Methodology - NeighborhoodScout’s Best Places to Retire for $150K or Less

Just because the economy is down doesn’t mean you have to settle for second best. These selected locales are top quality for retirement, yet just happen to also be affordable. Dreams do come true.

Finding the perfect place for retirement doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune on real estate. Whether you're a baby boomer or full-fledged senior, you could find a great place to retire and still be within your budget if you look into one of NeighborhoodScout.com's Best Affordable Places in America to Retire.

While many people consider the current economy today an intractable obstacle for buying retirement property in a wonderful locale, the economy has also produced some bargain prices for incredible places. NeighborhoodScout.com did the shopping to uncover these hidden locales using its patented neighborhood search algorithms and exclusive location data.

"Retirement is changing for the better, as active seniors and 50+ baby boomers look to get more out of this next stage in their lives," said Dr. Schiller, Founder of NeighborhoodScout. "Finding a great place to retire that combines the excitement of a dream retirement locale with an affordable price, is the ideal solution today for many retirees and prospective retirees.”

Schiller, a PhD geographer and specialist in American demographics, developed NeighborhoodScout.com as a smart search engine for locations. It is the most widely used neighborhood search engine in America, and contains one of the largest neighborhood-matching databases in existence, integrating data from the Census Bureau, Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, U.S. and state Departments of Education, U.S. Geological Service, and even the FBI, creates unique and exclusive data in-house, and covers every neighborhood in America. "With NeighborhoodScout, you can describe your perfect neighborhood and find real neighborhoods that best match your ideal in any area you specify.”

Schiller uncovered the best affordable places to retire by using NeighborhoodScout. He used criteria important to many people 50 and over who are planning their retirement: neighborhoods that offer a unique combination of 1) safety from crime, 2) peace and quiet, 3) an educated and vibrant blend of 4) seniors and other age groups, 5) striking scenery, and 6) diverse options for housing - all at unbeatable home values compared to comparable quality areas. Despite combining these premium qualities, some towns discovered even had median house values below $60,000 - true hidden gems for your retirement.

"We found the needles in the hay stack. Using NeighborhoodScout, a handful of great neighborhoods emerged as phenomenal choices that offer all the excitement and satisfaction of moving to a dream retirement location, yet are amazingly affordable despite their high quality, high amenity character.“ These locales combine top qualities with rock bottom prices. They are worth a look . Maybe you will fall in love with them like we did.

About Location, Inc.

Location, Inc. is a research and data mining company born of university research, specializing in location analysis, demographic and school data information products, and location-based decision-making tools for businesses and consumers. The Company licenses data for a host of business to business applications. Location, Inc. is the owner of NeighborhoodScout.com, a national neighborhood data source and search engine which has served 7.2 million home buyers and businesses since its 2002 inception. The Company is based in Rhode Island.

About Dr. Schiller

Dr. Andrew Schiller is the Founder, President and Chairman of Location, Inc. and is responsible for inventing the methods and technology that power NeighborhoodScout.com. He is also responsible for designing studies and reports for various media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Money Magazine, Parade Magazine, Smart Money, The New York Times, and others. Prior to founding NeighborhoodScout, Andrew received his Ph.D. in Geography from Clark University's Graduate School of Geography, America's oldest and largest geography Ph.D. program. Previously he was a scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Atomic Energy Complex. He was also a Director of Science for the Nature Conservancy's Tennessee Chapter. He has conducted research and published with Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and Stanford University. He is an expert in statistics, demographic and risk analysis, and interpreting the relationships among environmental, social and economic conditions in the United States.