WASHINGTON — Those who live in the area may not have to go far to find a good retirement spot: Arlington, Virginia, topped Bankrate.com’s study of the best and worst cities to retire in.
Bankrate said in a statement that its study assessed communities in nine categories: cost of living; climate; health care cost and quality; taxes; crime; well-being; walkability; and cultural vitality.
Arlington’s culture, sense of well-being among senior citizens and excellent health care were strong points, Bankrate says; the high cost of living was a problem, but not enough of one to keep it out of the top spot.
Meanwhile, Niagara Falls, New York, was found the worst place to retire, Bankrate says — high taxes, snowy weather and crime were the main problems. Milford, Connecticut; San Bernardino, California; Troy, New York; and Worcester, Massachusetts, made up the rest of the bottom five.
“We found that smaller cities and suburbs fared the best,” Bankrate.com analyst Jill Cornfield said in the statement.
“Most seniors prefer to live in these types of communities because they offer access to big-city amenities without as much hustle, bustle and crime.”
But maybe you would weigh the nine categories differently than Bankrate would, and someplace else would be right for you. You can find out with Bankrate’s online calculator, which lets you rank the categories however you like and see what your best choice would be.
