8 Towns in Indiana That Are Ideal for Seniors
The state of Indiana combines the romance of the old American frontier with pristine natural beauty and the legacy of America's greatest 19th-century hero, Abraham Lincoln, who spent most of his childhood here. For those thinking of retirement or those retired already, the state's attractions run long. Outside of large cities like Fort Wayne or the capital of Indianapolis, the state's smaller towns have much to entice seniors looking to spend their post-career years. These locations provide a range of options in housing, healthcare, and outdoor activities, but they all share the same Indiana charm.
Nashville
Unlike the Tennessee capital of the same name, Nashville, Indiana, has a mere 1,300 residents. However, this small town may be just what retirement-minded people are looking for in a quiet yet culturally rich address. Located south of Indianapolis, the town is an easy reach from the city, which strikes a balance between rural placidity and urban bustle.
Senior art lovers can soak up the town's creative history: Nashville played host to the Brown County Art Colony, a community for artists and other makers, developed here starting in 1908. The colony grew to become one of the most influential sites of artistic creativity in the US Midwest. Other Nashville attractions abound, namely the Pioneer Museum on Indiana's past as a territory before statehood. The town's main senior care site, called Brown County Community Care Center, offers nursing care in a truly quiet, small-town setting.
Goshen
Goshen, population 34,400, sits in north-central Indiana and acts as the Elkhart County seat. It offers a great deal for the senior seeking a blend of small- and larger-town services. Known to some by its nickname, "Maple City," for its many maple trees, Goshen's quaint surroundings may be just what some retirees are looking for.
The town's half-dozen senior communities allow for a broad range of services and medical care — some of which are affordable for low incomes, according to the website Senior Housing Net. For the times when family comes to visit, Goshen keeps up a lively events calendar and carries out the "First Fridays" program of social events. Running since 2007, First Fridays organizes cultural and family-friendly goings-on of all kinds.
Angola
Angola, with around 9,000 inhabitants, has served its locals since its incorporation in 1838. Seated in Indiana's northeast corner, next to Michigan and Ohio, the town has a famous statue in the middle of a downtown traffic circle that remembers local men who fought and sometimes perished in the US Civil War.
Seniors and their families will be glad to know the town offers the Cameron Memorial Community Hospital, a large, 24-hour care center in the heart of downtown Angola. More active seniors can walk Angola's Commercial Historic District, which evolved over the century from 1860 to 1960 and provides an eclectic mix of historic architectural styles, from Classical Revival to Art Deco. Just north of Angola lies Pokagon State Park, a large green space along Lake James — a great place to take visiting loved ones.
Shipshewana
Shipshewana, with a population of just less than 900, provides another rural alternative for the quiet-seeking retiree. That does not make the town uninteresting, and its strong cultural points may be ideal for certain seniors' tastes. As an Amish community, the adorable town has local specialty foods, artisanal gifts, and carriage rides throughout the season. Students of all ages will find something to learn at the Menno-Hof Amish and Mennonite Museum in town, which showcases all that is alike and different in the Amish and Mennonite Christian traditions.
Shipshewana is also the host of the Midwest’s largest outdoor flea market and spans 30 football fields when operating from May through September. Active and nature-loving seniors can ride bicycles along the paved Pumpkinvine Nature Trail and check out the scenic views and fishing at Shipshewana Lake Park.
Madison
Madison, with 12,200 residents, lies on the bucolic banks of the Ohio River and Kentucky border in southeastern Indiana. The cute town's charms are obvious while touring its historic district, which includes over 133 blocks of preserved and historic architecture. Madison holds the largest contiguous National Historic Landmark District in the United States.
The town is clearly popular with seniors, given its choice among eight senior living facilities for various levels of cost and care, from assisted living to more intense respite alternatives, according to Senior Housing Net. Culture-focused seniors can learn Madison's history through no fewer than eight house museums, including the town’s “crown jewel,” Lanier Mansion Historic Site, dating from 1844. For those looking for the beauty in nature, Clifty Falls State Park offers stunning views of four separate waterfalls.
Corydon
Formerly the capital of Indiana Territory, as well as that of the state from 1816 to 1825, Corydon, currently Harrison County’s seat, lies to the north of the Ohio River, about 25 miles to the west of Louisville, Kentucky. With a modest 3,200 inhabitants, this small town offers just two senior living centers, though hospital and retirement care options are much more numerous and accessible in nearby Louisville.
A favored southern Indiana tourist destination, Corydon’s downtown historic district contains numerous significant structures, such as the first statehouse (Old Capitol), Old Treasury Building, Constitution Elm Memorial, Kintner-McGrain House, and other sites related to the Battle of Corydon. Active seniors can check out O’Bannon Woods State Park and the Hayswood Nature Reserve for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, birdwatching, and — for those who still dare — a zip line ride through the tree canopy.
Aurora
Aurora, population 3,500, is a quaint place along the Ohio River, about 30 miles west of Cincinnati in the state’s southeast. Established in 1819 and known today as the "City of Spires,” the unique town has a famous downtown historic district. Seniors and other visitors can take in the meticulously preserved properties in various architectural styles, not least Aurora City Hall, the Hillforest mansion, and the First Evangelical United Church of Christ.
Able-bodied seniors can explore the charms of several Aurora parks, like Lesko Park, Aurora City Park, and Gabbard Riverfront Park along the Ohio. While the town's healthcare options are limited, options abound in nearby Cincinnati.
New Harmony
New Harmony, with just 700 inhabitants in southwest Indiana, offers another pleasant, quiet getaway for one's senior years. The town takes its name from a group of religious separatists known as the Harmonists, who, in 1814, arrived from Pennsylvania to start a new utopian life along the Wabash River across from Illinois.
Seniors might find in New Harmony something equally idyllic: its historic downtown remains well-preserved, while local enthusiasm for the area's German heritage brims over every autumn, with Oktoberfest and "Kunstfest"(culture-fest) goings-on beginning each September. Just 15 miles away in Mt Vernon is Mount Vernon Nursing and Rehabilitation. Other care options dot the region, while the larger town of Evansville, 25 miles southeast of New Harmony, provides much more.
Indiana's wide menu of options for seniors should make the state a top choice for the current or future retiree. Senior care facilities, from hospitals and intensive care to the lighter option of assisted living, can be found from Madison to New Harmony. Able-bodied seniors can find outdoor wonderlands in Shipshewana, Corydon, and Aurora, to name just a few. Culture connoisseurs will enjoy Civil War history in Angola, the outsized historic district in Madison, and Nashville's enduring creative streak. Whatever a senior's tastes, great retirement options lie waiting for discovery in the state where Abraham Lincoln used to live.
