Charles Jackson, a native of Delaware, lived in Boston for decades and loved it.

He relished the vibrancy of the giant college town, home to Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and numerous other universities.

A horse-racing aficionado, Jackson also liked that the city had a track, Suffolk Downs. His interest in the sport led him to become a Massachusetts racing commissioner in the late 1980s.

But when it came time to retire, Jackson wanted to escape the high cost and congestion of Boston. He settled on Newark, Del., home to the University of Delaware and near Delaware Park, a horse-racing track in Stanton.

Moving to Newark meant that he was able to keep what he liked about Boston — living in a college-town environment with easy access to the races — while escaping big-city expenses and traffic.

"I've found that a small town with a college is the ideal place to retire," said Jackson, 67.

Even if your retirement is years away, experts advise that you give some thought to where you'd like to settle.

You have to consider a range of factors, from economics (can you afford to live there?) to climate (is it too cold in the winter?). You also have to make certain that you'll be able to pursue activities you love in your new hometown, whether it's going to the track, the outlet malls or the symphony.

There's an abundance of information available on the Web. Publications such as Money magazine regularly rank communities according to how amenable they are to retirees, and many books are aimed at helping people make such choices.

But the first question to evaluate is whether to move at all, said Andrew S. Kochera, senior policy adviser with AARP, the advocacy group for people 50 and older.

Kochera said people often decide to stay put after retirement because they have a network of family and friends where they're already living.

If you do elect to move — for better weather or a lower cost of living — think about whether the new town or city will suit your long-term needs, Kochera said. Questions you need to answer include whether the community has reliable public transportation and easy access to hospitals.

"To baby boomers, we tell them to imagine their parents living in the community, because that's where the baby boomers will be in 20 or 30 years," Kochera said. "Would their parents have been able to live comfortably in this community?"

Jackson recommends looking into the tax system of a state to find out whether any breaks are offered to seniors.

Sun Belt states in the West and South remain at the top of the retirement-destination popularity list because of warm weather and real-estate costs.

All seven of the cities selected last year by Money magazine as the "best places to retire" are in the South or the West. The magazine singled out the following for attention: Atlanta; El Paso, Texas; Jacksonville, Fla.; Las Vegas; Oakland, Calif.; Phoenix and Raleigh, N.C.

If you are interested in converting a summer home into a retirement home, experts recommend you first try living there for a few months in the off-season to make sure it's a place you'll like year-round.

Determining your location

AARP, the advocacy group for people over 50, recommends you consider these questions before deciding on a retirement destination: