The Minneapolis metro area has been ranked as the Best City in the United States for Senior Living in a new survey. Sperling’s Best Places researched and ranked 50 cities on criteria ranging from housing and healthcare, to transportation and the environment.

In the Best Cities for Seniors 2011, Minneapolis was given high marks for its environment, the life expectancy of its residents, healthcare, and social life. The survey noted the many lakes and parks in the metro area, the strong and talented healthcare industry, recreational options, shopping, and the state’s progressive medical insurance programs as factors that attract and keep seniors living in the area.

Following Minneapolis in the top 10 were Boston, Pittsburgh, PA, Cleveland, Denver, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Portland, OR, Kansas City, MO and Newark, NJ.

The study was commissioned by the Bankers Life and Casualty Company Center for a Secure Retirement, and it used city, state, and federal government records and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the American Medical Association, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a number of other sources.