In a mid-January report, MarketWatch geographer and author Warren Bland provided an overview of towns offering superior value for retirees.

To rank the towns, Bland used 12 criteria: landscape, climate, quality of life, cost of living, transportation, retail services, health care, community services, cultural activities, recreational activities, work and volunteer activities and crime. Bland described the survey's favorites in "Retire in Style: 60 Outstanding Places Across the USA and Canada."

Although people tend to think of places such as Florida and Arizona as obvious areas where people migrate to spend retirement, Bland said increased access to information about other parts of the country and world via the Internet has helped retirees expand their options when selecting where they'd like to live out their golden years.
He also said some cities like Pittsburgh have suffered from misconceptions with "a lingering reputation as a dirty, steel-mill town, a blue-collar town where middle- and upper-middle class people wouldn't want to be." In contrast, today that same community has moved from steel manufacturing to a predominantly service-based economy and has added improved air quality, entertainment options, restaurants and healthcare, culture and recreation.

"Hot Springs is an even better bargain in terms of housing costs," he said. Single-family houses from 1,600 to 2,100 square feet average $135,000 to $225,000, according to Hot Springs-based Coldwell Banker Alliance Realty statistics.

Colorado Springs was the only Rocky Mountain community on the top 10 list.

Bland's list of top value towns, from the least to most expensive includes:

1. Hot Springs, Ark.
2. Winston-Salem, N. C.
3. Fayetteville, Ark.
4. Bowling Green, Ky.
5. Lawrence, Kan.
6. Columbia, Mo.
7. Pittsburgh, Pa.
8. Gainesville, Fla.
9. San Antonio, Texas
10. Colorado Springs, Colo.

Source: Colorado Springs Business Journal Daily Update, February 6, 2007

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