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Fountain of Youth: 5 Best Cities for Aging Well
A vast number of things contribute to aging well: eating right, exercising, staying mentally active, and protecting one’s body from pollutants and chemicals. Where you choose to live can provide you with great resources to stay young even as you age. Things like volunteering, access to healthcare, outdoor recreation, and clean air give these five cities reputations for seeing their citizens gracefully into their golden years.
Madison, Wisconsin
Many factors contribute to Madison’s reputation as one of the best places to live. One of the major reasons Madison is good for aging well is its considerable number of outdoor activities. It’s a very bicycle-friendly city, and it sits near five lakes that provide ample recreation, like fishing. Madison also has great air quality. The city is home to more bikes than cars, a high parks to residents ratio, and hundreds of miles of trails for biking and hiking.
Omaha, Nebraska
Engaging with the community is a great way to stay active in younger and older years, and Omaha has more community engagement than any other big city. Omaha also has a low unemployment rate and a cost of living that’s slightly below the national average. Omaha also has a big healthcare industry, which is essential to its place on this list since access to healthcare is a cornerstone of aging well.
Provo, Utah
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Air clean of cigarette smoke makes Provo a great place for healthy lungs. Its low smoking rate, low binge drinking rate, and low incidences of diabetes mean that older people find Provo an attractive place to live. The community offers ample volunteering activities, and the city is known for being safe. Provo also has a significant college community, which means more events and activities for the city.
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston has a quarter of a million college students, which means the average age of the city is quite young. This creates a large, vibrant, and engaged community. Though the students may pull down the city’s average age, Boston does quite well with employment of adults 65 and up. Boston is also home to a considerable amount of medical research, thanks in large part to the city’s academic institutions, and it has a large variety of healthcare facilities and professionals. The unfortunate downside is the expense of living there.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Eating locally sourced and organically grown food is a great way to stay healthy and age well, and Salt Lake City has year round farmer’s markets. The University of Utah is a hub for medical research, and Salt Lake City is also known for having affordable home care and assisted living facilities. It’s also near some great skiing, which is a fun way to stay active at 20 or at 50.
Living in these cities alone isn’t enough to make the years pass gracefully. Citizens who want to age well in these cities should take advantage of the advantages that are there, whether it’s opportunities for volunteer work, close proximity to recreational activities, or access to a wide range of healthcare facilities and providers.
