Retirement Life Topics
States to Live for a Happy Retirement

 The top ten happiest states to live in for 2013 may not be the best choice for seniors seeking an exciting retirement life

The Top States to enjoy a happy retirement life in most studies that are familiar with senior needs include several criteria:
1. Senior friendly. That means, states that are not tax friendly to seniors' income, where property taxes are lower, as well as sales tax.
 
2. Comfortable Climates with plenty of sunshine have always been a strong factor which is why states like Hawaii, Florida and Arizona always ranked highest. Lately however writers 'thinking outside the box' are trying to sway seniors into moving to colder climates where they have to shovel snow and walk on icy sidewalks which lead to thousands of injuries and death due to slipping on ice.
 
3. Crime rate is important too, but can be deceiving if you are simply looking at overall State statistics. For instance, if you look at Los Angeles, it might have a high crime rate while there are neighborhoods within the city that are very safe.
 
4. Cost of Living expenses are also chart toppers. If a senior retires in a state/city with high prices for housing, gasoline, utilities etc there will be no money left over to enjoy retirement. Life will be boring if you don't have any money left over to get out and enjoy even the simple things in life. (article continues below)

5. Amenities such as easy access to shopping and dining, cultural events, outdoor activities, churches etc

6. Medical hospitals, other medical facilities and physicians that accept Medicare patients.  

Here is a link to a site that was built especially for anyone looking to evaluate places to retire. Click Here

HAPPIEST STATES TO LIVE in RETIREMENT?

I just read an article about the happiest states to live in. But are these the best states for retirement life? According to the article, "Quality of Life" was based upon a few factors that remained nameless, but carried a possible 300 points out of 2,500 points. Then they included other factors such as crime, health care, local attractions and the environmental quality of each state.

However, the criteria they use in their evaluation don’t make sense according to most methods of evaluating what makes seniors happy.  It’s a well-known fact that sunshine, lots of activities to keep you engaged in life, cultural opportunities, good medical facilities, low crime rates and places to shop and dine…those are the things most people look for when they choose a “happy” place to retire.

At any rate, here is their list:

Topping the list….again, is Hawaii. Hawaiians are environmentally conscious, you can find warm balmy climates or snow, depending on the island and zone, and they have good health care. However, according to the article they wrote, Hawaii’s top ranking in quality of life “made it easy to forget its dismal overall ranking.” What?  

Number 2 is the Green Mountain State of Vermont which offers one of the best states for low pollution, a low percentage of uninsured and low crime.

Minnesota ranks number 3 on their list. The environment here is the cleanest in the nation. And the North Star State has something for most everyone….who loves the cold, with bone-chilling, snowy winters, a short summer of warm weather, lakes and mosquitos.  Actually Minnesota is beautiful. I know. I have spent a good bit of time here. You can enjoy the natural beauty of the miles of woods and lakes or head to the sophistication of the Twin Cities. And everyone, it seems, is "Minnesota Nice". The crime rate is among the Nation's lowest (probably because it’s just too cold to go outdoors and create mischief in the winter).

Number 4 on the list is Nebraska, which offers clean air, and relatively low crime.  This state has apparently a relatively stress-free lifestyle. Heart disease and high blood pressure are well below the national average in Nebraska (despite all that starchy corn and corn-fed beef).

Number 5 is Maine. Clean air put it on the list but winters are extremely cold and if you are not an outdoors person, you will be bored. The writers of the article had to admit, there is not much to do in Main.

Number 6 is North Dakota for clean air and water. It also offers a low crime rate, probably because most people are able to find a job. The economy is strong thanks to the shale boom. However obesity ranks high. And winters are brutal.

Ranking number 7 on the list is South Dakota. This state ranks number one in business this year and one of the cleanest environments in the country. Health care is generally accessible, and overall health of the residents is average while the crime rate is low.

Number 8 is Oregon.  Why is a state that has a lot of rain and gloomy skies most of the year on the list? It has some of the best air quality in the nation, and the residents are said to be among the healthiest because there are lower instances of obesity, and diabetes.

Number 9 on the list is New Hampshire.  This north-eastern state tied with Hawaii last year and fell to ninth place due to air quality. (Now I’m convinced this article was written solely to promote the environment, and has little to do with happiness) Although New Hampshire does have one of the lowest crime rates in the country, making the Granite State is one of the safest places to live. It also has good health care which are two things that are important to seniors, but you still have to shovel snow.

Number 10 on the list was Washington State. The Evergreen State offers a near-pristine environment, which is why I believe the environmentalists who made the list, chose this as one of their favorites.  Washington also offers many local attractions and has relatively low crime. However, the writers failed to add that Washington State is also grey and rainy most of the time which causes depression in most people.

Enter content here


Which states are most appealing to seniors who want the happiest states to retire