Even though it may seem like many retirees are packing up and moving to warmer states, like Florida, not one warm weather state made the top five best states to grow old in, according to a recent study by Caring.com.
Surprisingly, South Dakota was ranked the best state to grow old in, according to the report, which determined the rankings of each state based on financial, health care and quality of life categories.
People who reside in South Dakota have access to high-quality healthcare and senior care at very affordable costs, which hover around the national average of $36,000 a year for an assisted living community and $52,000 for a home health aide, the study says.
Iowa and Minnesota were the second and third best places to grow old in. These states are in a good spot because they also offer senior care costs that are around the national average.
Florida, which is often considered a common haven for retirees, actually came in 31st overall due to the lack of quality health care. Arizona, another retirement mecca, tied for 17th alongside Kansas.
The worst state to grow old in is West Virginia, the survey found. This is due to the high costs of senior care, though long-term care is relatively affordable. West Virginia was also ranked last in the quality of life and health care offerings categories.
Following West Virginia is New Jersey and New York. Both of which have some of the most expensive senior care prices in the country.
“The main takeaway from this research is that the traditional retirement destinations don’t always offer the best mix of cost and quality,” said Dayna Steele, Caring.com’s chief caring expert. “This is why it’s so important for people to do their homework while they’re still relatively young and healthy in order to set themselves up for retirement years that are truly golden.”
Read more about the best and the worst states to grow old.
Written by Alana Stramowski
