AARP ranks top 9 places to retire

Well, those cities don't exactly spring to mind when I think of a place to retire. None listed are out west!

That's because "out west" is more expensive from a taxation standpoint-

"AARP’s Livable Communities team — which provides support to local leaders to help make cities and towns best-suited for people of all ages — and the AARP Public Policy Institute — which publishes the popular Livability Index used by real estate agents and home shoppers nationwide — worked with our editors to come up with 14 objective points of data by which to assess American communities in this new reality. From them, a set of communities emerged."
 
I admire the attempt. But their editors and AARP apparently don't share my priorities about those "objective points of data". So of course they'll leave out my favorite cities.

Do you find any a desirable place to retire in their list?
 
Seems like weekly another one of these lists is published. I just don't think there is one-size-fits-all best retirement destination.

I'm staying where I am, primarily due to the outdoor activity opportunities.

Edit: And the beer. :)
 
The first thing that always causes my jaw to drop when I see those lists is the monthly housing costs. I could not afford to live in any of those places! But even so, most of them don't appeal to me whatsoever, because I prefer a rural setting where no one hassles me about my big C-band dishes!
 
3 years ago I bought a 2600 square foot home in SC. Two story cape Cod style with a finished basement built in 2000 for 80K. Granted put 20K into making it nice and included that in my mortgage. My payments including taxes and insurance are $751 a month! My taxes in Florida were 4K a year and insurance was pushing 5K a year on a muck smaller home.