Choosing a good place to retire in your old age is something everyone needs to consider. The latest rankings list the ten best cities in the nation for retirement, and while the Sunshine State takes up nearly half of the list, the number one spot goes to South Carolina. Financial security is not all there is to retirement. Retirees want to live in a safe community and have access to good health care. An ideal city should have many ways to spend leisure time. Good weather is a key factor.
WalletHub ranked 182 U.S. cities based on four equally weighted key categories. The four categories are: affordability, activity, quality of life and healthcare.
When it comes to the best cities to retire in, the Sunshine State of Florida takes up nearly half of the top 10, according to this WalletHub survey of the best and worst places to retire in 2022.
Historic Charleston, S.C., ranked #No.1, Orlando, Florida is a close second.
Here are the ten best cities in the country to retire
1. Charleston, South Carolina
2、Orlando, Florida 3、Cincinnati, Ohio
4、Miami, Florida
5、Fort Lauderdale, Florida
6、San Francisco, California
7、Scottsdale, Arizona
8、Wilmington, Delaware
9、Tampa, Florida
10、Salt Lake City, Utah
Here are the ten worst retirement cities in the country, and California takes up three of them.
1、Bridgeport, CT
2、Newark, NJ
3、San Bernardino, CA
4、Rancho Cucamonga, CA
5、Stockton, CA
6、Detroit, MI
7、Vancouver, WA
8、Baltimore, MD
9、Wichita, KS
10、Lubbock, TX
Tamara L. Wolske, an assistant professor at the University of Indianapolis who specializes in aging research, says in a WalletHub report that cost of living and taxes should be your top two financial considerations when considering where to live in retirement. If you’re living on a fixed income in retirement, be sure to plan your expenses and lifestyle accordingly, Wolske says.
“Non-negotiable expenses should take priority each month, such as rent or mortgage, utilities, credit account bills, insurance premiums and taxes.” She advises, “Any money you have left over can be used for manageable expenses such as groceries, gasoline and leisure activities.”
One of the biggest retirement planning mistakes people make is not properly preparing for additional medical costs, Wolske said. A 65-year-old couple who will retire in 2022 is expected to spend an average of $315,000 on health care and medical costs in their retirement, according to an August estimate from Fidelity Investments.
“Seniors are the largest consumers of health care services.” She explains, “Most people don’t realize that Medicare doesn’t cover all health-related needs and has deductibles and co-payments.” Most Americans only expect to pay about $41,000 in health care costs in retirement.
According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s 2022 Retirement Confidence Survey, seven out of 10 employees in the U.S. say they feel at least somewhat confident that they have enough money to retire comfortably and less than three in 10 say they are very confident.