Top 10 affordable retirement towns

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8. Lafayette, Ind.
Population: 96,000
Straddling the banks of the Wabash River, the adjoining towns of Lafayette and West Lafayette represent Middle America as Norman Rockwell once painted it. The area was founded in the early 1700s as a fur-trapping outpost and is best known today as the home of Purdue University, pictured. Canoeing, camping and swimming are popular pastimes along the river. Homes typically list for $150,000.