorsy Types to Live - HowStuffWorks

1. Portland, Maine
2. Las Vegas, Nev.
3. Bend, Ore.
4. Costa Brava, Spain
5. Boone, N.C.
6. Durango, Colo.
7. North Conway, N.H.
8. Washington, D.C.
9. Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic
10. Ely, Minnesota

America's Best Cities For The Outdoors - Forbes Top 10

1. San Francisco, Calif.
2. San Diego, Calif.
3. San Jose, Calif.
4. Jacksonville, Fla.
5. Phoenix, Ariz.
6. Tampa, Fla.
7. Minneapolis, Minn.
8. Austin, Texas
9. Las Vegas, Nev.
10. Virginia Beach, Va.

The Best Adventure Towns - National Geographic Adventure Magazine

OutdoorLife.com - Best Towns for hunting and fishing.
Top 10: Rapid City, SD; Pocatello, ID; Page, AZ; Lewiston, ID; Kanab, UT; Bend, OR; Mountain Home, AR; Saratoga, WY; Rawlins, WY; Pierre, SD
Number of towns by state: 13 CO; 12 OR, MT; 11 ID; 9 SD, MN, 8 WY; 7 WI, UT, CA; 6 TX, NE; 5 WA, NY, ND, MO, AZ, AR, AK; 4 OK, NM, MI, KS.

Best Places to Retire
Book: Retirement Places Rated: What You Need to Know to Plan the Retirement You Deserve", Sixth Edition, 2004, by David Savageau
More than 200 places rated on Ambiance, Cost of Living, Climate, Personal Safety, Services and Economy.
Note: Only 6% of people between the ages of 55 and 65 move and many of them move to be near their children. Take this into account before you speculate in property in these areas.

The regional ranks below are my own. See the book (above) for more detailed regional listings and other cities.
[Rank]
Southwest: [1]
Scottsdale, AZ [2], Tuscon, AZ [6], Sedona, AZ [13], Mission-McAllen-Alamo, TX [19], Wickenburg, AZ [23], Mesa, AZ [26], Victorville - Apple Vly, CA [31], Palm Springs - Coachella Vly, CA [33], Yuma, AZ [37], Santa Fe, NM [38], Silver City, NM [71]
GA, AR, FL (central and Atlantic): [2]
Melbourne-Palm Beach, FL [4], Daytona Beach, FL [9], Fayetteville, AR [10], Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL [14], Savannah, GA [22], Gainsville, FL [31], Thomasville, GA [69], ... St Simons - Jekyll Isl., GA [157]
California Coast and Costal Range: [3]
North County San Diego [5], Santa Barbara [12], Laguna Beach-Dana Pt. [16], Santa Rosa, CA [21], Carmel-Pebble Beach [45]
Gulf Coast: [4]
Largo, FL [18], Sarasota, FL [24], New Port Richey, FL [28], Pensacola, FL [29], Western St. Tammany Parish, LA [33]
VA, NC, SC, TN: [5]
Charleston, SC [3], Ashville, NC [20], Charlotsville, VA [35], Fredericksburg - Spotsylvania, VA [38], Williamsburg, VA [46], Maryville, TN [83], ... Myrtle Beach, SC [112], Hilton Head Isl., SC [130]
Oregon and Washington: [6]
Florence, OR [1], Medford - Ashland, OR [7], Bellingham, WA [11], Port Angeles - Sequim, WA [44], Grants Pass, OR [57]
Rocky Mountains: [7]
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO [17], Grand Junction, CO [27], Flagstaff, AZ [36], Kalipspell - Flathead Vly., MT [40], Colorado Springs, CO [47], Coeur d'Alene, ID [80], ... Jackson Hole, WY [173]
New England: [8]
Lake Winnipesaukee, NH [8], Hanover, NH [15], Monadrock Reghin, NH [49], Bar Harbor, ME [66], Northampton - Amherst, MA [77], Burlington, VT [81], Litchfield Hills, CT [89]
NY, NJ, PA, MD, DE: [9]
East End Long Island, NY [30], Tom's River-Barnegat Bay, NJ [45], State College, PA [50], Annapolis, MD [107], Lake Placid, NY [154], Rehoboth Bay - Indian R., DE [111]
Tahoe & Sierra Nevada:
Carson City - Carson Vly, NV [51], Reno-Sparks, NV [51], Paradise-Magalia, CA [54], Grass Valley - Nevada Cty [134]
Northern Woods & Midwest:
Traverse City, MI [25], Madison, WI [61]

