You see miles of open space. They see a place free from the crowds of other retired people. You say there’s nothing exciting to do. They say the crime rates are low and they feel safe. “Health care?” you say, “I won’t get sick.” They say it’s a big consideration.

Through your young eyes you might not see anything special, but to some, Iowa is a quiet paradise —the kind of place they would like to retire to.

Iowa recently was named the nation’s “most livable state” by the Morgan Quitno Press, as reported in Fortune magazine. It beat out other states on factors such as economics, education, crime and weather. But these aren’t the only reasons senior citizens choose to settle in the Midwest

“Family is a big deal. If people have roots in the Midwest, often times they want to come back,” Ruth Hamilton said.

Hamilton lives in Green Hills, a retirement community in Ames. Green Hills is unique in the state because the residents own their own condominiums and apartments.

Don’t be fooled by the numbers, warns Sandra Charvat Burke, assistant scientist in census services. Even though Iowa has the third highest population of senior citizens in the nation, only beaten by Florida and Pennsylvania, it’s not necessarily because Iowa is a retirement hot spot.

The explanation has more to do with the migration of young people out of the state. The trend was intensified during the 1980’s farm bust when outward migration increased dramatically, she said.

Burke said when people return to Iowa they don’t necessarily have retirement communities in mind, but in their declining heath they want to be nearer to their children.

However, Fortune points out the Midwestern university towns are attracting senior citizens because they offer culture and diversity without the hassle of a big city. Ames, for example, offers ISU’s “College for Seniors,” and visiting performers like the Julliard String Quartet.

Interestingly, Green Hills was originally connected with the university and some of the proprietors and residents are retired ISU faculty.

Unlike a traditional retirement home, at Green Hills the residents move in while they are still healthy and independent.

Hamilton and her husband moved into Green Hills 10 years ago when the community first opened. Before they moved to Green Hills, the Hamilton’s lived at a house with a couple of acres, which they liked, but they were tired of the lawn and house maintenance

“At the time of our move, the house needed several big things done to it like a new furnace and roof, so we decided this just might be the way to go.”

“Our residents come on their own choice. Keeping them healthy and independent as long as possible is one of our goals,” Cynthia Thorland, executive director of Green Hills said.

Thorland pointed out that there are a variety of benefits of living in a place like Green Hills. Besides the condominiums and apartments, Green Hills provides transportation for its residents if they want it. The community also has a 40-bed health care center.

“Staff and residents look out and keep tabs on each other. Sometimes it can be days until someone notices that a senior citizen is missing, here it wouldn’t take more than 24 hours,” Thorland said.

Hamilton agreed that the close medical services are very important. She told of when her husband was sick, she had to call for help a few times in the middle of the night and in a few minutes there was someone at her home to help her.

Nationwide, Iowa is one of the least expensive in health care, yet it also has highly acclaimed and wildly renown facilities, such as the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Iowa also has the reputation of being a relatively safe place to live.

“Safety is very important. People feel free to walk around and they aren’t scared for their lives. We are just freer to come and go as we please,” said Hamilton.