These California cities are among the best places for US retirees to live, report says
California is home to two of the best places in the country to retire, a new report finds.
Walnut Creek and Newport Beach earned top 10 spots in a study of safety, health care access and costs for older adults, according to findings published last week from SmartAsset.
To come up with its findings, the personal finance website says it examined data from 525 U.S. cities that are home to at least 65,000 people. It looked at tax information as well as figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and FBI, results show.
Walnut Creek, with a population of roughly 70,000, earned the highest ranking among the California cities at No. 5. The destination received recognition for having a low crime rate and nearby attractions, according to SmartAsset.
“Walnut Creek is in the East Bay area, not far from Berkeley and Oakland,” the website said. “That proximity to culture – from sports, to art, to music – will be a major plus for anyone who chooses to retire in Walnut Creek.”
On the same list, Newport Beach, with a population of more than 85,000, came in the No. 8 spot. It also got nods for having a low crime and lots of activities, results show.
“As the name suggests, Newport Beach is right on the water in Orange County, in the heart of SoCal,” SmartAsset said. “One popular destination is Balboa Island, where you can take a ferry to shops and restaurants.”
Of all cities that were studied, both Walnut Creek and Newport Beach also had among the highest portions of residents ages 65 or older, according to the findings.
But the Golden State wasn’t as lucky in another retirement study.
No California cities make it onto Forbes’ list of top 25 places to retire in 2020. The report published earlier this month weighed costs, quality of life and environments that help older people be active, McClatchy News reported.
“While our focus on affordability (including low taxes) keeps us from recommending any place in high-cost, high-tax California or New York, we try to spread our picks across the U.S.,” Forbes said.
In the latest study, SmartAsset says it examined the number of older adults, medical facilities and retirement communities in each of the 525 larger cities. The company also took a look at affordability, crime rates and unemployment for people who are of retirement age.
”As of February 2019, over 20 percent of Americans aged 65 or older are working or looking for work, double the all-time low of 10 percent who were in the labor force in 1985,” financial planning company United Income said.
Overall, the top place for retirees to live and work is Fort Myers, Florida, according to SmartAsset.
This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 12:54 PM with the headline "These California cities are among the best places for US retirees to live, report says."
