Report: Springfield No. 1 place to retire in U.S.

A report by Livability.com ranks Springfield the No. 1 place to retire in the U.S.

Among factors behind the rank were low housing costs, senior tax breaks - such as on real estate, rent, prescription drugs and Social Security benefits - and a cost of living that’s 7 percent below the national average. According to the report, retirees also may flock to Springfield for the city’s independent living, senior apartments and retirement communities, nearby Ozarks vistas and variety of restaurants, bars, art galleries, music venues and shops.

“Not all seniors will move when they retire, but for those who do, Livability wanted to suggest a range of options,” Editor Matt Carmichael said in a news release. “As retirement itself is changing for many beyond a traditional idea of warm weather and golf, so too have our ideas of what makes a great retirement city."

Livability’s Top 10 places to retire in 2014:

1. Springfield
2. Knoxville, Tenn.
3. Bellevue, Wash.
4. Largo, Fla.
5. Wheat Ridge, Colo.
6. Honolulu
7. Albuquerque, N.M.
8. Tucson, Ariz.
9. Missoula, Mont.
10. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho