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What are the best and worst cities for retirement?

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON — As people approach retirement, one of the biggest decisions they make is where to live.

Will they be snowbirds, living part of the year in a warm climate? Will they be able to do what many retirees these days are doing — working part-time or starting new careers?

Will they have enough money to do all of the things they want? And will they have enough money to just make ends meet?

WalletHub analyzed the 150 largest cities in the U.S. using 25 key metrics. The metrics included everything from the cost of living to fishing facilities to the costs of in-home care.

Looking at affordability, jobs, activities, quality of life and health care, WalletHub came up with the best and worst places to retire.

D.C. ranked 128th on the list. Baltimore ranked in the bottom 10 places, at No. 142. At the very bottom of the list are Providence, Rhode Island; Newark, New Jersey; and Philadelphia.

Cities in warmer climates are at the top of the list.

Tampa ranked No. 1. Grand Prairie, Texas, came in second. Orlando, Florida, is No. 3.

Tampa came in ninth in affordability and third in the number of activities.

Grand Prairie ranked second in health care, while Plano, Texas, topped the health care ranking category.

Henderson, Nevada, holds the title for best quality of life, but overall it was 37th on the list.

Top 10 best cities

  1. Tampa
  2. Grand Prairie, Texas
  3. Orlando
  4. St. Petersburg, Florida
  5. Scottsdale, Arizona
  6. Overland Park, Kansas
  7. Port St. Lucie, Florida
  8. Cape Coral, Florida
  9. Plano, Texas
  10. Peoria, Arizona

When it comes to the lowest adjusted cost of living, Nashville and Memphis are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. The highest adjusted cost of living is in Jersey City, New Jersey, followed by Yonkers, New York, and San Francisco.

Four Texas cities — Brownsville, El Paso, Laredo and Corpus Christ — are in the top five for the lowest annual cost of in-home services. San Jose, California, and San Francisco had the highest annual cost for in-home services.

The cities with the lowest percentage of people over 65 working are Modesto, California, and Cleveland. The cities with the highest percentage of working seniors: Plano, Texas; Anchorage, Alaska; Irvine, California; and D.C.

While D.C. has a lot of seniors working, it ranks third in terms of the most recreation and senior centers per capita. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Minneapolis are No. 1 and No. 2.

Weather is often a key factor in retirement decisions. Glendale, California, gets the mildest weather ranking, while Buffalo, New York, takes the worst weather ranking.

Top 10 worst cities

  1. Providence, Rhode Island
  2. Newark, New Jersey
  3. Philadelphia
  4. New York
  5. Chicago
  6. Stockton, California
  7. Worcester, Massachusetts
  8. Fresno, California
  9. Baltimore
  10. Jersey City, New Jersey

Click on the cities in the map below to see their rankings:

WalletHub

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Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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