Don't overlook the big benefits of retiring to a small town. On top of the peace and quiet you'd expect, smaller places to live can also offer tight-knit communities, active senior groups and lower crime rates. Plus, many small towns come with relatively low living costs compared with big-city neighbors.

To identify the best places to retire in America--one great retirement city in every state--we favored locales with a good selection of health care facilities, as well as numerous recreational options, above-average median incomes among older residents and other factors critical to retirees. Of those 50 great retirement cities, a dozen have populations under 50,000. Take a look at our 12 top picks for a small-town retirement. Each is worth an extended visit to see if the local vibe and pace of life might be a good fit for your next act.

Middletown, Conn.

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Like much of the Northeast, Connecticut is known to be a high-cost area, and Middletown is no exception. But the Hartford metro area, of which Middletown is a part, is at least more affordable than other major metro areas in the state, including Stamford and New Haven, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research. And local residents tend to pull in high enough incomes to make it work. The city's average income for all households is $90,977 a year, and it's even better for the older population with incomes for residents age 60 and up averaging $92,851 a year.

Plus, being home to Wesleyan University, Middletown offers , including numerous restaurants, shops and cultural attractions. You