Of all the cities and towns in America, Tucson, Ariz., offers the simplest and most rewarding living, USA Today reports. The AARP studied demographic information and a city’s stress index—a measure of suicide, crime, and divorce rates—to pick places a retiree might relax easily, and cheaply. The desert city, population 541,000, fits. “There are a lot of ways to enjoy living there,” an AARP exec says.
Other towns that made the list:
- Greenville, SC: Surrounded by picturesque mountains and features "a pedestrian-friendly Main Street," the fruit of years of redevelopment.
- Montpelier, Vt.: The 7,800 residents of the smallest state capitol in the nation are never bored by the local pastime: politics.
- Logan, Utah: Nice town, but the view is the clincher. "Any day when I'm feeling frustrated," a resident says, "I just step out my front door and look at this beautiful mountain valley and instantly feel better."
- Ames, Iowa: The town of 55,000 scores for "wholesome Americana." "It's such a clean little town," a resident says.
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Tucson, Arizona stories.)