Population: 8.2 million
Median home price: $423,500
2011 price change: -1.9%
It may sound crazy, but lots of people are retiring in the Big Apple, where by 2025 the 65-and-up set will number 1.2 million. Prices are high, but no other place on the planet is as stimulating: Broadway shows, any kind of cuisine, museums and parks galore, and classes by the thousands. New York's apartment living is very senior-friendly; you don't need a car, and guess what? Everyone delivers.
NEXT: Other big cities you might like