There's Country for Old Men (and Women)

Austin tops yet another national list — but this one may surprise you

Forbes, which loves a good list, just put out another one, naming the 25 best cities in America to retire in 2014. Just to get it out of the way: Of course Austin is on it. City-related lists are required by law to include Austin, lest people forget that Austin is where everyone is moving these days.

In creating the list, Forbes looked at economic factors for a “working” retirement, as well as housing and living costs; taxes; weather and air quality; crime rates; doctor availability; and active-lifestyle rankings for walkability, bicycling and volunteering.

Austin got props for its strong economy, average cost of living and warm weather, though Forbes does note that housing prices are above the national average at $225,000.

Three other Texas cities join Austin in this roundup, although they are a bit less obvious. Abilene earned a spot for its “robust economy” as well as low cost of living and low housing prices. The warm weather was noted as a positive, but the city got docked a few points for not being very walkable. But if that “warm” weather is in August, then you don’t want to be walking around anyway.

Fredericksburg, with its breathtaking setting and ample vineyards, received recognition for its above-average air quality, low crime, high walkability and below-average cost of living. In fact, Fredericksburg didn’t even receive a con. Clearly this Hill Country town is doing something right.

Joining Abilene out west, San Angelo was noted for its — and if this sounds like a broken record, try writing it — a booming economy, warm climate, a cost of living 9 percent below national average and a good median home price. It got pegged for not being very walkable.

Even though the whole warm-climate thing might misrepresent Texas summers, and Abilene isn’t quite as romantic as, say, Charleston, Texas had more cities on the list than any other state — showing, once again, that no matter the reason, it’s good to be in Texas.

unspecified

keep austin healthy

Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says

Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash

There are plenty of places for Austinites of varying abilities to be active.

The city's abundance of yoga studios, health-conscious restaurants, and run clubs is paying off: Austin was just named the second healthiest city in the nation in a new study by Forbes Advisor.

The report, "Cities With The Least Healthy (And Healthiest) Populations, Ranked" examined 2021 health data from the City Health Dashboard for 46 of the most populated cities in America. Eight metrics were analyzed for each city, such as the number of heart disease or opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, the percentage of adults with diabetes or high blood pressure, among others.

The study focuses exclusively on physical health, and leans on broad risk factors more than the actual occurrence of specific diseases or conditions.

Austin ranked second to San Jose, California, which was dubbed the No. 1 healthiest city in America.

Forbes found that Austin has the lowest percentage of adult high blood pressure out of all 46 cities in the report, at just 22.5 percent. Only 7.4 percent of Austin residents have diabetes, which is the fourth-lowest rate nationwide. The city also boasts the fifth-lowest percentage of adults who smoke (11.3 percent).

Here's how the report ranked four other metrics for Austin:

Eighth-lowest number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 residents (175.5)
Eighth-lowest number of opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents (9.6)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report having obesity (28.2 percent)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report being physically inactive (18.5)

Austin has a reputation for being an accommodating city, whether it's through restaurants expanding their culinary offerings for vegans and vegetarians, or through local organizations adding exercise equipment to outdoor trails. And you can't forget about all the new gyms and country clubs opening around the city.

At the opposite end of the study, Detroit, Michigan landed as the most unhealthy city in the country.

Elsewhere in Texas
Though Austin is one of the healthiest cities in the U.S., and the healthiest in the state, several other Texas cities fell far behind. Houston appeared as the No. 12 most unhealthy American city on the list, and unhealthiest in Texas. The report attributes this to a high percentage of adults who report binge drinking (18.2 percent), smoking (17.2 percent), and more.

"Houston has the seventh-highest percentage of adults who report having obesity (37.7 percent) and the eighth-highest percentage of adults with diabetes (12 percent)," the report said.

San Antonio ranked as the 15th unhealthiest U.S. city, followed by Dallas (No. 18), El Paso (No. 22) and Fort Worth (No. 25). Arlington appeared as No. 30, technically making it the No. 18 healthiest city in the U.S.

The top 10 cities with the most healthy populations are:

No. 1 – San Jose, California
No. 2 – Austin, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – San Diego, California
No. 5 – Denver, Colorado
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – Boston, Massachusetts
No. 8 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 9 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
No. 10 – Minneapolis

The full report can be found on forbes.com.

austin healthy reports rankings