According to TheStreet.com, where a person retires can make all the difference between a happy and successful retirement and one that's the opposite. A whole raft of factors that may not have seemed important before suddenly loom large in the decisionmaking process, as aging workers find they have to take into account everything from the availability of public transportation to the cost of health care and what the weather is like. In fact, the online community Age Friendly Advisor, which crowdsources user reviews on how and where to age, ran a survey that revealed that 31 percent of retirees would choose a different place to retire if they could have a do-over. And while those relocating for work or education might be reviewing other criteria, retirees' top three concerns in choosing a retirement destination were family (65 percent), general livability (36 percent) and desired weather conditions (32 percent). Using survey data from Age-Friendly Advisor, as well as third-party data on cost of living, transportation, and other information from the Milken Institute, TheStreet.com scored and ranked cities based on six categories:

• community engagement, (including cultural opportunities, recreation, public services and religious institutions);
• transportation availability and affordability;
• education (access to universities and further training);
• working (opportunities for working and volunteering);
• health care;
• and general livability (such as housing and cost of living).

What do you think? Did any of these picks surprise you? READ MORE:

• 12 best cities for retirement: 2019
• 5 best, 5 worst states for health care
• 10 affordable places for rentals (in retirement and before)