Sanford One of NC's Best Places To Retire

Sanford's gorgeous and (somewhat) mild weather and proximity to international airports landed it in a top 10 spot in Movoto Real Estate's roundup of the Best Places To Retire In North Carolina.

Movoto ranked North Carolina's cities and towns with a population of at least 10,000 according to five main criteria:

• Cost of living
• Crime rate
• Weather (average summer temperature and air quality)
• Ease of travel (distance to nearest international airport)
• Retiree amenities per capita (healthcare, senior centers, adult education, dining, shopping, libraries, arts & entertainment)

Based on this criteria, Sanford ranked higher than Davidson (13), Spring Lake (14), Fuquay-Varina (15), Pinehurst (20), Cary (26), Chapel Hill (38), and Asheville (59).

Advantages: Sanford's low cost of living helped it beat out other localities, according to Movoto. Sanford also has a lower crime rate than many others on the list.

Disadvantages: Movoto said Sanford would have ranked higher except that it scored 55 for "amenities." The company factors senior centers, adult education, libraries, and arts/entertainment into that score.

However, Movoto also admitted that it used online review site Yelp.com to determine the amenities score. Cities with a higher number of businesses registered on the site fared better than those that don't. The company stated that this is Sanford's one area that needs improvement.

Takeaway: Residents already know that Sanford is a great place to live, work, and play. Being highlighted in lists such as Movoto's only helps to spread that message to a larger audience.