Hawkins Range Reserve, north of downtown Boise

HOW WE SELECTED THE COMMUNITIES

Clairvoyant Brewing Co.

Boise, Idaho

POPULATION: 236,634

THERE ARE UNSPOKEN rules in the Boise area: Don’t reveal the location of the huckleberry patches. Keep your morel mushroom finds under wraps. Don’t say too much about the hot springs you visit. Overall, keep Boise a secret.

But the secret is out.

A solid job market, quality health care and low crime rates—as well as earthy connections to nature—helped land Boise on a slew of top 10 lists in the 2010s. By the time the pandemic hit, transplants flocked to the high desert in search of wide-open spaces, or to take a short drive out of town to hit the ski slopes or go for hikes. Even within the city you can enjoy nature, as kayaking and fly-fishing are favorite activities on the Boise River.

Boise’s small-town vibe comes with some big city perks, including symphonies, concerts and a restaurant run by a James Beard Award winner. Boise State University, across the river from downtown, presents civic-minded events and operates the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which engages intellectually curious adults 50 and older with noncredit, college-level programs.

Boise’s growth translates into ample opportunities for those still in the job market. Service, education and health care make up a sizable share of the employment sector while manufacturing companies, including Micron and J.R. Simplot Co., employ large numbers.

With a low unemployment rate, Idaho became one of the first states to report economic recoveries from pandemic losses. But Boise’s growth has also brought growing pains, as home prices creep up, meaning this may not be considered an affordable community forever. And development is taking over some of the prized land. But for now, don’t be surprised if you encounter chatty locals and warm greetings while visiting. “Boise still has some of that small-town feel,” says longtime resident Fred Blackburn, 70. “I think that’s what makes it so special.” —Carissa Wolf

Hyde Park

Hemslöjd gift shop, with a Swedish-style Dala horse

Lindsborg, Kansas

POPULATION: 3,801

KNOWN AS Little Sweden, USA, this community was settled by Swedish immigrants in 1869. The biennial Svensk Hyllningsfest (Swedish Honoring Festival) draws some 30,000 visitors over two days with a parade, Swedish folk dancing, a smorgasbord and more.

Tourism is vital to the economy, but officials have worked to attract permanent residents. Underway is the Stockholm Estates housing development, which uses state funds for moderately priced housing.

Lindsborg also has its own community hospital, which is part of a larger regional health system, and a senior center with health programs. “They have a huge senior care philosophy,” says resident Mike Goodier, 75. “It’s going to be very easy to transition from our condo to whatever kind of housing and care comes next.” —Mike Snider

The New Hampshire State House

Concord, New Hampshire

POPULATION: 44,503

DON’T BE FOOLED by the slow traffic and friendly atmosphere. Concord is a vibrant community. And of particular appeal: It has a thriving job market for older people.

“It’s a demographic employers are taking a much closer look at because they’re realizing there’s dependable, experienced talent out there,” says Tim Sink, president of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce. Some of the major employers include Concord Hospital, the state government, Northeast Delta Dental and the Concord School District.

When not working, residents of this leafy city can enjoy concerts, comedy, dance and theater at the Capitol Center for the Arts, channel their inner astronomer at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, or hit the hiking trails at the Susan N. McLane Audubon Center.

“Concord is small enough to be a neighborly place, yet has all the services and stores that you need,” says Dan Wise, 68, a resident since 1993. “It is sophisticated without putting on airs.” —Jaimie Seaton

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Traverse City, Michigan

POPULATION: 15,702

WHEN IT CAME time for Fred Anderson to retire, he and his wife headed north from Lansing to Traverse City, a small city on a Lake Michigan bay. “It offers a lot of variety in entertainment, coffee shops and two wonderful independent bookstores,” Anderson, 72, says. “A lot of towns way bigger don’t have any independent bookstores.”

Traverse City also boasts an opera house, which hosts events beyond music, including arts education programs and comedy shows. Anderson has enjoyed frequenting the senior center and looks forward to the new multimillion-dollar building that is under construction and will greatly expand the center’s size. He also walks through the Village at Grand Traverse Commons—a development of shops, galleries and restaurants—then heads to a coffee house. There’s also a “tremendous” local library, he says, and three whiskey distillery tasting rooms near his house. “I can go days without moving my car,” he says.

Traverse City is also known as the Cherry Capital of the World, with a climate conducive to growing the fruit. An annual cherry festival celebrates this local delicacy.

And there are other natural wonders. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore comprises 64 miles of shoreline, while the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive offers views hundreds of feet above the water. “The same things that make this area a premier vacation and travel destination,” says Mike Kent, spokesman for Traverse City Tourism, “are the same things that bring people here to retire.” —Julie Halpert

Lake Dardanelle

Russellville, Arkansas

POPULATION: 29,133

ARKANSAS PROUDLY calls itself The Natural State, and this town is surrounded by beauty and recreational areas, including Lake Dardanelle, a 34,000-acre reservoir used for fishing and boating.

Russellville’s downtown encompasses streets lined with attractive brick storefronts dating from its early days as a railroading and agricultural center. Tom Neumeier, 71, a retired music-store owner, appreciates “art walks and concerts that we have at the old depot.” The area is undergoing a more than $20 million streetscape project that will improve accessibility.

Just north of downtown, Arkansas Tech University has grown to become the third-largest institution of higher learning in the state. Its musical events, lectures and art shows are mostly free and open to the public. —Mel White

Shops on Main Street

Orange City, Iowa

POPULATION: 6,286

DUTCH-INSPIRED storefronts with swooping rooflines and colorful shutters. Coffee shops bursting with pastries and conversation. A central park where children run and play among reproduction windmills and beds of tulips. What sounds like the set of a Hallmark movie is life here.

In 1869, settlers came to this area in search of rich farmland. They named it after the royal House of Orange. Today, Orange City still swells with charm, but it is also a modern community. The corporate headquarters for Diamond Vogel paint and the Pizza Ranch restaurant chain are located here, as is a small-but-thriving liberal arts college.

All of this means that Orange City enjoys amenities that other small towns may lack, including access to comprehensive medical care. The Orange City Area Health System is part of a network that includes senior living facilities. Condos for adults not ready for traditional retirement housing also have been developed. “The continuum of care we provide—from birth care to senior care—draws all kinds of people to live, work, raise kids and retire here,” says CEO Marty Guthmiller.

Cindy Jacob moved to the area with her husband in 2022 after one of their children landed here. “Everything we need is within 2 miles of our house,” Jacob says. The average commute time is 7.3 minutes, according to Vibrant Life, the community’s campaign to attract new residents. A public ride service is available for those who need transportation assistance. “This is a terrific choice for those looking for a place to land in their later years,” Jacob says.

Orange City’s best-known attraction is the Tulip Festival, an annual celebration of the town’s Dutch heritage. For three days in May, the downtown is filled with parades, shows, food vendors and locals dressed in traditional clothing, plus about 50,000 tulips in bloom. —Carrie Truesdell

LaVonne Blok sells farm-grown items at a market.