Moving Into 2023 — Thinking of Retiring?

November 29, 2022
1:43 pm

Moving Into 2023 — Thinking of Retiring?

As we move into 2023, a lot of older people are thinking of maybe making it a last year of working. So somewhere in 2023 — or at least by the end of the year — they’ll pull the plug and try retirement.

Where to try that retirement is a big question that some haven’t stopped to ask.

Forbes did stop to ask and took a long look at 800 cities in the U.S. to find the best places for those wanting to retire to do so. The magazine and website looked at lots of things before picking the nation’s top 25 locales. Among them:

*Housing costs
*Taxes
*Healthcare
*Air quality
*Climate
*Crime

The list included positives and negatives for all of those cities. One of the things Weekly Industry News noticed is that most of the cities on the list have serious crime rates that are above the national average.

Another thing we noticed is that most of the best places have home prices that are way lower than the national average.

Most areas are in warmer climates though some of the better places are in places that are not so warm year around. And of the 25 cities, three are from the nine PIA Western Alliance states.

They are Spokane, Washington, Sun City, Arizona and Tucson, Arizona. We list them first.

The PIA Western Alliance Cities

Spokane, Washington

Positives:
*The number of doctors per capita is good
*Good air quality
*Very bikeable and fairly walkable
*No state income tax

Negatives:
*Median home prices are 10% above the national average at $411,000
*Winters are cold
*Serious crime rate is above the national average
*There is a state estate tax

Sun City, Arizona

Positives:
*Median home prices are 17% blow the national average at $303,000
*There is a strong economy
*No estate tax
*No tax on Social Security
*An adequate number of doctors

Negatives:
*Very hot summers
*Poor air quality
*Not very walkable

Tucson, Arizona

Positives:
*Home prices are $312,000 and are 17% below the national average
*High number of doctors per capita
*Very bikeable
*Somewhat walkable
*No income tax on Social Security
*No state estate tax

Negatives:
*Poor quality air
*Serious crime rate above the national average

The rest are listed alphabetically:

Athens, Georgia

Positives:
*Median home price: $289,000 — 23% below the national average
*Good climate and air quality.
*Up to $65,000 from Social Security and other retirement income exempt from state income tax
*No estate tax

Negatives: Number of doctors in Athens below the national average per capita
*Not a good place for walking
*Slightly higher than average city for serious crime
*The economy is just so-so

Charlotte, North Carolina

Positives:
*Per capita doctor availability higher than the national average
*Excellent climate and air quality
*A strong economy
*No income tax on Social Security
*No estate tax

Negatives:
*Median home price is $378,000 and is 1% above the national average
*The serious crime rate is also above the national average
*The city is not very walkable

College Station, Texas

Positives:
*Median price of homes is 19% below the national average at $304,000
*Lots of doctors available
*Air quality is good
*Crime rate is low
*The city is bikeable
*No state income tax or estate tax

Negatives:

* The city is not very walkable

Columbia, Missouri

Positives:
*The median home price is $259,000 and that is 31% below the national average
*Lots of doctors
*Climate is comfortable
*Air quality is good
*No estate tax in Texas

Negatives:
*Social Security is subject to the state income tax
*The crime rate is higher than the national average
*Not very walkable

Fargo, North Dakota

Positives:
*The median home price is 28% below the national average and is $271,000
*No doctor shortage
*Air quality is good
*Biking is easy
*No state estate tax

Negatives:
*Very cold winters
*The state taxes Social Security as income
*Serious crime is slightly above the national average

Greenville, South Carolina

Positives:
*The median home price is $281,000 and that is 25% below the national average
*Per capita more doctors than average
*Air quality and climate are good
*The economy is strong
*Social Security and other retirement income is not subject to the state income tax until it hits $25,000
*No estate tax

Negatives:

* The serious crime rate is above the national average

Iowa City, Iowa

Positives:
*The median home price is $260,000 and it is 31% below the national average
*A solid economy
*Plenty of doctors
*The climate is good and so is the air quality
*A low crime rate
*No state income tax on Social Security
*Very bikeable city

Negatives:
*Very cold winters
*An inheritance tax by the state

Jacksonville, Florida

Positives:
*Median home prices are 23% below the national average and sit at $288,000
*Not as prone to hurricanes as other Florida cities
*Lots of doctors
*Lots of parks
*Air quality is excellent
*There is no state income tax or estate tax

