(NEXSTAR) – So many people focus on when to retire – but where they start their golden years shouldn’t be overlooked.
People are living longer and with forecasts of a U.S. retirement crisis looming, affordability is one of the top factors in a new study by WalletHub on the best and worst places to retire. Activities, quality of life and health care rounded out the grading process.
Living up to its reputation, Florida dominated the top five, taking four spots. Orlando wast number 1 overall, thanks largely to its affordability (9th out of 200) and plentiful options for active retirees (16th). WalletHub points out that, while Orlando’s cost of living isn’t dirt cheap, homemaker services and adult day health care were ranked 9th and 20th, respectively. Florida is also a tax-friendly state, and Orlando is one of the cheapest cities for taxes, according to Wallethub.
When it comes to planning for retirement, author and Rutgers Distinguished Professor Emerita Dr. Barbara O’Neill says the following are the most important: “Proximity to family and friends, local living costs and features (e.g., low crime rate, high-quality hospitals, and proximity to airports), tax structure (nine states have no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming), and weather (some people want to get away from cold winter weather, ice, and snow).
Miami took the second spot for some of the same reasons that Orlando did, such as relative affordability (54 of 200) and a plethora of activities (2 of 200). Magic City is also extremely walkable with access to public transportation.
Minneapolis took the third spot thanks to its numerous activities (7) and excellent health care (6). WalletHub found that the local job market is especially open to seniors, who can choose to work for some extra income or to stay occupied.
See the top 25 cities in which to retire below:
Overall Rank CityTotal ScoreAffordability RankActivities RankQuality of Life RankHealth Care Rank1Orlando, FL61.4991674352Miami, FL61.4756289273Minneapolis, MN59.639377964Tampa, FL59.6140928935Fort Lauderdale, FL59.47591348396Scottsdale, AZ59.32110213317Cincinnati, OH58.17123470298St. Petersburg, FL57.84403126559Casper, WY57.63372298810Atlanta, GA57.347061204311Las Vegas, NV57.3315511114912Pittsburgh, PA57.011212444713Wilmington, DE56.6869231391214Denver, CO55.96918995715Madison, WI55.801184473016Charleston, SC55.7042256611117Richmond, VA55.0268351181717Pembroke Pines, FL55.025891175419Sioux Falls, SD54.803415161320Cape Coral, FL54.5223731812221Tempe, AZ54.2211046364222St. Louis, MO54.1843181814123Cheyenne, WY53.9621425410424Austin, TX53.8955287110725Columbia, MD53.831387945(WalletHub)
See the WalletHub website for the complete list.
WalletHub found these the following 25 cities to be the worst in the U.S. when it comes to retirement:
Overall RankCityTotal ScoreAffordability RankActivities RankQuality of Life RankHealth Care Rank158Worcester, MA42.2614611812179159Montgomery, AL42.1711155164181160Fort Smith, AR41.9631160159170161Chula Vista, CA41.791561631189162Greensboro, NC41.7253127179144163Moreno Valley, CA41.23132180103153164Vancouver, WA41.191559414360165Santa Rosa, CA40.6817610516127166Modesto, CA40.6212218169169167Spokane, WA40.53130150155102168Tacoma, WA40.521586815099169Warwick, RI40.3514811713695170Ontario, CA40.24137159113148171Pearl City, HI39.981801641101172Riverside, CA39.73135135130140173Fontana, CA39.1013617493157174Wichita, KS38.98107136166165175Bridgeport, CT38.4817515415319176Fresno, CA38.40108175140162177Detroit, MI38.27129101182152178Newark, NJ38.1815987163118179Bakersfield, CA37.41109182123168180Rancho Cucamonga, CA37.2615117785143181Stockton, CA36.92134176133145182San Bernardino, CA35.71126172172172(Credit: WalletHub)
For many nearing retirement age, the recent volatility in the stock market has left them concerned about what their 401K nest egg might look like when they finally start to cash out, and a place like Brownsville, Texas, the most affordable out of the 200 cities, might start to look appealing.
“There are a lot of folks who just don’t have enough money put away,” Jason Athas, a manager of educational programs at Debt Management Credit Counseling Corp., a Florida-based nonprofit that provides debt relief and counseling services, told the AARP. “Credit card debt is one of the biggest problems seniors have today.”
If money’s not an issue, retirees who just want the greatest number of activities to fill their days might consider San Francisco, which WalletHub ranked number 1 in that category.
As for quality of life and health care, Pearl City, Hawaii and New Haven, Connecticut took the top honors, respectively.
For more on the methodology behind the study, see the WalletHub website.
