Everybody wants to make the most of their golden years. For this, you should consider the place you choose for your retirement. Are you thinking about relocation? Then you’ll always find lists of the best cities for retirement with great healthcare facilities, low taxes, and lots of great retiree-friendly activities.
Nobody really talks about the cities to avoid, and for your general knowledge, we’d like to bring them into the spotlight. These can be amazing, beautiful cities, but they don’t necessarily fit retirement years.
Come and find out the worst places to retire to and the reasons why they got this rank, from poor hospital systems to sky-high expenses.
Beverly Hills, California
How glamorous! It may not surprise you that this city is also one of the worst places to retire in the whole US. Home values here pass $6 million, and you must own some explosive retirement funds to afford this city. Going further with the calculations, annual expenses are running around $260,000 annually in this celebrity-filled city.
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Even if Bridgeport has the benefit of a good healthcare system, it’s not a city that’s necessarily retirement-friendly. It’s known for high expenses and it doesn’t have too much social activity for older folks. More to mention is that Connecticut residents currently pay the highest taxes in the country.
Kahului, Hawaii
This city, located in Hawaii, has the second-highest tax income in the country. It’s a gorgeous city, but moving here for retirement may not be the best idea. You won’t really have a sense of belonging considering that only 18% of the population here is over 65 and the cost of the average home is over $920,000.
In your retirement years, probably what you need the least are high home costs and higher taxes on your retirement income, so you need to carefully choose the way you retire.
However, you probably found out about some Social Security benefits that Hawaii offers, but with some simple math, it is easy to spot that they are not going to be enough to sustain you in Kahulu.
Newark, New Jersey
Here, you’re going to find poor health facilities and a major lack of retirement-friendly activities. It is a low-affordable place, and it comes with a low quality of life, all of which make Newark a frightening city to retire to.
The average home cost is $419,396, and you’ll pay the sixth-highest taxes in the US. Yes, you have the privilege of an airport and easy access to New York City, but is that worth it?
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a green flag when it comes to the cost of living, as it’s one of the most affordable places. However, you can see now that this is not the only principle for being in the right place.
You can live low-costly near Los Angeles, but you won’t have too much to do here, a good healthcare system, or a vibrant community.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit had also been marked on the list of good retirement places. This is because Michigan is one of the low-tax states with a low cost of living. However, Detroit is also low when it comes to healthcare, quality of life, and general things that would bring you joy, which you won’t probably find there.
Vancouver, Washington
Well, Vancouver seems to be a less than desirable place to retire to, considering the expensive housing market that’s around $500,000, bad traffic, a dry climate, and average healthcare. Even if we don’t take into consideration the tax income, this is not a good place for a retiree to live their best years.
Baltimore, Maryland
When it comes to housing and groceries, Maryland is above the national average, and the tax burden ranks 8th in the country. Baltimore is another place that you shouldn’t choose for your retirement considering the costs, but it has access to a good medical system at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Medical College Health System, and this could be a draw for some residents.
Wichita, Kansas
There are some good things here considering retirement, with an average home price of $186,000, making it 9% lower than the national average. However, when it comes to healthcare, quality of life, and attractive activities, it ranks low. In the end, this may not outweigh the economic advantages.
Rancho Cucamonga, California
Another California city appears to be the worst place to retire, considering the high-income taxes. The costs here are harmful to retirees in the most important domains, such as health care, general affordability, and recreational activities.
Lubbock, Texas
The good thing about Lubbock is that the cost of living is 10% lower than the national average, and an average house costs 16% less than the national average. Even with no tax income, there is a below-average healthcare system and a poor quality of life, and the city lacks activities or any special programs for retirees.
Lynnwood, Washington
With access to the gorgeous Pacific Northwest landscapes, this city still doesn’t fit on the list of good places for retirees, and only 16% of the population is made up of people over 65. There is a high cost of living, and the average housing price is around $792,000.
Wilmette, Illinois
Wilmette is a beautiful place to escape to for Chicago residents, especially. Even if it may look like a dream destination for a retiree, the costs are putting it on the list of the worst places to retire. Paying over $833,000 for a house and the second-highest property taxes may not sound like the best idea.
Miami, Florida
Who doesn’t love Miami? But if you care about your wallet in your older years, this may not be the right place for you. The average home here costs around $1,974,304, and even if there is no tax income, Miami isn’t going to be friendly with your savings.
Brookline, Massachusetts
Paying $2,245,366 for a home in Brookline plus expenses of $100,000 a year will require a high financial level. The individual tax burden here is the highest in Massachusetts, which is another reason to reconsider the decision to retire here if it’s the case.
These cities are ranked based on their affordability or other objective factors. What we didn’t mention is the relationships that you may hold. As not everything is about saving money, your decision shouldn’t be based only on this. If you feel like living closer to your family or friends, the comfort, the feeling of belonging and the love you share will outweigh any financial cost, and you should follow your heart in deciding where you want to spend your golden years.
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If you liked our article, we have more on the same note. Here is one that you can read next: 6 Colorado Retirement Spots With Beautiful Mountain Scenery.
