When deciding where to retire, issues such as weather, home prices, leisure activities and proximity to grandchildren often come to mind. But what regarding air quality, social support or environmental health?
The Global Residence Index drew on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Better Life Index to decide which factors matter most to people considering retirement.
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Issues such as air quality and environmental quality were ranked along with life expectancy, reports of violent crime, Medicaid spending and population over 65.
Top of the list? Washington ranked as the best state to retire following ranking in the top 10 in five of seven key factors. Washington had the second highest life expectancy in the nation at 79.2 years.
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“Retirement is a crucial stage in a person’s life and choosing a happy, healthy and safe place is imperative,” according to the Global Residence Index. “There are hundreds of factors to consider when it comes to living a positive and prosperous life, especially in retirement. Community, environment, safety and health are some of the essential factors to consider when choosing the best state to retire in.
According to the data, the second-best state to retire in was Minnesota, which was the top state in the nation for social support. Social support included a variety of factors including exercise, volunteering and insurance to create a holistic ranking, according to the Global Residence Index.
Massachusetts, which ranked third overall for retirees, also ranked as the third-best state in environmental quality. Fourth on the retiree list, Hawaii ranks first in the nation for air quality and life expectancy. Hawaii residents can expect to live to be 80.7 years old on average.
Although it ranks 27th in the number of violent crimes reported in 2021, Oregon performed well in the other categories to make it the fifth-best state in which to retire.
New York, California, Vermont, Connecticut and New Hampshire complete the top 10.
|
Rang |
État |
|
1 |
Washington |
|
2 |
Minnesota |
|
3 |
Massachusetts |
|
4 |
Hawaii |
|
5 |
Oregon |
|
6 |
New York |
|
7 |
California |
|
8 |
Vermont |
|
9 |
Connecticut |
|
dix |
New Hampshire |
New York had the highest Medicaid spending of any state at $75.4 billion in 2021, which helped solidify its spot at number six on the list.
In seventh place was California, which had the largest population over 65 in the entire country, with 5.96 million older adults.
Vermont had the second fewest reported violent crimes in 2021 in the United States. Additionally, Vermont had the eighth highest life expectancy in the nation, which helps place it as the eighth best state to retire in.
Connecticut is the ninth best state to retire in, ranking in the top 10 for social support and life expectancy. But, Connecticut came in at number 33 when it comes to air quality, according to the Global Residence Index.
The 10th best state to retire was New Hampshire. The Granite State ranked No. 12 for best air quality and No. 10 for social support.
A crucial factor considered in ranking social support for each state is the number of uninsured people. This number decreased in New Hampshire from 6.3% to 5.1% of the population between 2019 and 2021.
And now for the worse.
Alabama is ranked as the worst state to retire in, according to the Global Residence Index. He has the fourth worst life expectancy in the country at 73.2 years.
Alabama was also in the top 10 states with the worst air quality, which took into account ground-level ozone, particulate pollution, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. Alabama had some of the highest levels in the country, according to the Global Residency Index.
|
Rang |
État |
|
50 |
Alabama |
|
49 |
Tennessee |
|
48 |
Oklahoma |
|
47 |
West Virginia |
|
46 |
Wyoming |
Tennessee, Oklahoma and West Virginia all ranked poorly when it comes to life expectancy. Wyoming rounded out the worst list with poor ratings in six categories and only positive crime news — Wyoming had the third-least reported violent crime in 2021.