Negatives:
*The crime rate is serious and above the national average
*Not a very walkable city

Knoxville, Tennessee

Positives:
*Home prices average $308,000 and that is 18% below the national average
*Lots of doctors
*Climate is comfortable
*Air quality is good
*The economy is strong
*There is no state income tax or estate tax

Negatives:

* A serious crime rate above the national average

Lawrence, Kansas

Positives:
*Median home prices are $279,000 and that is 26% below the national average
*Per capita the physician ratio is good
*Good economy
*No state estate tax
*Air quality is good and the climate is comfortable

Negatives:
*Serious crime rate is above the national average
*Social Security benefits are taxed for income above $75,000

Lexington, Kentucky

Positives:
*The median home price is 27% below the national average at $273,000
*Enough doctors on a per capita basis
*Social Security and other retirement income is not taxed until income is $31,100

Negatives:
*A so-so economy
*There is a state inheritance tax

LIncoln, Nebraska

Positives:
*The median price of homes is $259,000 and that’s 31% below the national average
*Air quality is good
*The climate is comfortable
*The economy is strong
*There is no state estate tax
*Very bikeable city

Negatives:
*Social Security is subject to state income tax
*The serious crime rate is just above the national average

Madison, Wisconsin

Positives:
*The median home price is $360,000 and, at 3%, barely below the national average
*Lots of doctors
*Air quality is good
*Bikeable city and walkable city
*A low serious crime rate
*A strong economy
*No state tax on Social Security or estates

Negatives:

* Very cold winters

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Positives:
*The median price of homes is 38% below the national average and sits at $234,000
*There are lots of doctors
*It’s very bikeable and walkable
*The climate has cold winters but is considered comfortable
*There is no state income tax on Social Security and most retirement income

Negatives:
*Serious crime rate above the national average
*A so-so economy
*Air quality is problematic

Roanoke, Virginia

Positives:
*At 40% the median home price is way below the national average and, on average, homes run $225,000
*There are a lot of doctors
*Air quality is good
*The climate is mild and comfortable
*No state tax on Social Security or estates

Negatives:

* The economy is so-so

* The serious crime rate is above the national average

Rochester, Minnesota

Positives:
*The median home price is $316,000 and 16% below the national average
*A very high ratio of doctors per capita
*Good air quality
*Low serious crime rate
*Strong economy
*Very bikeable

Negatives:
*Cold winters
*Not very walkable
*Social Security is subject to a state income tax
*There is a state estate tax

San Antonio, Texas

Positives:
*Home prices on average are $287,000 and 24% below the national average
*The economy is strong
*Air quality is good
*No state income tax or estate tax
*Very bikeable

Negatives:
*Serious crime rate above the national average
*Not very walkable

Savannah, Georgia
*Median home price is $260,000 and is 31% below the national average
*Good economy
*Good air quality
*Very bikeable
*No tax on Social Security or other retirement until income reaches $65,000
*No state estate tax

Negatives:

* Serious crime rate is slightly above the national average

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Positives:
*Home prices on average are $296,000 and 21% below the national average
*Number of doctors per capita is good
*Good air quality
*Very bikeable
*A strong economy
*No state income tax or estate tax

Negatives:
*Cold winters
*Serious crime rate above the national average
*Not very walkable

The Villages, Florida

Positives:
*Mild winters
*Air quality is good
*A low serious crime rate
*No state income tax
*No estate tax
*Strong economy
*Somewhat bikeable

Negatives:
*Median home prices are $388,000 and 3% above the national average
*Not very walkable
*Physicians per capita is below the national average

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Positives:
*The median home price is $363,000 and 3% below the national average
*An adequate number of doctors
*Air quality is good
*The climate is comfortable
*Very low serious crime rate
*No state income tax on Social Security
*No state estate tax
*Somewhat bikeable

Negatives:
*A so-so economy
*Not very walkable

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Positives:
*The median home price is $219,000 and is 42% below the national average
*A very high physician to population rate
*A comfortable climate
*Good air quality
*A good economy
*No state income tax on Social Security
*No estate tax

Negatives:
*A higher than national average serious crime rate
*Not very bikeable

Source link: Forbes — http://bit.ly/3gHSICC

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