20 Great Places to Retire Near the Mountains

Retirement may afford you the perfect time to gain some perspective in life—and what better place to do it than in the mountains?

A person hiking by a body of water
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Retirement may afford you the perfect time to gain some perspective in life—and what better place to do it than in the mountains? On top of the scenic views, higher altitudes also give you cooler weather and less humidity. And America's mountain majesties can be found in many locations all over the country.

We highlighted one great retirement destination in each state, taking into account living costs, safety, median incomes and poverty rates for retirement-age residents, as well as residents' sense of well-being and the availability of recreational and health care facilities. Of our 50 picks, these 20 retirement spots across the U.S. offer the added benefit of nearby peaks and valleys to explore.

Disclaimer

The list is ordered alphabetically by state. See "How We Picked the Best Places for Retirement" at the end of the list for details on our data sources and methodology.

Stacy Rapacon
Online Editor, Kiplinger.com

Rapacon joined Kiplinger in October 2007 as a reporter with Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and became an online editor for Kiplinger.com in June 2010. She previously served as editor of the "Starting Out" column, focusing on personal finance advice for people in their twenties and thirties.

Before joining Kiplinger, Rapacon worked as a senior research associate at b2b publishing house Judy Diamond Associates. She holds a B.A. degree in English from the George Washington University.