The Best Cities in America to Spend Your Retirement

When the time comes to hang up the apron and settle into retired life, there's a lot to consider in terms of where you plan to spend those hard-earned glory days. Lifehacker recently shared a chart created by the financial advice website Bankrate that ranks 196 cities in terms of how well-suited they are for retirees. Of the nearly 200 places considered, Arlington, Virginia holds the number one spot.

Using data from several sources including the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, WalkScore.com, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bankrate looked at eight different criteria to determine the best retirement city: Cost of living, crime, well-being, walkability, taxes, health care, weather, and culture. Although the cost of living in Arlington is listed as being "very high," crime levels and taxes are low, well-being, walkability, health care, and the overall culture there are great, and the weather is average. Other top cities include Alexandria, Virginia, Franklin, Tennessee, Silver Spring, Maryland, and West Des Moines, Iowa. The least suited cities on the list are Niagara Falls, New York, Milford, Connecticut, and New Haven, Connecticut, where taxes, crime, and cost of living are generally high, while the desirable factors for retirees like healthcare and weather are sub par.

As Lifehacker notes, categories like culture are somewhat subjective, so check out the full chart for yourself, weigh the options, and start thinking about your geographical future.