Best Places to Retire | Kiplinger 2018 1. S. Dakota, 2. Hawaii, 3. Georgia, 4. N.Dakota, 5. Tennessee, 6. Alabama, 7. Virginia, 8. Florida, 9. New Hampshire, 10. Utah, 11. Idaho, 12. S Carolina, 13. Iowa, 14. Pennsylvania, 15. Delaware, 16. Washington, ... 28. N. Carolina, 31. Alaska, 32. Oregon, 33. Minnesota, ... 39. New Mexico, 40. Vermont, 41. Wisconsin, 42. Louisiana, 43: Illinois, 44. Rhode Island, 45. Califorina, 46. Connecticut, 47. New Jersey, 48. Maryland, 49. Massachusetts, 50. New York

Compare cost of living, crime, cities, schools and more. Sperling's BestPlaces

Best Places to Retire Young, Feb., 2007 Money Mag.

25 Best Places To Retire In 2016 | Forbes
We canvassed data covering housing and other costs of living, taxes, crime rates, weather and air quality, doctor availability and opportunities for an active lifestyle, including walking, bicycling and volunteering. Listed in alphabetical order.
Abilene, TX; Apache Junction, AZ; Athens, GA; Bella Vista, AK; Blacksburg, VA; Bluffton, SC; Brevard, NC; Cape Coral, FL; Clermont, FL; Colorado Springs, CO; Columbia, MO; Corvallis, OR; Fargo, ND; Grand Prairie, TX; Largo, FL; Lexington, KY; Lincoln, NB; Meridian, OH; Mount Airy, NC; Pittsburgh, PA; San Marcos, TX; Smyrna, TN; Traverse City, MI; The Villages, FL; Walla Walla, WA.

Where to Retire: The Most Popular Locations | Time.com, 2017
Analysis of four years of Census records found that, among the 3.3 million people age 50 and over who were no longer in the work force and choose to move between states, their destinations were overwhelmingly clustered in just a few places: Florida, Arizona and the coast of South Carolina.

A community’s score describes its relative position among all other communities for a given component. All scores are constrained to a range of 0 (lowest possible value) to 100 (highest possible value). To achieve this range, the values of each component are rescaled using min-max normalization, which preserves their distribution while making them easier to understand.

Earthquake risk scores in Calif seem to be mostly on the total cost of damage caused. Even though the probability of a magnitude 6.7 or higher earthquake in N. Cal (63%) is close to S. Cal (67%) over the next 30 years the earthquake risk scores are much higher in Southern California because of population density.
LA county 100; Riverside 52
Bay Area: Alameda Co 41, San francisco 34, Sanoma 30; Contra Costa 29, Santa Clara 23; Yolo 16; Marin 11.

North Central Califorina overall Risk

Best countries for retirees

1. Switzerland 2. Norway 2. Sweden 4. Germany 5. Canada

6. Netherlands 7. Iceland 8. Japan 9. United States of America 10. United Kingdom

Source: global AgeWatch

Counties with highest household income
Most Affluent Cities in the US

Web Links:
State public health statistics | America's Health Rankings
FEMA Releases National Risk Index: New Online Data Shows Natural Hazards Risks for Communities | Domestic Preparedness
National Risk Index for Natural Hazards (NRI) | FEMA.gov
Most Sinful States Cities with the highest murder rate.
FBI Uniform Crime Reports by state
"The Numbers Game", Geoff Loftus of Washington Univ. comments on rating systems.
What Is Your Perfect State To Live In Based On Your Personality? | QuizDoo
Sperling's Best Places
Best Cities for Relocating Families
Pew Global Attitudes Project
State Pouplation and Growth
Demographia: Demographics Development, Urban Policy, Housing Costs
Highest murder rate in large cities