Some of the most popular metro areas make for some of the worst places to retire, and vice versa. And if past and recent studies are any indication, the best places to retire vary widely based on a number of different factors.
Tampa, Florida; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Boise City, Idaho make for some of the best places to retire based on findings released this week from online finance hub WalletHub.
WalletHub analyzed prospective retirement locales based on 24 metrics including cost of living, hospital rankings, and percentage of the population that is currently 65 and older. It then ranked 150 metros nationwide, finding Providence, Rhode Island; Jersey City, New Jersey; and Newark, New Jersey ranking Nos. 148, 149 and 150, respectively.
Three additional cities in Florida appear on the top 10 places to retire list, along with cities in South Dakota, Louisiana, Kansas and Arizona.
And some cities ranked much higher than others on specific metrics.
For example, the adjusted cost of living for retirees in Honolulu is twice that of Laredo, Texas; and the number of home care facilities per capita is 32 times higher in Scottsdale, Arizona, than in Des Moines.
The states with the most reverse mortgage volume tend to mirror areas with the greatest number of retirees, and people in general, with recent hot spots for growth including Arizona, Texas and Florida.
View the full WalletHub rankings.
Written by Elizabeth Ecker
