LEWISTON, Maine — Forbes Magazine has tapped Lewiston for a spot on its 2017 list of the top 25 places to retire in the United States.
The state’s second largest city is the only Maine location — and the only community in New England — chosen for this year’s ranking. Lewiston is new to Forbes’ annual list.
The magazine said its picks for this year include big and small cities in 20 states selected after a review of information on 550 communities in all 50 states.
“We strove to find places that provide what we think is the best retirement value — meaning costs, including housing costs and taxes, play a big role in our choices,” the magazine said.
“But we also look at access to medical care; quality of life indicators (including crime and air quality); and factors which can make for a healthy and fulfilling retirement, including opportunities for volunteering and exercise,” it noted.
The magazine credited the city with a cost of living that is 5 percent below the national average. It also has an above-average number of physicians per capita, good air quality and very low serious crime rate, Forbes found.
Cons included a poor state tax climate for retirees and a low ranking on the Milken Institute’s list of the best cities for successful aging.
Forbes also found Lewiston “somewhat walkable” and noted that it has a “so-so economy.”