No. 1: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Population: 217,385
Retiree ratio: 43,471 people 65 and older (20%)
The city packing the heaviest post-65 punch in America sits just off the northeastern fringe of Phoenix, luring newcomers -- or retaining longtime locals -- with plenty of play and rays.
For retirees with plenty of savings, the north side of Scottsdale serves as an enticing hub, says Tim Cowen, executive director of Maravilla Scottsdale, a nearly year-old community in the area. It bills itself as "a retirement resort with a health-care safety net."
Some Maravilla residents once worked at the area's business giants that, a generation or two ago, chose the Phoenix area for expansion: IBM, Intel or Motorola. Some are former snowbirds, like Cowen, who for years had flocked to Scottsdale for a bit of winter golfing. The TPC Scottsdale golf course, home of the Phoenix Open, lies on Maravilla's southern border. Maricopa County boasts more golf links than any other U.S. county, Cowen said.
"The biggest attraction is the weather (and) just how pleasant it is here," said Bob Shower, a Maravilla resident and retiree, originally from Dallas. "You just have so many days you can be outside."
"Whether it's golf or tennis or hiking one of the trails in the desert or in the surrounding mountains, as we get more mature, activity is important," Shower added. "We can keep active. We don't have to stay inside here."
