Rochester may not be the first place most people think of when they're dreaming about where they want to retire, but the latest issue of AARP The Magazine ranks Rochester as one of the top ten cities where you can live a good life on $40,000 a year.
“We looked at a figure that's a kind of middle retirement income figure,” said Mary Hickey, editor at AARP Media. “We know our members. We know a lot of them live on Social Security, pensions, and savings, so we calculated it from there."
Hickey said while local property taxes are relatively high, the median housing price of $126,600 dollars makes homeownership affordable.
The magazine also cited Rochester's cultural amenities, access to health care, parks and recreation.
"One of the things that's very valuable to people in our demographic, older people over 50, is access to good health care,” Hickey said. “I think Rochester certainly has that. Also, people are interested in higher education and continuing education, and Rochester has some excellent universities either in the city or right outside the city."
Other cities on the list included Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Abilene Texas; Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Cleveland, Ohio; and Eugene Oregon.
