The city of Winston-Salem is the product of the merging of two neighboring towns: the industrial, business-orientated town of Winston, and the religious, historical town of Salem. When the city of Winston-Salem formed in 1913, the combination pooled the strengths of both towns, defining the character of this city. Today, Winston-Salem is the fifth most-populous cities in North Carolina, and has been listed among the top ten cities to retire in the United States.