You don't have to leave the country to find an affordable place that matches your retirement vision

Before making a final decision, spend a month in your top location during its least attractive season.

It's no secret that older Americans are looking for ways to stretch their retirement dollars. While financial experts recommend having a nest egg of $1 million or more, the median savings for adults ages 65 to 74 is only $200,000, and roughly half the people in that group have no retirement account at all.

One of the more extreme approaches to dramatically cutting living expenses is to retire abroad, which is what we did in 2010 when we moved to Cuenca, Ecuador. But relocating to another country isn't for everyone.

Fortunately, you don't have to cross an ocean or even the border to make your retirement income go further. There are desirable locations in the U.S. where life can be enjoyed without draining your savings.

While aging in place remains the favored option, longer lifespans are leading more older adults to consider relocating somewhere that best supports their retirement vision. And the goal isn't necessarily finding the cheapest place. It's finding the one that best matches your priorities.

Before beginning your search we suggest creating a wish list, the same method we used to pinpoint our ideal retirement location. Rank what matters most to you - things like climate, affordability, healthcare, walkability, culture, outdoor recreation, or proximity to family. Once you identify your priorities, the top possibilities often reveal themselves.

It is also important to identify what we call deal-breakers - factors that automatically rule out a location no matter how favorable everything else seems to be.

Several years ago we spent October in Lancaster, Pa., and absolutely loved it. We enjoyed strolling through the historic downtown and exploring the surrounding Amish countryside. Housing is affordable, healthcare is excellent and an Amtrak station provides easy access to many destinations, including New York City and Philadelphia.

Yet we knew we couldn't live there. Why? The winters were simply too cold for our taste.

Someone else might gladly accept four months of snow in exchange for everything Lancaster offers. We couldn't. Neither choice is right or wrong - and that's exactly the point.

In addition to Lancaster, here are five other locations in the United States that provide quality of life without a high price tag. Their offerings include warm-weather beaches, outdoor adventure and big-city amenities.

Because the average Social Security check is around $2,000 per month, the places we are showcasing have average monthly expenses for a couple of $4,000 or less.

Pensacola, Florida

Pensacola has beaches and no state income tax.

Estimated monthly expenses for a couple: $3,500-$4,000 Median home price: $365,000

With sugar-white Gulf of Mexico beaches, a historic downtown and exceptional seafood, Pensacola is an outstanding choice for retirees looking for a coastal lifestyle without paying South Florida prices.

Baptist Health and Ascension Sacred Heart are widely recognized for high-quality healthcare. Pensacola International Airport has connections to many places throughout the country.

As a bonus, Florida has no state income tax.

Potential compromises: The possibility of hurricanes and the rising cost of homeowners insurance. Long, hot, humid summers.

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga winters are mild, allowing residents to enjoy outdoor activities.

Estimated monthly expenses for a couple: $3,400-$3,900 Median home price: $360,000

Chattanooga has emerged as one of the South's most enticing smaller cities. Residents of the city, which is nestled in the Appalachian foothills with the Tennessee River running through the heart of a lively downtown, enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, biking and boating. The winters are generally mild and autumn foliage is spectacular.

Erlanger and CHI Memorial are the main healthcare providers. Chattanooga has a small regional airport, but many people drive the two hours to Atlanta for a much greater selection of domestic and international flights.

Like Florida, Tennessee has no individual state income tax.

Potential compromises: Housing prices are rising in the most desirable neighborhoods. Summers are hot and humid.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh has many pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.

Estimated monthly expenses for a couple: $3,400-$3,900 Median home price: $270,000

Pittsburgh is one of the leading retirement bargains among larger U.S. cities.

It boasts an acclaimed healthcare system, loads of cultural activities, pro sports teams and a convenient international airport, and its home prices are far below those in most cities with comparable amenities.

Vast green spaces connect many of Pittsburgh's pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. The former red-light district downtown has been transformed into a dedicated cultural district containing galleries, theaters, museums and a world-class symphony.

Potential compromises: The city's steep hills can pose challenges for people with limited mobility. Skies are frequently overcast, and winters are cold, gray and gloomy.

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson has mountains, deserts and lots of sunshine.

Estimated monthly expenses for a couple: $3,700-$4,000 Median home price: $320,000

Retirees looking to permanently ditch their snow shovels will find Tucson to be one of the West's better values.

Surrounded by five mountain ranges, the city offers dramatic desert scenery. With 350 days of sunshine per year, outdoor enthusiasts have plenty of opportunities to play pickleball, hike and golf.

Love Mexican food? Tucson's is so outstanding that it is recognized as the very first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in the U.S. A lively arts scene includes a symphony orchestra, regional theater and the Tucson Folk Festival. Banner-University Medical Center anchors an excellent healthcare system that features a high ratio of primary-care doctors per capita.

Tucson International Airport provides commercial service, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, roughly two hours away, offers additional options.

Potential compromises: Because there are no major freeways, traffic on surface streets is often quite congested. Temperatures during the summer months can exceed 100 degrees for weeks at a time.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

The tropical conservatory at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids.

Estimated monthly expenses for a couple: $3,500-$4,000 Median home price: $305,000

Low housing costs push many Midwestern cities onto "Top Places to Retire" lists. Grand Rapids offers that and so much more.

Its revitalized city center features the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, which boasts 158 acres of indoor and outdoor botanic gardens, nature trails and a massive sculpture collection. Each fall, ArtPrize - one of the world's largest international art competitions - transforms the entire downtown into an open-air gallery. The freshwater beaches of Lake Michigan are less than an hour away.

The city's famous "Medical Mile" downtown gives retirees direct access to nationally recognized healthcare through Corewell Health and Trinity Health. Gerald R. Ford International Airport is recognized as the best small airport in the United States.

Potential compromises: Michigan's property taxes are among the highest in the country. Proximity to Lake Michigan creates long, frigid winters with an average of 75 inches of snow.

How's the weather?

Notice a common theme among the compromises? Weather.

After your basic financial needs are met, climate may be the single biggest determinant of day-to-day happiness. During your working years, you tolerate the weather where you live because that's where your job happens to be. But in retirement, weather isn't just background. It shapes how you spend your days.

When considering relocation options, you get to decide, perhaps for the first time, what climate will bring you the most joy. We had no appetite for either extreme heat or cold, so we moved to a place where it's springtime all the time.

Before making a final decision, we advise spending a month in your top-choice location, if possible during its least attractive season. February temperatures experienced by snowbirds in Florida and the Southwest reveal little about what's in store when August heat is blazing.

The Rolling Stones famously reminded us that you can't always get what you want. Every retirement destination involves compromise. For us, Cuenca checks a lot of boxes, but the lack of an international airport makes travel long and exhausting.

Let your wish list guide you. The key isn't finding the perfect place. It's finding the place that's as perfect as possible for you.

-Edd and Cynthia Staton