Three North Carolina cities named among the best places in the US to retire
North Carolina is home to three of the best cities in the country for retirees, new rankings show.
Asheville, Raleigh and Winston-Salem earned spots on a list of the top 25 places to retire, according to rankings released this month by Forbes.
To come up with its findings, the business magazine says it examined data from more than 750 cities that have at least 10,000 residents. It considered each place’s scores from the Milken Institute’s “Best Cities for Successful Aging” report, results show.
Analysts also weighed factors that determine a city’s affordability, quality of life and features to help retirees stay active, according to Forbes.
All of the North Carolina cities that made it onto the national list got nods for their agreeable climates, air quality, doctor-to-patient ratios and bike-friendly environments, results show. They were also recognized for having no Social Security or inheritance taxes, policies that are in place statewide.
But Forbes said the cities have some downsides.
Asheville, where median housing prices and the cost of living are above the national average, is “not very walkable,” according to Forbes.
Raleigh also had costs above the national average but got a boost for its strong economy and high Milken score, results show. The city was also deemed to be “not very walkable.”
And Winston-Salem, where houses and the cost of living were below the national average, had a low Milken ranking, according to the findings.
All three cities were near or above the national average rates for “serious crime,” results show.
It’s not the first time a North Carolina city has gotten a nod for being a retirement destination.
In March, Raleigh was among the top places where people near retirement age were moving, according to SmartAsset. The personal finance website analyzed population data and found the city was the seventh-most popular for U.S. residents ages 60 or older, McClatchy News reported.
But North Carolina cities fell short in earning a spot on another recent list.
This month, no place in the state made it onto SmartAsset’s list of the top 25 places for retirees to live and work. The website examined crime, health care access and costs to come up with its findings, McClatchy News reported.
On the recent Forbes list, North Carolina tied with Florida in having the most cities earning recognition.
This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 10:08 AM with the headline "Three North Carolina cities named among the best places in the US to retire."
