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Old 02-03-2016, 10:00 AM
 
92,147 posts, read 122,387,927 times
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Here is a cool map from smartasset: https://smartasset.com/retirement/re...us/best-places
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Old 02-03-2016, 10:16 AM
 
24,510 posts, read 18,011,396 times
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Quote:
First, we looked at state and local tax rates, considering two types of taxes: income and sales. We calculated effective rates based on a typical retiree, earning $35,000 annually (from retirement savings, social security or part-time employment), and spending their disposable income on taxable goods. Next, we determined the number of doctors’ offices, recreation centers and retirement centers per thousand residents in each area. Finally, we found the number of seniors in each area as a percentage of the total population.
Those metrics have nothing at all in common with the ones that are important to me.

State income and sales taxes got some consideration. A big chunk of my income will be from Social Security and very few states tax that. With the internet and access to a zero sales tax state, I don't care much about sales tax rates. It completely misses property taxes. As a retiree, that is my dominant tax if I pick an expensive home and/or a high property tax rate place to live.

Who cares about the density of doctor's offices. I could live in a tiny town hours from any major city with a walk-in clinic staffed with incompetent physicians and that would rate highly. I want to be striking distance from world class health care in case I need a top specialist for something.

A high percentage of seniors means more people competing for whatever limited public resources are available for retirees. Why would I want that?
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Old 02-03-2016, 10:18 AM
 
Location: southwestern PA
22,286 posts, read 47,230,980 times
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LOLing at Alaska getting the top two spots...

And retire to Uniontown PA?
Absurd.
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Old 02-03-2016, 10:39 AM
 
Location: Idaho
2,087 posts, read 1,914,353 times
Reputation: 8347
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod View Post
Here is a cool map from smartasset: https://smartasset.com/retirement/re...us/best-places
I pretty much disregard the values of this map after checking few locations.

For example, in checking for best cities with Medical Care in Washington (the state where we are thinking of relocating), the map showed Sequim being No. 2 in WA and 132 in the US with 7.4 doctor offices per 1000 people. Not too long ago, there was a post at this forum from someone who had relocated to that area. The main complain was with medical care. The person had to travel to a nearby bigger city for a routine visit, had to wait for month and was charged an exorbitant fee.

Even more ridiculous is the Tax Burden map in NY (where we are living) showing New York City (of all places!) ranked 1st best place in NY and 117 nationwide with the tax at 9.4%. I have no ideas what criteria that this site used to rank the cities. The site also does not show what kind of taxes go into the tax rate (Fed, state, property, city, excise, sale etc.). There may be some merits in considering the ratio of doctor office per 1000 residents but it says nothing about the quality or the distance that a person has to go access quality care.
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Old 02-03-2016, 11:03 AM
 
Location: Wasilla, AK
7,448 posts, read 7,517,705 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod View Post
Here is a cool map from smartasset: https://smartasset.com/retirement/re...us/best-places

Wow! My home town is number 1!
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Old 02-03-2016, 11:11 AM
 
Location: Central Massachusetts
6,554 posts, read 7,010,705 times
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Originally Posted by AlaskaErik View Post
Wow! My home town is number 1!


I saw that. I was going to ask if you wrote the article on your side job.


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Old 02-03-2016, 11:17 AM
 
Location: The High Desert
16,000 posts, read 10,563,608 times
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Hmmm... 3 cities in Michigan -- nice place to visit but...
And the lower number of seniors the better?
That might be because they all left at the first opportunity?
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Old 02-03-2016, 11:53 AM
 
Location: New Jersey
12,755 posts, read 9,598,927 times
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My county doesn't even have one city or town listed. But, that's OK. I like where I live!

Amenities within walking distance:

Small shopping center with grocery store, hairdresser, dry cleaner, etc.
Two pizza places
Senior Center
Senior Housing
Dentist
Post Office
Municipal Building
Train Station (one year I walked from my house, took the train to Newark Airport, and flew to Victoria, BC, Canada for a vacation). No worries about parking, etc.!

Within five minute drive:

Princeton and Princeton University (don't even have to drive there, can take the Dinky), three large malls, Trader Joe's, Lowes, 12-plex movie theatre, Chinese and Italian restaurants, etc.

Within 35-45 minutes drive:

the shore!!!

Another plus: the police force is well trained and intelligent. They don't shoot dogs... and crime is extremely low.
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Old 02-03-2016, 11:55 AM
 
Location: Wasilla, AK
7,448 posts, read 7,517,705 times
Reputation: 16456
Quote:
Originally Posted by golfingduo View Post
I saw that. I was going to ask if you wrote the article on your side job.



I'm retired. I don't have a side job.
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Old 02-03-2016, 01:04 PM
 
Location: Connecticut
34,674 posts, read 56,455,731 times
Reputation: 11156
I have to say this is highly questionable IMHO. The towns listed in Connecticut are not places most people would consider retiring to. Greenwich (including Cos Cob which is a part of Greenwich) and Westport are two of the most affluent and expensive towns in the country. Orange is an affluent family-oriented suburb of New Haven. Winsted is an old mill town that has seen better days and offers little (though I do know one guy that retired to a lakefront home there but he is the exception). Putnam is not much better.

What should be on this list are the beautiful shoreline communities between New Haven and New London. Towns like Old Saybrook and Old Lyme have a lot of retirees who want to live near the water. hey have a lot of amenities and offer things to retirees that communities on the list do not. Another area that should be listed is the Southbury/Oxford area. There are several very popular major retirement communities there that people just love. And then there is stunning Litchfield County, a really beautiful rural area that retirees who want a quiet country life have been going to for decades.

I also have to question how the overall ratings were developed. A quick scan showed that the Massachusetts communities listed ranked much higher overall than Connecticut towns. Massachusetts is a beautiful state but it is as expensive and retirement friendly as Connecticut so why are the rankings so far off. I also have to question what weight is being put on what items. To me a retiree should be looking for a community with access to quality medical care. Many of the communities ranked high do not have that so why are they even on the list. Again all this makes me question it all. Jay
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