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Aurora knows it's 'not a retirement community'; city places 147th of 150 in WalletHub study

A financial advice site's list of the best places in the nation to retire shows Aurora might not be one of them.

WalletHub ranked the 150 largest cities from best to worst for retirement based on roughly 25 factors in categories of affordability, activities, quality of life and health care.

Aurora came in 147th.

The designation of being cellar dwellers amid the nation's prospective retirement towns was met with indifference among city leaders. In fact, they viewed it as a positive.

"Aurora's future is not as a retirement community, but as a young and vibrant family-oriented city," said Clayton Muhammad, director of public information.

A reason for the city's low ranking could be in part because Aurora is home to many young families, Muhammad said, touting the city's "relatively low housing prices" and median age of 31.5.

"While the young age of our population factored against Aurora in the WalletHub study," he said, "it is actually one of this city's greatest strengths - attracting companies from across the globe in need of a qualified workforce both now and in the future."

Aurora, with almost 200,000 residents, was among two Illinois communities ranked. The other, Chicago, wasn't viewed as retirement-friendly, either. It came in 144th.

The top two places to retire should come as no surprise - Tampa, Florida and Scottsdale, Arizona - while Boise, Idaho came in third.

Jill Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for WalletHub, said the personal finance website conducted the study after seeing data from the Employee Research Institute that showed 23 percent of workers in 2014 expected to retire by age 65, but only 10 percent were able to.

"Obviously, people are still struggling to retire, and it might be because they're retiring where they are and the city where they are might not help them out," Gonzalez said.

To determine the best and worst places for people to retire, WalletHub studied factors such as number of people 65 or older in the workforce (Aurora came in 146th), number of health care facilities per 100,000 people (145th), number of home-care facilities per 100,000 people (142nd), air quality (124th), and cost of living (113th).

Some of Aurora's better rankings include coming in fifth for lowest property crime rate, 26th for lowest violent crime rate, 37th for public hospital quality and 59th for emotional health.

"I love Aurora," said Therese De Michael, who played bingo Wednesday at the Senior Services Associates Senior Center in Aurora. "It has activities, there's seniors that help you. I'm glad I'm here and I'm glad I'm retiring here."

Gonzalez said WalletHub researchers did not visit the cities they ranked, but used government sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other research came from the Council for Community and Economic Research, the American Lung Association, the Environmental Working Group, the Trust For Public Land, Charity Navigator, Healthways.com, Yelp.com and Golf.com.

WalletHub staffers weren't able to find Aurora data on recreation centers, hiking facilities or water quality, but that's not to say there are none of those amenities or information in town.

RiverEdge Park, for one, offers walking paths and views of the Fox River, along with a full season of concerts of all types.

The Senior Services Associates Aurora senior center is open seven days a week at 900 N. Lake Street and Muhammad said Southeast Kane County TRIAD has senior activities that meet at 9 a.m. on the second Friday of each month at Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Ave.

Plus, Muhammad noted, the city has won awards for the best-tasting water in the county and in the state.

And Jeff Long, spokesman for the Aurora-based Fox Valley Park District, said plenty of recreation and walking opportunities are available.

There are senior clubs whose members walk the indoor tracks at three fitness centers, the Prisco and Eola community centers and the Vaughan Athletic Center. A Golden Foxes club meets to walk outdoor paths such as the Fox River Trail, Virgil Gilman Trail, Waubonsie Creek Trail or the Illinois Prairie Path.

Last year in the first retirement study by WalletHub, Aurora finished 110th and Chicago came in 146th. New factors considered this year included the percentage of people 65 or older who are working in each community and the death rate for people 65 and older by state.

Muhammad said Aurora will continue to be a welcome place for young and old, but acknowledged, "Given Illinois' dependence on local property taxes to fund schools, its cold winters and high energy costs, Aurora has no illusion of being a retirement town."

• Staff photographer Bev Horne contributed to this report.

  "I love Aurora," Therese De Michael said Wednesday at the Senior Services Associates Senior Center in Aurora. She has been living in Aurora for the past 15 years and thinks it's a good place to retire. "It has activities, there's seniors that help you. I'm glad I'm here and I'm glad I'm retiring here." Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  Jerry Hartenberger has lived in Aurora since 2006. "I enjoy it," he said. He keeps busy in town, including playing bingo at the Senior Services Associates Senior Center in Aurora. "I have a lot of fun with the seniors." Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  "For me Aurora has a lot of offer," Rosalind Postlewaite said Wednesday at the Senior Services Associates Senior Center in Aurora. Postlewaite, who is from Chicago, but has lived in Aurora since 1963, plays games and has lunch at the center. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  Rosalind Postlewaite plays bingo Wednesday at the Senior Services Associates Senior Center in Aurora. "You have to keep seniors active," she said. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  Jerry Hartenberger and Therese De Michael play bingo Wednesday at the Senior Services Associates Senior Center in Aurora, which was ranked the 147th-best place to retire among the 150 largest cities in America. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
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