Forget the surf-and-turf enclaves of Florida. The top city in the U.S. to retire is actually Phoenix, according to Bankrate.com's first ranking of the best cities for retirement.
In a report released Monday, the publisher of finance content ranked 172 cities after considering factors that most affect the quality of life for adult adults. Those factors included weather, crime rate, cost of living, healthcare quality, tax burden, walkability, and personal well-being for seniors.
The Phoenix metro area came out on top due to its weather and high well-being score. The five worst places for retirement are New York City, Little Rock, Ark., New Haven, Conn., Buffalo, N.Y., and Newark, N.J.
“Deciding where to retire is a very personal choice,” said Bankrate.com research and statistics analyst Chris Kahn. “We ranked the cities on factors that matter most to seniors, but recognize that every city has its pros and cons that will be shaped by each individual’s personal experiences.”
Kahn told The Huffington Post that he was surprised how well the middle of the country did -- specifically Des Moines and Franklin, Tenn. "They're not exactly considered to be retirement hotspots and yet if you look at the scores, they could make a great landing spot for someone looking to relocate," he said.
Of course, other evaluations have come up with different suggestions for retirement. Forbes' list of 20 top foreign retirement spots in 2015 includes places like Australia and Colombia. And the Milken Institute's best cities for successful aging placed Madison, Wisconsin as number one.
Meanwhile, check out the list of 10 best cities below. Which place would you retire? Let us know in comments.
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