There are many charming places where you could live out your golden years…Which one would you pick?

When it comes to your golden years, there are lots of charming places you could move to. Are you happy to curl up with a book? Or maybe you’re a nature lover, heeding a call to the great outdoors. You might even be looking for like-minded neighbors.

But no matter your lifestyle, one question stands out: What’s your budget? There are many ways you can stretch a dollar, but take it from us…smaller towns and cities can offer good value.

We considered several factors before coming up with this list, including safety, walkability, and the percentage of people sixty-five and older. Each charming place offers all that and more.

So without further ado, check out our top 7 picks for the most affordable and charming places in the US for retirees.

Provo, Utah

• Cost of living for seniors: 1.7% below the US average
• State’s tax rating for retirees: Least tax-friendly

The Beehive State is generally a charming place for active retirees. But Provo, with its mountain peaks within the city and Utah Lake on its doorstep, is especially buzz-worthy.

Brigham Young University offers intellectual stimulation for those looking to learn something new in retirement. And living costs are low for residents who are over 60 years old.

Another important tip is that Provo has been voted one of the best places for successful aging, noting the area’s safety and vibrant economy.

The metro area also has many healthcare facilities, with about 32 locations per 1,000 seniors in contrast to about 19 per 1,000 seniors in the rest of the country.

Charlottesville, Virginia

• Cost of living for seniors: 0.2% below the national average
• State’s tax rating for retirees: Tax Friendly

Thomas Jefferson laid the foundation for the beautiful city his hometown evolved into. In this charming place, you’ll find a community that’s an unexpected blend of liberal edge and Southern charm. This makes it an exceptional choice for all types of retirees.

You can find many options for outdoor adventures at the bottom of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with over 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park.

Generally speaking, the city’s violent crime rate is 175.4 reported incidents per 100,000 citizens, compared with a 297.8 rate for all other cities in our country of similar size.

This charming place also ranks 5th for overall well-being, out of all 187 metro areas in the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, with above-average scores in all categories, including resident satisfaction and physical health.

Round Rock, Texas

• Cost of living for seniors: 5.9% below the national average
• State’s tax rating for retirees: Tax Friendly

Retiring to this suburb of Austin, Round Rock, gives you easy access to all the indulgences as the state’s capital, but at a more budget-friendly price. Austin is already relatively inexpensive, with living costs for retirees 1% below the national average.

But its housing costs are 5.8% above the rest of the nation. In Round Rock, though, they’re 4.6% below average. The median home value in Austin is $371,900, while in Round Rock, it’s only $277,500.

Besides being close to the attractions of nearby Austin, Round Rock has a ton to offer its locals as well. So you can skip dealing with all that traffic you might see in a bigger city.

The downtown area has a long list of dining opportunities, many of which stay open to the local nightlife.

And growing the local culture and arts scene has been a massive focus for this charming place by introducing art-centric events and a growing public art collection like SculpFest, the Chalk Walk, and traditional artist workshops.

Cape Coral, Florida

• Cost of living for seniors: 2.4% below the national average
• State’s tax rating for retirees: Most Tax-Friendly

With its alluring climate and advantageous tax status, the sunshine state is chock-full of popular retirement destinations. And many of our favorite retirement spots in the State can be found along the Gulf Coast, including Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and Punta Gorda.

But Cape Coral’s metro region also incorporates Fort Myers, another fantastic place to consider for your golden years.

But what we really love about this charming place is that it has unique waterway access, offering over 400 miles of canals for all your fishing, boating, and water sports pursuits.

And land lovers can appreciate the area’s beaches, tennis, golfing, parks, and many other recreational delights.

Huntsville, Alabama

• Cost of living for seniors: 6.1% below the national average
• State’s tax rating for retirees: Tax Friendly

The Heart of Dixie boasts many wonderful areas for affordable living in your golden years. But Huntsville, in the northern part of the state, is one of our favorites. It offers all the low-tax and low-cost advantages of the rest of the state.

But it includes more generous incomes among retirement-age citizens. According to the US Census Bureau, the median household income for 65-plus families in Alabama is $46,318.

Home to the Redstone Arsenal, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, and the Huntsville campus of the University of Alabama, this charming place offers a strong economy and highly educated residents.

Plenty of cultural attractions await retirees as well, from a sculpture trail to a symphony orchestra and outdoor recreation opportunities, including bass fishing.

Overall, the state of Alabama offers many of Florida’s popular retirement attractions, like lovely beaches, warm weather, and plenty of golfing opportunities, but at a typically lower price.

Lexington, Kentucky

• Cost of living for seniors: 6.6% below the national average
• State’s tax rating for retirees: Most Tax-Friendly

The Bluegrass State holds lots of appeal for bourbon enthusiasts and horse lovers. But retirees can seek other attractions here as well. Lexington has five public golf courses, over 100 parks and a 734-acre nature preserve with mile upon miles of hiking trails.

In this charming place, you’ll love the various art galleries and theaters, including the Lexington Opera House and its schedule of Broadway musicals, ballets, comedy shows, opera, and many other exciting performances.

You can also pursue some further studies at the University of Kentucky, which also offers the Singletary Center for the Arts.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offers a diverse roster of courses, forums, interest groups, trips, and events for people aged 50 and older, with an annual membership cost of $35.

And The Donovan Fellowship permits Kentucky citizens aged 65 and older to take classes free of charge, space permitting, of course.

Knoxville, Tennessee

• Cost of living for seniors: 17.1% below the national average
• State’s tax rating for retirees: Tax-Friendly

The Volunteer State is an excellent choice for retiree nest eggs of any size. On top of its tax-friendly status, most parts of this state have below-average living costs across the board for its retired citizens.

This charming place is exceptionally affordable for retirees compared with bigger cities like Nashville, where the living costs among retired individuals are about the same as the rest of the nation’s average.

Housing costs for retirees in this city are the most significant factor bringing down costs, at nearly 30% below the national average. The city’s average home value is a mere $173,900 compared to $262,900 in Nashville and $229,000 throughout the country.

Clearly, Knoxville is one of the most affordable US cities for aging adults. But besides all this, being home to the University of Tennessee and the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, this charming place is also full of attractions and outdoor activities to fill your retirement years.

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Be sure to let us know in the comments which of these charming places you liked the most! And if you liked this article, we also highly recommend: High Utility Bills? Here Are 9 Hacks To Solve This Problem!