What It's Like To Retire In Washington Compared To Other States

By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. - Seattle:

Deciding where to live in retirement is one of the most important decisions many retirees in the United States need to make. While some may want to stay close to family and friends, others may prioritize affordable housing, a reasonable cost of living, and a low tax rate to maximize retirement income. Safety, access to health care, and climate are also big factors.

Using data from financial services company and personal finance website Bankrate, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the best and worst states to retire. Bankrate analyzed multiple data points and assigned a weight to each category: affordability (40%), well-being (20%), culture and diversity (15%), weather (15%), and crime (10%).

According to the report, Washington ranks as the 10th worst place to retire among the 50 states. The state ranks ninth best in well-being, its best performing category. This category takes multiple measures into account, including access to health care, access to food, and economic security. Washington’s worst performing category is affordability. In this category, which accounts for overall cost of living as well as sales and property tax rates, Washington ranks 13th worst in the country.

Of the 7,512,465 people who reside in Washington, 15.4% are 65 or older, the 11th smallest share among states, according to five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey.

All data in this story is from Bankrate and the U.S. Census Bureau. A full methodological explanation is available here.

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This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.