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Scottsdale ranks fifth in best places to retire; Mesa, Phoenix land in top 20

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Scottsdale is a great place to spend your golden years.
 
That's according to a new study released by Bankrate.com.
 
The consumer finance website ranked nearly 200 cities of varying sizes.  Bankrate looked at cost of living, climate, healthcare cost and quality, taxes, crime, well-being, walkability and cultural vitality to reach the results.
 
Scottsdale came in at number 11, but according to Bankrate spokesperson Ted Rossman, it really ranks at number 5.
 
"Several of the cities ahead of it are basically the same place (Arlington/Alexandria/Silver Spring/Rockville, West Des Moines/Des Moines, etc.)," Rossman said.
 
That would also bump up Mesa, which came in at 13 and Phoenix at 17.  
 
“We found that smaller cities and suburbs fared the best,” said Bankrate.com analyst Jill Cornfield. “Most seniors prefer to live in these types of communities because they offer access to big-city amenities without as much hustle, bustle and crime.”
 
A warm climate, a low crime rate and good healthcare launched Scottsdale close to the top.  Walkability and cultural vitality dragged it down slightly.
 
Click here for the chart of all of the cities ranked from best to worst.