Best Places in the Country to Retire to

best retirement community locations in the country

Are you a senior wondering where to retire, or are you unhappy with where you’ve retired? Fortunately, there’s been a lot of research done lately on the best places to retire, globally and nationally.

According to an in-depth analysis by International Living magazine, the best places in the world to retire are:

  1. Costa Rica
  2. Panama
  3. Mexico
  4. Colombia
  5. Portugal
  6. Ecuador
  7. Malaysia
  8. France
  9. Malta
  10. Vietnam

For the United States, US News analyzed 150 metro areas to determine the best places to live, based on quality of life, job market, the value of living there, and people’s desire to live there. They also did an analysis to determine the best places to retire. The formula for the retirement rankings are: 22.7% – happiness index; 20.2% – housing affordability index; 18.1% – health-care quality index; 14.6% – retiree taxes index; 13.5% – desirability index; and 10.9% – job market index

Out of 150 places in the United States, the Raleigh & Durham NC metro area is ranked impressively:

  • 23rd for fastest-growing metro area.
  • 22nd for best place to retire, thanks to its housing affordability, and top ranked medical facilities. This is up from 28th place in 2020. Also noted: North Carolina residents age 65 or older can audit courses tuition-free at North Carolina State University.
  • 2nd best place to live in the US, thanks to its high scores on net migration, value, and desirability. This is a big jump from 11 in 2020.
  • 1st best place to live in the state of North Carolina, for the factors listed above.

Other high-ranking North Carolina places to retire include Asheville, Hickory, Winston-Salem, and Charlotte.

The top 10 metro areas to retire to according to the US News analysis are:

  1. Sarasota FL
  2. Naples FL
  3. Daytona Beach FL
  4. Melbourne FL
  5. Lancaster PA
  6. Tampa FL
  7. Ft Myers FL
  8. Port St Lucie FL
  9. Ann Arbor MI
  10. Pensacola FL

Of course, what all these analyses can’t take into account is proximity to your friends and family, and any particular senior living communities you have in mind for yourself. These factors, along with personal preferences, can make all the difference in retiring happily.

Why settle for normal when you can have OPTIMAL? At Cambridge Village, you can experience North Carolina’s premier Optimal Living® community for active adults. For a retirement experience that exceeds your expectations, we offer an exceptional lifestyle, with evolving wellness, concierge care services, and engaged experience. Each of our unique locations offers something a little bit different, but all designed to help you live your life to the fullest. Visit www.cvsliving.com to contact us through our website to learn more.