Pennsylvania cities take 7 of top 10 spots on list of country's best places to retire
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pennsylvanians looking for the best place to retire don't have go to very far. The commonwealth has seven of the country's 10 best cities for retirement, according to a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report.
The report ranks Harrisburg, Reading, Lancaster, Scranton and Allentown as 2024's top five best places to retire in the U.S. followed by New York City, York, Daytona Beach and Youngstown. Pittsburgh rounds out the top 10.
Beverly Harzog, a personal finance expert at U.S. News, says record-high interest rates in the housing market, increasing costs and extreme weather are impacting living conditions this year.
"As retirees consider where to spend their golden years, they want areas that not only give them the best bang for their buck, but places where they can live a happy, healthy life. This is why Pennsylvania dominated the Best Places to Retire ranking's top positions, taking seven of the top 10 spots on the list," Harzog said in a press release.
To compare the U.S.'s 150 largest metropolitan areas, the company used six factors: affordability, happiness, health care quality, retiree taxes, desirability and job market ratings. The factors were weighted based on what Americans 45 or older are considering as they approach retirement, with affordability as the top issue.
U.S. News & World Report says Pittsburgh, a growing technology hub, offers a cheaper housing market than other large cities, with a median home price of $203,150.
"Its old blue-collar reputation is being replaced and the quality of life continues to improve with new industries that make Pittsburgh home," U.S. News & World Report writes.
As for the top spot, Harrisburg, the report points out its proximity to the great outdoors, including the Appalachian Trail, state parks and state forests, and its affordable housing market and lower cost of living compared to the East Coast's larger metro areas.