Jan 29, 2015 3 min read

CANONSBURG – In less than 10 minutes, senior citizens living in the Canon House and Canon Apartments for the elderly can walk to Frank Sarris Public Library, a number of antique stores and shops, and the Canonsburg Senior Citizens Center.

“We have a lot of walk-in traffic, and people can come down from the two senior high rises and just walk in,” said Brenda Wacker, coordinator of the senior center.

The “walkability” of Canonsburg, coupled with its amenities for senior citizens, are some of the reasons why it was named the No. 2 place to retire in Pennsylvania in a new study.

SmartAsset, a financial technology company, took into consideration tax rates, recreation and the prevalence of medical facilities and retirement centers.

According to the study, Canonsburg’s senior population is 18.2 percent. Canonsburg was second on the SmartAsset list behind Blue Bell, an affluent community near Philadelphia. Other Western Pennsylvania towns that made the list were Uniontown at No. 9 and Ellwood City at No. 10.

Borough Manager Bob Kipp said he was pleased with the recognition, but “not surprised.” He said the Washington City Transit bus routes in Canonsburg are a big asset to senior citizens, who can travel to local shopping centers and into Pittsburgh for free once they fill out an application and receive an identification card. The bus runs along Pike Street and has nine stops in Canonsburg.

Kipp said the average age in Canonsburg has dropped from the 40s to the mid-30s over the last 20 years, but the borough still has a “significant” senior population.

He said senior citizens are an active group in Canonsburg, and many sit on local boards for parks and recreation, the library and school district.

Wacker said the senior center serves between 40 and 65 people per day.

The center recently started offering a double-feature matinee on the third Saturday of each month.

Canonsburg Mayor Dave Rhome also cited the Frank Sarris Library and Town Park as being popular recreation spots for senior citizens. He said the recognition from SmartAsset “allows people who have never heard about Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, to come and take a look” to see if the community is a good fit for them.

“If you want to seek out a great place to live,” he said, “it’s going to be here in Canonsburg or one of our surrounding communities.”