Which Cities Are Better For Retirement?

When it comes time to retire, seniors have many factors to consider.

Most of them deal directly with finances – figuring out if they have saved enough money over the years to retire comfortably, or how to change their daily financial routines to live on a more rigidly fixed income.

But there are other things that matter to seniors too once they stop having to endure the grind of a 40-hour or more work week.

Health care is also going to be at or near the top of the list, but so likely will be quality of life issues related to lifestyle and, yes, even entertainment.

All of these things culminate in one key decision for retirees – where is the best place to live in those golden years?

According to a recent study, Naples, Fla. is the No. 1 answer.

SmartAsset.com, a financial technology company that offers consumers tools to assist with homebuying, retirement planning and taxes, recently published a list of the 10 best places to retire in the United States.

Their retirement experts began by compiling data about factors that matter most to retirees, like an area’s tax burden, the ease of access to medical facilities and recreational activities, and more.

Not surprisingly, three of the Top 10 cities are in the Sunshine State.

Joining Naples on the list are New Port Richey (No. 7) and Orange Park (No. 10).

Ask most folks at or near that retirement age, and they’ll likely tell you that they want to stay right where they are. That’s no surprise as it’s difficult to uproot your life in your sixties and move away.

But, ask younger people if they want to live where they currently do once they reach retirement age and you’ll start to find more people who would like to live out their retirement somewhere else.

Which of the following cities would you consider for retirement?

• Naples, FL
• Cumming, GA
• Beverly Hills, CA
• Gig Harbor, WA
• Media, PA
• Farmington, MI
• New Port Richey, FL
• Westlake Village, CA
• Grosse Pointe, MI
• Orange Park, FL

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Younger generations are more willing to move about the country than their predecessors. Advancements in communication technology make it easier to maintain relationships with friends and family even from a long distance, which has given people more relocation options to consider than ever before.

So, when younger working people start to consider where they might want to end up when they reach retirement age, being “somewhere else” is going to become a trendy option.

But then, where is that “somewhere else?”

More than half of Naples’s population is made up of senior citizens, so maybe it isn’t really a secret that it’s a great place to retire.

The city also has the lowest tax burden among the top 10 cities at 14.6%, allowing residents to stretch their savings a bit more.

As far as quality of life, it’s hard to top Naples if you love the outdoors. There are fishing opportunities, more than 80 community golf courses, and unique entertainment options like exploring shipwrecks.

New Port Richey is also a popular retirement destination because of its waterfront location and access to recreational activities. Additionally, if you need healthcare, the area contains more than 17 medical centers per 1,000 residents, which offers good accessibility. New Port Richey’s tax burden also falls toward the lower end of the cities on this list (15.6%).

Finally, Orange Park has pristine beaches that line its coastline, and golf courses are abundant. It prides itself as a “family friendly Jacksonville suburb.” Like Port Richey it has easy access to healthcare facilities. (20 medical centers per 1,000 residents) and an identically low tax burden (15.6%.)

The rest of the Top Ten list includes, Cumming, Ga. (No 2), Beverly Hills, Calif. (No. 3), Gig Harbor, Wash. (No. 4), Media, Pa. (No. 5), Farmington, Mich. (No. 6), Westlake Village, Calif. (No. 8) and Grosse Pointe, Mich. (No. 9).