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AARP s 10 Best Places to Live for Under $40 000 a Year

These towns boast lower-cost homes safe streets great parks and much more

ALAMY

San Marcos Texas

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Median housing price: $197,500Vibe: Hill Country’s low-key charmer Freebies that count: Concerts take place in the park every Thursday during the summer. Best way to spend $10: Enchiladas at Herbert’s Taco HutUrban getaways: Austin, 31 miles; San Antonio, 40 miles David Williams

Alton Ill br

Whether they’re sailing, doing yoga on stand-up paddleboards or catching catfish, residents never tire of life on the mighty Mississippi. It’s truly the soul of Alton, which is located not far from where the Big Muddy joins the Missouri and the Illinois rivers. Here, there is plenty of history, says Charlotte Johnson, 85, an expert on the region’s deep connections to the Underground Railroad. But Johnson, who retired to the area with her late husband in 1991 and has family nearby, explores Alton’s future, too. “I love walking on Main Street, looking in shops and sitting by the river, thinking about how things have changed,” she says. “It’s a nice feeling.” Those changes include the 4,000-seat amphitheater and an influx of antiques stores. Alton’s employment base is shifting from manufacturing to tourism. With lovely rose gardens and venues, it now bills itself as the Wedding Capital of the Midwest. And the town recently won a competition to be included in Hulu’s web-based reality series “Small Business Revolution.” Trains to St. Louis leave from Alton’s new Amtrak station for just $3 one way. Larry Kulp and his wife, Judy, both 65, favor riverside rides via the Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail, with views of bluffs and dense forest. “Birding here is neat—we get pelicans, trumpeter swans, snow geese and bald eagles,” Kulp says. Senior Services Plus offers age-55-plus memberships at its Wellness Center for $100. Quilting, tap dance and gardening are draws.
Median housing price: $80,900Vibe: Funky small town with big-river life Freebies that count: Walk back in time with Abraham Lincoln; free audio tours connect 10 historic sites.Best way to spend $10: Grab a beer and a $3.99 Hot Chick on a Stick at legendary Fast Eddie’s Bon Air roadhouse, with live music nightly. Urban getaway: St. Louis, 26 miles David Williams

Canandaigua N Y br

This city, encompassing the downtown area, is surrounded by the town of the same name, home to 10,000 people. With 19th-century Queen Anne homes, antiques shops and boutiques, it’s a place with postcard appeal. Shoppers can visit 140 businesses downtown. Tourist attractions and festivals entertain residents and provide seasonal jobs. Pristine Canandaigua Lake draws boaters from the region. The city rates high on clean-air measures. Because of the Finger Lakes’ robust wine industry, foodies have made this their enclave. Lovers of casual fare flock to Wegman’s; it offers a covered patio, live music, chef-prepared meals and antique car shows. Residents also appreciate four seasons of play. Hiking trails run past waterfalls. From spring through fall there are regional wine festivals. Winter is busy, with an annual Christkindl Market. Averaging 66 inches of snow a year, the area is a paradise for Alpine and Nordic skiers, as well as snowboarders. Health care includes the award-winning University of Rochester Thompson Health, with a 113-bed hospital. It’s affiliated with the top-ranked Strong Hospital, 30 minutes away. The YMCA has reduced rates for older adults and activities ranging from aquatics to PiYo. Median housing price: $191,600Vibe: Four-season funFreebies that count: Check out the pioneer-kitchen exhibit at the Ontario County Historical Museum. Best way to spend $10: Sample local vintages at New York Kitchen, the city’s award-winning wine and culinary center.Urban getaway: Rochester, 25 miles Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers > Located in Gwinnett County, the most diverse county in the Southeast, Duluth is home to a growing mix of cultures and ethnicities. Roughly 10 percent of residents are Korean American. “When I’m outside gardening, so are my neighbors—African American, Caucasian, Asian,” says Joy Thompson, 64. The technology consultant moved here from Massachusetts with her three children. Thompson also says it’s easy to get involved. Rainbow Village, with its unique approach to solving homelessness, has volunteering opportunities, as does a local arts center. But Duluth’s strongest appeal may be to music lovers. Acts at the 13,000-seat Infinite Energy Center range from Paul McCartney to Khalid. Eddie Owen Presents, based in the 260-seat Red Clay Music Foundry, hosts local artists and also a music school. Median housing price: $209,600Vibe: Down-home diversityFreebies that count: See the galleries at the Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for Art & Learning. The center also offers classes, including traditional Korean pottery, calligraphy and soapmaking, at reasonable prices.Best way to spend $10: Head to Crave Pie Studio for a serving of coconut cream or seasonal peach. Urban getaway: Atlanta, 30 miles Alamy

McMinnville Ore br

When John and Karen Vanderwall sold their Wisconsin home and took off in their Airstream to find the perfect retirement, Oregon won their hearts. Says Karen, 54, “It’s a hiker’s dream. Where else can you find beautiful coastline, epic farmland, the Cascades, old-growth forests and the Columbia River Gorge?” Ultimately, they rolled into McMinnville. “It has that welcoming, small-town feel,” she notes. The area wine industry hosts the International Pinot Noir Celebration. Third Street’s more than 50 one-of-a-kind eateries include Nick’s Italian Cafe, honored by the James Beard Foundation.
Fancy wineries aside, McMinnville has hung on to its quirky rural personality. That includes the two-day Turkey Rama, another festival celebrating car-cruising culture and the country’s largest UFO festival. The aquatics center and senior center serve as social hubs. Sunset magazine rated McMinnville’s walkable downtown as one of the best Main Streets in the U.S. While housing here is the most expensive of any of our 10 cities, it’s still a steal relative to much of the West Coast. The Vanderwalls are building a 1,500-square-foot home near downtown, for about $325,000. Karen and John, 58, have been surprised by the area’s below average utility prices and homeowner insurance rates.
Median housing price: $290,200Vibe: Farm town for foodiesFreebies that count: Picnic on the green at Linfield College and soak in the summer concerts. People 65-plus can audit classes for no charge.Best way to spend $10: Have a pint and some popcorn at the Bitter Monk. (For a $1 donation, compete in an adult spelling bee.)Urban getaway: Portland, 40 miles

Munhall Pa br

This borough clawed its way into existence, thanks to Andrew Carnegie, as part of the growing residential area surrounding his company’s Homestead Steel Works. And the Carnegie Library of Homestead is still one of Munhall’s greatest assets, with an athletic club and a music hall that hosts a regular schedule of concerts. Residents love what they call downtown’s 1950s-Americana vibe, but Munhall also boasts The Waterfront, a development of apartments, shopping and Access to excellent health care is extraordinary, with 381 physicians per 100,000 people, compared with the U.S. average of 210. UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, just five miles away, is rated one of the top 20 hospitals in the country.
Median housing price: $81,300Vibe: American, circa 1950sFreebies that count: Pedal on to the Great Allegheny Passage, the 150-mile path connecting Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.Best way to spend $10: Sample a slice at Di Sallis’ Pizza ParlorUrban getaway: Pittsburgh, 7 miles

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