It is that time of the year again where we highlight the best places to retire in the U.S. The year’s list for 2022-2023 comes courtesy of U.S. News and World Report. Although we may be biased, it would be easy to formulate a top 10 list from The Sunshine State alone. Nonetheless, Florida was certainly represented well on this list by accounting for 40% of the top 10 places to retire. Below we share the methodology used for compiling this list along with the top 10 locations.
Methodology
For starters, 150 of the largest metropolitan areas across the U.S. were assessed to meet the retirement needs of Americans. The top criteria include the happiness of local residents, housing affordability, tax rates and health care quality. A full breakdown of these criteria is as follows:
- Job market index – 20%
- Value index (Housing affordability index) – 25%
- Quality of life index – 32.5%
- Desirability index – 17.5%
- Net migration – 5%
Top 10 cities
- #1. Lancaster, PA
- #2. Harrisburg, PA
- #3. Pensacola, FL
- #4. Tampa, FL
- #5. York, PA
- #6. Naples, FL
- #7. Daytona Beach, FL
- #8. Ann Arbor, MI
- #9. Allentown, PA
- #10. Reading, PA
Summary
While it is somewhat surprising to see the state of Pennsylvania have 5 of the top 10 spots, it is not surprising to see Florida with 4 of the spots. Of course, Florida has been the most desirable relocation state over the past few years. With this said, increased demand has also increased housing prices in The Sunshine State. It is quite likely that these higher housing prices negatively impacted the retirement scores for many Florida cities, particularly in South Florida. Overall, beautiful weather, a thriving economy, and a lack of state income taxes continue to be just a few reasons why Americans are deciding to call Florida their new home.
Are you looking to buy a home in South Florida? We can help! Contact Natasha at Live South Florida Realty, Inc. today! Be sure to also download our free Florida Home Search app to have the power of the South Florida MLS right on your mobile device!
