The D.C. area may attract large crowds of tourists and young college grads eager to make it on the Hill, but it falls short for what retirees seek out.
D.C. ranked 82nd out of 150 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of best places to retire in the U.S.
“The housing costs in the D.C. area are very high, perhaps out of reach for a lot of retirees on a fixed income, especially if they’re new to the area,” said Emily Brandon, senior editor for retirement at U.S. News.
The annual survey analyzes data from 150 of the most populous metropolitan areas in the country, factoring in housing affordability, tax rates, access to quality healthcare and the happiness of local residents.
Ten best places to retire in the U.S.
- Lancaster, Pa.
- Harrisburg, Pa.
- Pensacola, Fla.
- Tampa, Fla.
- York, Pa.
- Naples, Fla.
- Daytona Beach, Fla.
- Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Allentown, Pa.
- Reading, Pa.
“Pennsylvania and Florida really dominated the 2022-2023 list of best places to retire. And that is different from past years, when it was really Florida that was especially popular,” Brandon said.
Brandon said affordable housing in Pennsylvania made the Keystone State especially attractive to retirees this year.
“Retirees and soon-to-be retirees are especially concerned about home affordability this year due to the current state of the housing market and inflation,” Brandon explained. “Due to that, we actually weighted housing affordability a little bit more this year.”
This is the first year Lancaster took the top spot. Sarasota, Florida, ranked number one for the past two years.
