CHICAGO, Aug. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Seattle is the
best city in the United States for
healthy retirement living, with Minneapolis-St. Paul, Denver, Portland (Oregon) and Hartford rounding out the top five, according
to a new study commissioned by the Bankers Life Center for a Secure
Retirement® (CSR).
The study, America's Best Cities for a Healthy (and More
Affordable) Retirement, ranked the 60 largest U.S.
metropolitan areas on all factors of health and affordability for
middle-income retirees, including data in eight categories that are
key to the overall health of an area and its residents: healthcare,
the economy and affordability, social, wellness, activities,
environment, transportation and crime. Each category was
statistically weighted to reflect the needs of the retired
population.
Cities that topped the list had above-average scores for
wellness and access to healthcare and some of the highest scores
for overall life satisfaction, and social and emotional support.
They also boasted natural beauty and a wealth of outdoor and
cultural activities.
"The purpose of this study wasn't to compile a list of where to
enjoy beaches, golf courses or other amenities that stereotypically
describe retirement. In fact, only one warm, coastal city ranked in
the top 20," said Scott Goldberg,
president of Bankers Life. "This study identifies and recognizes
cities that provide the services and support that people need to
live healthy, happy lives.
"We want to show that many healthy places to retire can come
with a reasonable cost-of-living price tag that is realistic and
attainable for a great number of retirees."
The Categories
- The Healthcare category examines the number of
physicians and hospitals per capita, hospital ratings based on
patient reviews and the affordability of home healthcare.
- Economy and Affordability includes sales tax, the local
unemployment rate, and any taxes on Social Security or pension
income.
- Social considers the size of the current senior
population and includes their satisfaction with life, their social
and emotional well-being; and the number of four-year colleges,
libraries and civic and volunteer opportunities in the area.
- Wellness includes life expectancy; smoking, obesity and
depression rates; and mortality from cancer, heart disease and
Alzheimer's disease.
- Activities include opportunities for physical activities
such as golf and tennis, 5Ks and marathons, gym memberships, and
hiking and walking trails. The availability of cultural activities
such as farmers markets and community gardens, museums, symphonies
and operas, theater and dance, and zoos and aquariums were also
considered.
- Environment includes the number of sunny days, summer
heat index, clean air levels and water measurements, the presence
and accessibility of bodies of water, and the number of local and
state parks.
- Transportation includes public transportation
accessibility and the percentage of commuters using mass
transit.
- Crime includes violent crime rate and property crime
rate.
Methodology
The America's Best Cities for a Healthy
(and More Affordable) Retirement was commissioned by the
Bankers Life Center for a Secure Retirement. It was conducted in
April 2015 by the independent
research firm Sperling's Best Places. The full report can be viewed
at CenterForASecureRetirement.com.
The research ranked the 60 largest metropolitan areas in the
U.S. on a universal set of criteria that are directly or indirectly
indicative of health and quality of living, from health and
wellness to culture and the environment.
Cities that ranked in the top 15 percent most expensive for
cost-of-living index, median housing price and median rental price
were removed from consideration for the final overall list.
About the Center for a Secure Retirement
The Bankers
Life Center for a Secure Retirement is the company's research and
consumer education program. Its studies and consumer awareness
campaigns provide insight and practical advice to help everyday
Americans achieve financial security in retirement.
About Bankers Life
Bankers Life focuses on the
insurance needs of middle-income Americans who are near or in
retirement. The Bankers Life brand is a part of CNO Financial
Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO), whose companies provide insurance
solutions that help protect the health and retirement needs of
working Americans and retirees. There are more than 5,000 Bankers
Life insurance agents at over 300 offices across the country. To
learn more, visit BankersLife.com.
America's Best
Cities* for a Healthy (and More Affordable)
Retirement
|
|
|
1. Seattle, Washington
|
31. Sacramento,
California
|
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul,
Minnesota
|
32. Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma
|
3. Denver,
Colorado
|
33. New
Orleans, Louisiana
|
4. Portland, Oregon
|
34. Louisville,
Kentucky
|
5. Hartford, Connecticut
|
35. Orlando,
Florida
|
6. Omaha,
Nebraska
|
36. Nashville,
Tennessee
|
7. Baltimore, Maryland
|
37.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
|
8. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
|
38. Miami,
Florida
|
9. Cleveland, Ohio
|
39. Fort
Worth-Arlington, Texas
|
10. Salt Lake
City, Utah
|
40. Phoenix,
Arizona
|
11. Warren, Michigan
|
41. San
Antonio, Texas
|
12. Newark, New Jersey
|
42. Virginia Beach, Virginia
|
13. Richmond, Virginia
|
43. Charlotte, North Carolina
|
14. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
|
44. Houston, Texas
|
15. Grand
Rapids, Michigan
|
45. Detroit, Michigan
|
16. Cincinnati, Ohio
|
46. Las
Vegas, Nevada
|
17. Kansas
City, Missouri
|
47. Riverside, California
|
18. Tampa-St. Petersburg,
Florida
|
48. Memphis, Tennessee
|
19. Chicago, Illinois
|
49. Nassau
County-Suffolk County, New York
|
20. Providence, Rhode Island
|
50. San
Francisco, California
|
21. St. Louis,
Missouri
|
51. Silver
Spring-Frederick-Rockville, Maryland
|
22. Tucson,
Arizona
|
52. Boston, Massachusetts
|
23. Buffalo,
New York
|
53. San
Jose, California
|
24. Columbus,
Ohio
|
54. Washington, DC–Arlington,
Virginia
|
25. Atlanta,
Georgia
|
55. Anaheim, California
|
26.
Indianapolis, Indiana
|
56. Oakland, California
|
27. Austin,
Texas
|
57. San
Diego, California
|
28. Dallas,
Texas
|
58. Honolulu, Hawaii
|
29. Fort
Lauderdale, Florida
|
59. New
York, New York
|
30. Raleigh,
North Carolina
|
60. Los
Angeles, California
|
*Includes surrounding metropolitan areas, as defined by the
United States Census Bureau, including a central city and the
surrounding county or counties.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beyond-beaches-and-golf-courses-surprising-new-study-reveals-healthiest-and-more-affordable-us-cities-for-retirement-300125794.html
SOURCE Bankers Life Center for a Secure Retirement