Kiplinger has named Roanoke one of the 10 most affordable retirement cities (out of 200 cities considered.) In making its selection, Kiplinger placed particular emphasis on reasonable price tags for the two biggest retirement budget-busters -- health care and housing. They also looked at states' tax burdens on retirees.

Roanoke's cost of living for retirees is below average in every category. In fact, groceries are the most affordable of all cities cited, at 8.3% below average. Health care and housing are also very affordable -- 5.5% and 13.7% less than the U.S. average, respectively.