Location, Location, Location (Part 2)

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A little while back we looked at the 10 worst states for retirement living.  Now we’ll examine the 10 best states for retirement living.  The ranking, courtesy of Bankrate, considered several factors, including local weather, access to health care, cost of living, crime rate and tax burden. This year’s ranking also adds a broad standard-of-living measurement from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, a comprehensive survey gauging people’s satisfaction with their surroundings.

Surprisingly, popular retirement states like Arizona and Florida did not crack the top 10.  The following are Bankrate’s top 10 states for retirees to spend their golden years:

10. Virginia.  Virginia offers retirees relatively low taxes, low cost of living, low crime, and a moderate climate.

9. Iowa.  Iowa ranked well because of the availability of exceptional health care and a low cost of living.

8. Idaho.  Idaho landed near the top because of its low cost of living, low crime, and lots of sunshine.

7. Montana.  Montana finished in 7th place due to an abundance of sunshine, good health care, low taxes, and low crime.

6. Nebraska.  Nebraska offers residents a low cost of living, low crime, good health care, and plenty of sunshine.  (Good for the corn, too.)

5. Wyoming.  Wyoming made the top five due to the lowest taxes in the country, low crime, and abundant sunshine.

4. North Dakota.  North Dakota made the fourth spot due to its low cost of living, low crime, low taxes, good health care, and placing at the top of Gallup-Healthways’ Well-Being Index (a comprehensive measure of happiness).

3. Utah.  Utah ranked high in every measure, including the Well-Being Index.

2. Colorado.  Colorado took the proverbial silver medal with low cost of living, low crime, low taxes, and good health care.

1. South Dakota.  The top podium spot went to South Dakota (!), which did very well in almost every category, including good health care, extremely low taxes, low cost of living, and low crime.

You can read the entire article here.