BRUNSWICK

• Boca Raton, Fla.
• Branson, Mo.
• Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• Oahu, Hawaii.
• Brunswick, Maine.

Which of these doesn’t belong?

None of them, according to a nationally distributed publication. Brunswick is again listed among dozens of U.S. cities as “the ideal place to retire.”

Brunswick has gained much national attention as a retirement haven in recent years, after Money magazine rated it 19th best in the nation for retirees in 2012 (“picturesque but not isolated, bustling but not hectic”) and Smithsonian magazine listed it among the “20 Best Small Towns” in America in 2010.

Last week, it was announced Brunswick is among 99 other cities and towns that Where to Retire magazine says is one of “America’s 100 Best Places to Retire.”

Established in 1992 and published six times a year, Where to Retire calls itself the authoritative source of useful information for the 700,000 Americans who move to new towns to retire every year.

It put Brunswick on a list of 100 retiree-friendly locales — the only one in Maine — based on climate, state and local taxes, cost of living, housing costs, health care, crime and other measures.

It also includes interviews with retirees who relocated here, including their tips on what to look for and what to look out for.

Each city profile, written by an experienced author familiar with the area, combines local knowledge, extensive research and in-depth interviews with retirees who have already made the move.

Jeff Nelson of Topsham remembers being interviewed by Maine writer Hilary Nangle in 2010 for an article featured in the magazine about their decision to move to Highland Green about seven years ago.

Nelson said Wednesday, “We’re very pleased to be here. We’re very pleased with the community.”

He said the couple lived in southern New Hampshire and found themselves visiting Maine more and more. They saw an ad for Highland Green in Down East magazine and stopped by one day for a visit.

“We saw big potential,” Nelson said, and with their land trust background, loved the fact that the Cathance River Nature Preserve bordering Highland Green had been placed in a permanent conservation.

Also featured in the threepage profile, Margy Burroughs said, “I literally put my finger on a map and said that looks like a good place” when she chose to retire in Brunswick.

She made friends and joined the Association of Bowdoin Friends. She noted she is a fan of the Bowdoin International Music Festival, as well as of the healthy organic and fresh produce she has access to, grown by “local people whom you can talk to.”

Jane and Dave Fey talk of their decision to buy an oceanfront home in the High Head neighborhood in Harpswell while they were still living and working in Manhattan.

They cited abundant opportunities that make Brunswick a great place to retire: classes at Bowdoin College, the college’s summer music festival, golf, boating, sightseeing, museums, sports.

“I think the college brings a whole culture to Brunswick and the area,” Dave Fey told Nangle.

The sentiment was echoed by Marlise Swartz, who is director of marketing for the Thornton Oaks Retirement Community located off Baribeau Drive.

The retirement community, which opened its first building in 1994, is associated with Mid Coast Health Services and consists of 46 private homes and 98 apartments, with approximately185 residents.

Swartz said she gets calls from people who have traveled or vacationed in the area as well as folks who moved through the area while in the military and return.

She agrees the culture is a draw: “I mean, there’s wonderful art in Maine and that appeals to a lot of people. There’s wonderful music and theater,” Swartz said, pointing to Maine State Music Theatre, the Bowdoin International Music Festival and the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra. Bowdoin College also offers a history museum and art museum.

People who retire in Brunswick are interested in the outside world and they want to continue to learn, Swartz said, and have wonderful things to share as well.

“They’re valuable to the community and the community is valuable to them,” Swartz said. Thornton Oaks residents value education and have enjoyed auditing classes at Bowdoin College and the addition of the Midcoast Senior College. The health system in place in Brunswick is also a draw, and a need for an aging population.

So while it was good news to hear that Brunswick is among the magazine’s 100 best places to retire, “It’s something we already knew,” Swartz said.

The 100 “Best Places to Retire” are all distinct, said Annette Fuller, co-editor of the book and managing editor of Where to Retire magazine. “Yet they have many qualities in common that active baby boomers and retirees enjoy: vibrant downtowns, ongoing education classes, volunteer or part-time work opportunities, walkable neighborhoods, excellent health care, nonextreme weather and advantageous tax situations.”

“America’s 100 Best Places to Retire” is available at Amazon.com or WhereToRetire.com.