Spring landed the No. 5 spot on U.S. News & World Report's national Best Places to Retire list, according to KPRC 2 News.
Only four communities in the country scored higher. Neighboring The Woodlands came in at No. 4, making the two Houston-area communities the highest-ranked in Texas.
Three other Texas cities also made the top 20: Victoria at No. 12, Pearland at No. 17 and Conroe at No. 20.
How the rankings work
U.S. News evaluated more than 850 cities across the country, according to KPRC 2 reporter Ninfa Saavedra. That is an expansion from 150 cities in the previous edition.
The publication scored each city across six categories: quality of life, value, health care quality, retiree taxes, senior population and migration trends, and the local job market. The weightings came from a survey of about 3,500 Americans ages 45 and older who identified the factors most important to them when choosing where to retire.
Spring received an overall score of 6.5, according to the U.S. News ranking page. The Woodlands scored 6.6.
Spring by the numbers
The U.S. News profile for Spring lists a median home value of $249,404, about $110,000 less than the national average of $359,870. Median monthly rent sits at $1,328.
Median household income in Spring is $88,755, compared with $83,181 nationally. The local unemployment rate is 4.04%, below the national average of 4.54%.
About 69,413 people live in Spring. Roughly 12% of the population is over age 65, and 23% falls between 45 and 65.
Individual costs, access to medical care and lifestyle preferences vary by community, KPRC 2 noted. Rio Rancho, New Mexico, trailed Spring at No. 6 on the national list.
