See ya, Sunbelt. The perfect place to retire is now Harrisburg, Pa.
That’s in response to the most recent rating by U.S. Information & World Report, which extolled seven Pennsylvania cities as prime 10 retirement locations. Daytona Seashore, Fla., was the one southern city to make the highest 10, coming in on the No. 8 spot.
Harrisburg noticed its rating transfer up one spot to take the No. 1 spot for the 2024 itemizing, a results of its scores for healthcare for older adults, tax charges for retirees and total happiness of its residents, U.S. Information mentioned. The earlier No. 1 metropolis, Lancaster, Pa., dropped to the No. 3 spot.
“Harrisburg was No. 2 final 12 months, so it’s been fairly robust. It rose additional on account of its healthcare high quality, happiness [and] favorable retiree taxes, and it has a pleasant neighborhood really feel,” mentioned Beverly Harzog, consumer-finance analyst at U.S. Information. “It’s nice for being open air, working, biking, close by climbing and tenting. It’s an excellent location that’s not removed from Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York.”
Different Pennsylvania cities within the prime 10 included Studying, Scranton, Allentown, York and Pittsburgh. New York Metropolis got here in at No. 6 and Youngstown, Ohio, was within the No. 9 spot. See the total rankings right here.
U.S. Information mentioned its new checklist evaluated the nation’s 150 most populous metropolitan areas primarily based on how effectively they met expectations for retirement, with measures together with affordability, healthcare, desirability, retiree taxes, job market and total happiness. Affordability was probably the most closely weighted of the six components.
“During the last 12 months, Individuals have noticed record-high rates of interest within the housing market, steadily growing value of products and excessive climate patterns,” Harzog mentioned. “As retirees contemplate the place to spend their golden years, they need areas that not solely give them the most effective bang for his or her buck, however locations the place they will stay a contented, wholesome life.”
New York Metropolis, regardless of its excessive housing prices, jumped to the No. 6 spot, principally on account of its “world-class healthcare,” Harzog mentioned.
“In case you have the monetary assets to stay in New York Metropolis, it provides nice healthcare, job and volunteer alternatives, eating places, Broadway, museums. You’d by no means run out of issues to do there — if you can also make the numbers give you the results you want, that’s,” Harzog mentioned.
For the 2024 rankings, U.S. Information adjusted its methodology for the desirability index to incorporate climate — such because the variety of days yearly with reasonable temperatures and minimal precipitation. It additionally contains an establishment-to-population ratio, which assesses the variety of eating places, bars and actions per 1,000 residents.
The addition of climate to the methodology kicked Florida out of a lot of the highest 10 because of the state’s excessive climate and excessive temperatures, Harzog mentioned. Rising housing prices in Florida additionally weakened its desirability.
Florida nonetheless had six cities among the many prime 25.
Newcomers within the prime 25 included Winston-Salem, N.C.; Trenton, N.J.; and Rochester, N.Y.
The affordability index, which beforehand targeted solely on the price of housing, this 12 months factored within the normal value of products inside an space.
For the rankings, knowledge sources embody the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Emergency Administration Company’s Nationwide Danger Index, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, well being and wellness firm Sharecare and U.S. Information’ Finest Hospitals rankings.
MarketWatch has its personal software to assist individuals determine the place to retirement that permits readers slim down selections by sifting by way of knowledge starting from housing and climate to taxes, healthcare, theater, climbing and craft breweries.
