Georgia city named one of the best towns to retire in by Southern Living

26 E. Gaston Street - Savannah Here are some more photos of the historic home 26 E. Gaston Street in Savannah. (Staci Donegan/ Seabolt Real Estate)

Scenes around Savannah, Georgia The city was named one of the best places to retire in 2023.

Savannah Savannah came in at No. 7 on the magazine’s list. (PHOTO: Visit Savannah)

Savannah fountain St. Patrick's Day Photo courtesy of City of Savannah Government Facebook page

Scenes from Savannah A sign stands at the entrance to Calhoun Square in the downtown historic district of Savannah, Ga., on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. The Savannah City Council has voted to remove Calhoun's name from the square, which was named in 1851 for John C. Calhoun, a former U.S. vice president and senator who was also an outspoken advocate of slavery in the decades preceding the Civil War. The move comes two years after a statue of Calhoun was taken down in Charleston, S.C. Savannah officials say the square that bore Calhoun's name for more than 170 years will be renamed later. (AP Photo/Russ Bynum) (Russ Bynum/AP)

Scenes from Savannah, Georgia A carriage advertising sightseeing tours on Aug. 23, 2017, stands at the intersection where gunshots from a passing SUV wounded three people in the downtown historic district of Savannah, Ga. The drive-by shootings on July 5, 2017, were followed by a crash that killed three people as the vehicle fled police. A 17-year-old boy accused of driving the vehicle has been charged with murder. The top federal prosecutor in Savannah recently said juvenile violent crime in the city is "off the charts." (AP Photo/Russ Bynum) (Russ Bynum/AP)

Scenes from Savannah, Georgia This April 20, 2017 photo shows the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge at sunset in Savannah, Ga. The picturesque bridge spans the Savannah River at the Georgia-South Carolina state line and connects downtown Savannah with Hutchinson Island, Ga. (AP Photo/Sally Hale) (Sally Hale/AP)

Scenes from Savannah, Georgia This April 21, 2017 photo shows one of the 22 squares in Savannah, Ga. The historic squares are dotted with fountains, benches and trees, making for pleasant places to stroll, sightsee and relax. (AP Photo/Sally Hale) (Sally Hale/AP)

Trip Advisor, Perry Lane Hotel, Savannah, Ga

26 E. Gaston Street - Savannah Here are some more photos of the historic home 26 E. Gaston Street in Savannah. (Staci Donegan/ Seabolt Real Estate /Staci Donegan/ Seabolt Real Estate)

Savannah Every road, every shop in Savannah is a trip back to another time, and so graceful

THE JESSE MOUNT HOUSE Here are some more photos of the Jesse Mount House in Savannah. (Wayne C. Moore of Back River Photography LLC/Staci Donegan/ Seabolt Real Estate)

Savannah Bananas SAVANNAH, GEORGIA - MAY 12: An aerial photo of the Historic Downtown waterfront with the Talmadge Memorial Bridge in the background on May 12, 2023 in Savannah, Georgia. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Savannah Readies For G-8 Summit SAVANNAH, GA - MAY 20: Tourists walk along River Street on May 20, 2004 in Savannah, Georgia. The upcoming international G-8 Summit at Sea Island, Georgia is set for June 8-10 and historic Savannah is preparing for the anticipated onslaught of protestors, media, and international visitors. (Photo by Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images) (Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images)

Colonial Park Cemetery OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA (Daniel Mayer)

Photos: St. Patrick's Day celebrations around the world A young boy gets a high-five from law enforcement officer marching with the Police Emerald Society of Southeast Georgia during the St. Patrick's Day parade, Thursday, March 17, 2022, Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Scenic A heron flies over a lake at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL). (Dorothy Kozlowski/University of Georgia Marketing )

Savannah SAVANNAH, GA - MAY 20: The Savannah River Queen comes to dock along River Street May 20, 2004 in Savannah, Georgia. The upcoming international G-8 Summit at Sea Island, Georgia is set for June 8-10 and historic Savannah is preparing for the anticipated onslaught of protestors, media, and international visitors. (Photo by Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images) (Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images)

September 27, 2023 at 4:33 p.m. UTC

By WSBTV.com News Staff

SAVANNAH, Ga. — A Georgia city has been named one of Southern Living’s Best Places to Retire in the South.

The travel publication looked at factors like cost of living, home values, access to hospitals and continuing education to compile the list, which includes 12 cities in 2023.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

All 12 offer “excellent quality of life and make sense financially,” according to Southern Living.

Savannah made the list as the best place to retire for the arts and culture. Savannah, with a population of just under 150,000, has historic charm, 70 parks with trees draped in Spanish moss and easy access to Tybee Island.

Nicknamed the “Hostess City of the South,” Savannah is also a hub for the arts. Savannah College of Art and Design fills nearly 70 buildings downtown and hosts an annual sidewalk arts festival, Chalk of the Town.

TRENDING STORIES:

The city also offers year-round events ranging from jazz festivals to the notorious annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

But you don’t have to see a show or visit a gallery to appreciate the artistic side of Savannah.

“The city itself is a lesson in style, dating back to 1733 when Gen. James Oglethorpe designed the layout with six squares,” Southern Living writes. “Now there are 22 that are green and inviting. Carefully tended historic houses and cultural offerings—from the Telfair Museums to the Savannah Philharmonic—please eyes and ears.”

You can take a trolley ride through picturesque squares, or if you’re into spooky sights and sounds, the city is home to dozens of historic cemeteries.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Here are the other cities that made the list:

Best all-around: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Best for healthy living: Beaufort, North Carolina

Best for outdoor enthusiasts: Abingdon, Virginia

Best for home buying: Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Best mountain town: Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Best for food lovers: Greenville, South Carolina

Best beach town: St. Augustine, Florida

Best access to nature: Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Best for lifelong learning: Lexington, Kentucky

Best for affordability: Huntsville, Alabama

Best city for lovers: Forth Worth, Texas

This browser does not support the video element.