Report Says This Is The Best City To Retire In New York State

About 10,000 people turn 65 years old every day (the average age of retirement) in the US, with the entire “baby boom” generation set to reach retirement age by 2030. 

It’s never too early to start thinking about retirement; whether it’s getting your finances together, discovering new hobbies to occupy your time, or deciding where you’d like to live. 

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Although moving to a sunny, warm climate like Florida might be the dream for some people approaching retirement age, many future retirees will choose to settle down right here in New York State to stay close to their friends and family. 

Report Lists Best Places To Retire In The US

US News & World Report released their annual ranking of the best places to retire in the country, including a handful of cities right here in the Empire State. The goal of the list is to help people choose where they should live in retirement.

Retirement Score Indexes

The publication analyzed at 150 of the most populated metros and assigned them a “retirement score” based on the following criteria:

• Housing Affordability
• Happiness 
• Desirability
• Retiree Taxes
• Job Market
• Health Care Quality

Each of the six indexes was then assigned a weight, based on responses from a survey about what was most important to older adults about their future retirement destination. 

They gave housing affordability the highest weight at 24%, followed by happiness at 22%, health care quality and taxes at 16%, desirability at 13%, and job market at 9%. 

Here are the best cities to retire in New York State, according to US News & World Report.

New York, New York

New York City ranked the highest out of all cities in New York State on US News & World Report’s list, coming in at #14. Although housing costs are incredibly high, the “city that never sleeps” had high scores in desirability and quality of life. 

Syracuse, New York

Farther down the list, you’ll find Syracuse, New York sitting at #41. The Central New York city had high rankings in quality of life and value, and the affordable housing could be appealing to retirees looking to relocate or downsize. 

Rochester, New York

The Flower City was named the third best city to retire in New York State, sitting at #50 on this annual list. Rochester had one of the highest scores in the country when it comes to quality of life. Most residents choose to live just outside the metro in the suburbs, but are still close enough to enjoy Rochester’s downtown area. 

Albany, New York

New York State’s capital sits at #61 on US News & World Report’s list of best places to retire. Its proximity to both the Finger Lakes and the Berkshire Mountains make it an ideal city for leisure. 

Buffalo, New York

The expansive waterfront, tree-lined streets, and opportunity for Canadian tourism puts Buffalo in the top five cities to retire in New York State, and an overall ranking of #75 in the country. 

In the end, it all depends on what your priorities are when choosing a place to live when you retire. Whether it’s affordability, culture, or health care, choosing where to live is an emotional decision. It’s not a bad idea to start figuring out what’s important to you now, so you’ll be prepared when it’s time to leave the workforce.