Best Places to Retire

Most people, something like 80%, retire in or very close to the homes they lived in before retirement. Despite that, many media outlets and organizations like to publish lists of the best and worth places to retire. This post from Forbes highlights a survey from moneyrates.com. There are a lot of reasons to criticize the list. For example, it doesn’t include cost of living and climate in its factors to consider. It also doesn’t seem to pay any attention to quality or access to medical care.

Looking at the survey makes a point that I regularly make. Don’t use someone else’s list of the best places to retire. Make a list of the things that matter most to you. Then, you can locate the place that is best for you.

The report ranks the best and worst states for retirement by measuring certain factors that affect retirees. Things like senior population growth, economic conditions, crime rate, climate, and life expectancy.

So where does a retiree have to go to enjoy life after work? Well, Hawaii tops the list of best states for retirees followed by Idaho and Utah. The report notes that seniors in the nation’s 50th state live longer past the age of 65 than in any other state. One drawback though: Hawaii also has the highest cost of living in the U.S.