Best Cities for Every Life Stage

(Image credit: Thinkstock)

published 1 January 2012

Some cities are better suited to mid-career workers than to retirees, and some appeal to recent grads more than to families. That\'s why we picked five great cities for each of five different age groups -- young adults, mid-career professionals, families, second acts and retirees.

All of the cities on our list have reasonable living costs, strong employment growth and a population that scores high on measures of education, tech-savviness and tolerance. We sorted them further by using criteria tailored to each of our categories. For instance, we factored in rental cost for young adults; commute times for professionals; school quality for families; the arts and number of restaurants for second acts; and, for retirees, climate and number of doctors.

To identify the winners, Kiplinger teamed up with Kevin Stolarick, research director at the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think tank that studies economic prosperity. The cost-of-living index measures how expensive it is to live in a city; the national average score is 100. That means cities with a score below 100 have a lower-than-average cost of living. Nationwide, the median price of an existing single-family home is $157,000, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $959, median income is $43,024 and median income growth from 2006 to 2011 was 11.1%. The national unemployment rate is 8.2%.

Topics

Lists

Best City for Young Adults: #1 Madison, Wis.

Population (metro area): 568,593

Young adults complain of a competitive rental market, where it\'s tough to find a centrally located two-bedroom flat for less than $1,000 a month. But there\'s plenty to keep your mind off high rents in this midsize midwestern city. On a typical Saturday, you might browse the Dane County Farmers\' Market, head down to Camp Randall Stadium to tailgate and watch Badgers football, or boat or fish in lakes Kegonsa, Mendota, Monona and Waubesa.

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Best City for Young Adults: Austin, Tex. (Runner-Up)

Population (metro area): 1,716,289

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Best City for Mid-Career Professionals: #1 Washington, D.C.

Population (metro area): 5,582,170

The nation\'s capital boasts diversity -- from job sectors to arts and culture -- which means it\'s easy to find your niche. Don\'t peg greater Washington as just a government hub; D.C.\'s biggest growth area is professional services, such as consulting companies and defense contractors. Biotech rules in the Maryland suburbs, and in the area stretching from Baltimore to the District, cyber-security jobs are growing.

While many come for the jobs, they stay for the quality of life. Check out the free Smithsonian museums, concerts hosted by embassies or the pro sports games. Neighborhoods range from leafy suburbs to trendy downtown areas with an eclectic mix of eateries, shopping and bars -- but housing costs are high downtown and in the close-in suburbs. Prices for a two-bedroom/two-bath condo in happening neighborhoods (D.C.\'s Logan Circle and Arlington\'s Clarendon, for example) start at about $600,000. Move off the Metro line and for $500,000 to $600,000 you can find a three-bedroom single-family home.

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Best City for Mid-Career Professionals: Durham, N.C. (Runner-Up)

Population (metro area): 504,375

Durham is a hotbed for tech start-ups. It\'s home to Duke University (part of the Research Triangle, which includes the nearby University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University). And it\'s next to Research Triangle Park, a center for companies specializing in biological, environmental and computer technology. The Durham area also hosts big employers, such as IBM and GlaxoSmithKline.

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Best City for Families: #1 Des Moines, Iowa

Population (metro area): 569,633

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Best City for Families: Manchester-Nashua, N.H. (Runner-Up)

Population (metro area): 400,721

Set along the Merrimack River amid a classic New England landscape, these two former mill towns and surrounding communities are both affordable and livable. Although the median home price (about $195,000) exceeds the national median, so does the median income. New Hampshire residents pay high property taxes but no state income tax or sales tax. Families with school-age children tend to gravitate to nearby towns such as Bedford, Amherst and Hollis, where the schools outperform those in Manchester and Nashua.

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Best City for Second Acts: #1 Portland, Maine

Population (metro area): 514,098

Portland\'s lively arts scene, highly skilled workforce and inventive cuisine, along with a low crime rate and high-quality medical facilities, are drawing professionals who are making their home base here and telecommuting or flying to their jobs. The cost of living is slightly higher than the national average, but compared with big-city prices, housing is affordable. Newly built two-bedroom condos on the eastern side of downtown sell for $360,000.

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Best City for Second Acts: Santa Fe, N.M. (Runner-Up)

Population (metro area): 144,170

Santa Fe is an oasis in the Southwest desert—and not just for its climate. As the capital of New Mexico and the closest city to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Santa Fe has long enjoyed low unemployment and an abundance of high-paying, highly skilled jobs. Research and technology employ thousands here, as do the hospitality industry, the regional medical center and the region\'s thriving arts community.

In fact, with a renowned opera and some 240 galleries, Santa Fe ranks among the largest art markets in the country. The city boasts four art districts, ranging from the high-end jewelry shops around its 400-year-old adobe plaza to the two-mile stretch of Spanish farmhouses, restaurants and galleries on Canyon Road. These amenities don\'t come cheap, and the median home price is about $210,000 above the national average. Still, the area\'s strong economy, vibrant art scene and picture-perfect scenery continue to draw tourists and transplants alike.

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Best City for Retirees: #1 New Orleans

Population (metro area): 1,167,764

Retirees and people on the brink of retirement are finding a lot to like here. New Orleans has affordable health care and a mild climate (notwithstanding the occasional hurricane). The state offers tax breaks to retirees: Social Security and federal government and military retirement benefits are tax-free, and property taxes are low. Although warring gangs keep the murder rate high, burglaries and thefts track close to the national average.

Some retirees are gravitating to nearby Metairie and the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. No matter where you live, you will still want to stroll the streets of the French Quarter. Besides jazz and blues played by gifted street musicians, you’re likely to find a festival going on. World-renowned restaurants include Galatoire\'s (for French Creole), Cochon (for Cajun) and Acme Oyster House (for the oysters, crawfish and po\' boys).