Forbes has listed the best 25 places to retire in 2012 . The magazine reviewed data for hundreds of cities in all 50 states, and analysed factors such as climate, affordability, availability of doctors, retiree tax rates, crime rates and average home prices.
With this in mind, it’s perhaps not a surprise that states such as Florida and Texas (three entries each) and Arizona and New Mexico (two entries) fared so well. In total, 18 states feature in the list, with pricey locations in California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York failing to make the cut.
As more retirees are working small, part-time roles in the early years of retirement, Forbes also took into account unemployment rates and rankings of job and economic growth.
The mag notes that only four of the 25 cities listed have higher property prices than the nationwide average cost of a single-family house ($163,500), and high sales tax has also ruled out various states (such as Seattle, with its hefty 9.5 percent tax.
The list reveals the best states for retirees from a tax perspective are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia.
What hasn’t been measured, for obvious reasons, are more difficult-to-assess factors, such as scenic beauty (though there are some eye-catching sights in many of those). And personal reasons are also tricky to evaluate – staying near children and other relatives and friends can often sway where people choose to retire.
For the full list, head to the Forbes site .
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