If you’re heading toward retirement age (and we all are, if you think about it) it’s important to settle in the right town for you. Luckily, West Virginia has a lot of great options for retirees. To help people find the best places for them, Niche ranked the best cities in the Mountain State that are best to retire in. The towns on this list represent those with communities that are safe, affordable and active.
Here are the 10 best cities in West Virginia to retire in:
- Charles Town
Shashi Bellamkonda/Flickr Charles Town has 5,349 residents, 14 percent are 65 or older. One resident wrote “This is a great place to live.”
- Princeton
Ed/Flickr Princeton in Mercer County has 6,454 residents, 22 percent of which are 65 or older. One resident said this about the town: “Great for elderly and small families. Beautiful scenic area that offers a lot of nature and wildlife activities. Mountains, trails, rivers and parks. Good tourism area.”
- Grafton
John Mueller/Flickr Grafton in Taylor County has a population of 5,180 people, 21 percent are 65 and over. One reviewer said “Grafton is a small, quiet place. It is a great place to live if you plan on retiring and living your days to yourself. “
- Bridgeport
paul adonis hunter/Flickr Bridgeport has 8,260 residents, 19 percent of whom are 65 or older. One reviewer said “This is a nice small town with big town amenities.”
- Elkins
Nick/Flickr Elkins has 7,189 residents and has low housing costs and average unemployment rates. Eighteen percent of the residents there are 65 or older. One reviewer said “this is a beautiful place to visit the out of doors, bike, hike, swim, ski, boat, rock climb, or just drive around and look at the scenery.”
- Parkersburg
Roy/Flickr Parkersburg has a population of 31,357, 18 percent of whom are 65 or older. It’s got low housing costs and unemployment rates. Eighteen percent of the residents are 65 or over. One resident said “I honestly love living in my neighborhood. While there aren’t many neighbors my age, that’s okay because all of my neighbors are truly great people. “
- Vienna
Cate S/Flickr Vienna has a population of 10,697, 20 percent of which are 65 or older. It’s got low housing costs and unemployment rates. One reviewer said they enjoy the weather and the green landscapes, but the city has a lot of homeless people.
- Buckhannon
jamiev_03/Flickr Buckhannon has a population of 5,636, 15 percent of which are 65 or older. It’s got low housing costs and unemployment rates. One resident wrote “This place is fairly quiet.”
- Bluefield
John Mueller/Flickr Bluefield has a population of 10,492, according to Niche. 21 percent of those residents are 65 or older. It has low housing costs and low unemployment rates. One resident said “It’s a good place to live if you are interested in outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting and other nature related activities but if you like the city life and shopping or partying it is not idealistic.”
- Keyser
Alainmoscoso Keyser has a population of 5,375. It has low home values and rent costs, as well as high unemployment rates. Twenty resident of the residents there are 65 or older. Overall, Niche gives in a B-. One resident wrote “It’s certainly not a bad place to live. The majority of this town’s residents are middle aged to elderly, so the general atmosphere is more oriented towards people of those ages and their children.”
Do any of the towns on this list surprise you? Where else do you think is a good place to retire?
Shashi Bellamkonda/Flickr
Charles Town has 5,349 residents, 14 percent are 65 or older. One resident wrote “This is a great place to live.”
Ed/Flickr
Princeton in Mercer County has 6,454 residents, 22 percent of which are 65 or older. One resident said this about the town: “Great for elderly and small families. Beautiful scenic area that offers a lot of nature and wildlife activities. Mountains, trails, rivers and parks. Good tourism area.”
John Mueller/Flickr
Grafton in Taylor County has a population of 5,180 people, 21 percent are 65 and over. One reviewer said “Grafton is a small, quiet place. It is a great place to live if you plan on retiring and living your days to yourself. “
paul adonis hunter/Flickr
Bridgeport has 8,260 residents, 19 percent of whom are 65 or older. One reviewer said “This is a nice small town with big town amenities.”
Nick/Flickr
Elkins has 7,189 residents and has low housing costs and average unemployment rates. Eighteen percent of the residents there are 65 or older. One reviewer said “this is a beautiful place to visit the out of doors, bike, hike, swim, ski, boat, rock climb, or just drive around and look at the scenery.”
Roy/Flickr
Parkersburg has a population of 31,357, 18 percent of whom are 65 or older. It’s got low housing costs and unemployment rates. Eighteen percent of the residents are 65 or over. One resident said “I honestly love living in my neighborhood. While there aren’t many neighbors my age, that’s okay because all of my neighbors are truly great people. “
Cate S/Flickr
Vienna has a population of 10,697, 20 percent of which are 65 or older. It’s got low housing costs and unemployment rates. One reviewer said they enjoy the weather and the green landscapes, but the city has a lot of homeless people.
jamiev_03/Flickr
Buckhannon has a population of 5,636, 15 percent of which are 65 or older. It’s got low housing costs and unemployment rates. One resident wrote “This place is fairly quiet.”
Bluefield has a population of 10,492, according to Niche. 21 percent of those residents are 65 or older. It has low housing costs and low unemployment rates. One resident said “It’s a good place to live if you are interested in outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting and other nature related activities but if you like the city life and shopping or partying it is not idealistic.”
Alainmoscoso
Keyser has a population of 5,375. It has low home values and rent costs, as well as high unemployment rates. Twenty resident of the residents there are 65 or older. Overall, Niche gives in a B-. One resident wrote “It’s certainly not a bad place to live. The majority of this town’s residents are middle aged to elderly, so the general atmosphere is more oriented towards people of those ages and their children.”
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