We understand that one person's perfect place to live may not be another's cup of tea. But it's also true that people at different life stages tend to be looking for the same things in a city.
Singles lean to a scintillating night life. Families and young couples with kids look for great education. Retirees rank healthcare highly. And everyone wants affordable housing and a reasonable cost of living.
- Smart Cities for Singles
- Smart Cities for Couples
- Smart Cities for Families
- Smart Cities for Empty Nesters
- Smart Cities for Retirees
So to help you pick the perfect spot for your next life change, we've picked five cities that rate highly for people in the five main life stages: singles, young couples, families, empty nesters and retirees. Our selections are based on our Smart Cities story. For that story we joined forces with Bert Sperling, co-author of Cities Ranked & Rated (Wiley, $25) and host of BestPlaces.net.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | 50 Smart Places to Live |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Slide Show: Top Ten Smart Cities |
| Row 2 - Cell 0 | Affordable Homes in Our Top Ten Cities |
Key to our Smart Cities list were places where you could buy an attractive house for $300,000 to $400,000 or less. Access to quality health care was also a must, as was a strong economy. Once we narrowed down the list, we traveled to the cities that bubbled to the top to speak with residents and savor the flavor of their neighborhoods.
These are our top five picks for each stage of life. A number of factors went into the selection of each city for each category, but our choices aren't ranked. They are listed alphabetically.
As you click through our slide show, you'll see that Austin ranks in all five categories, and Minneapolis-St. Paul is in four. For people who like the idea of settling in a single city for life, these great cities stand head and shoulders above the rest.
-
Stock Market Today: President Trump Reboots the Tariff TradeA broad consensus that markets hate uncertainty more than anything else is being tested on an almost daily basis in 2025.
-
Electric Car Owners Can’t Avoid Road Taxes in 2025New Taxes Hawaii launched its new EV road usage fee in July. Here’s why some states are implementing similar new electric vehicle taxes across the nation.
-
How to Search For Foreclosures Near You: Best Websites for ListingsMaking Your Money Last Searching for a foreclosed home? These top-rated foreclosure websites — including free, paid and government options — can help you find listings near you.
-
Luxury Home Prices Rise as the Rich Dodge High Mortgage RatesLuxury home prices rose 9% to the highest third-quarter level on record, Redfin reports, growing nearly three times faster than non-luxury prices.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnbreal estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to Shop for a Low Mortgage RateBecoming a Homeowner Mortgage rates are high this year, but you can still find an affordable loan with these tips.
-
Is Relief from Shipping Woes Finally in Sight?business After years of supply chain snags, freight shipping is finally returning to something more like normal.
-
Looking to Relocate? Plan for Climate Changebuying a home Extreme weather events are on the rise. If you’re moving, make sure your new home is protected from climate change disasters.
-
Retirees, A Healthy Condo Has a Flush Reserve FundSmart Buying Reserve funds for a third of homeowner and condo associations have insufficient cash, experts say. Here are some cautionary steps you should take.
-
Economic Pain at a Food Pantrypersonal finance The manager of this Boston-area nonprofit has had to scramble to find affordable food.
