After looking at several factors, SmartAsset.com recently ranked Gig Harbor as 2016’s Best Place to Retire in Washington State.
November 10, 2016 – SmartAsset.com
Wondering where to retire? SmartAsset’s interactive retirement map can help you pick the best spot for your retirement. Zoom between states and the national map to see the best places to retire in each region, or look specifically at one of three factors driving our analysis: tax-friendliness, medical care and social life.
A happy, healthy retirement depends a lot on location. To find the best places to retire, SmartAsset gathered data on three separate regional factors that affect the quality of life for retirees.
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.
In our final analysis, we ranked each county and city on these three factors, and calculated an average ranking for each area, weighting the three factors equally. The areas with the lowest average ranking are the best places to retire.
Sources: US Census Bureau 2013 County Business Patterns (CBP) and ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), Avalara, US Census Bureau 2014 American Community Survey, government websites
