June 2nd, 2017
When people plan for retirement, they often are blinded by the prospect of living in sunnier, climate-friendly locales like Florida and Arizona. But weather shouldnt be the only factor to consider for a future relocation. By remembering to consider things like cost of living, health care quality, and culture youll be able to make the best decision to fit both your future budget and well-being – and recent statistics show that Pennsylvania could become a preferred choice for many seniors.
The Keystone State is actually one of the most tax friendly states in the U.S., fully exempting all income from Social Security or from retirement accounts like a 401(k) or IRA. Plus pension incomes for seniors age 60 or older are also exempted, and though Pennsylvanias property tax rates are somewhat higher than average, the states total sales tax is among the 20 lowest in the country.
Furthermore, in Americas Health Rankings® Senior Report Pennsylvania was ranked the 18th healthiest state for seniors, and was one of three states that showed the greatest improvements in rank from 2015; and when health care quality is combined with factors such as cost of living, crime rate, taxes, culture, senior well-being and, yes, weather, Bankrate® has determined that Pennsylvania is the 15th best state for seniors to move to.
And if health is one of your primary concerns – and it should be – youll be pleased by this statistic: in Pennsylvania, the percent of seniors who smoke has recently gone down by 15 percent, and the rate of inactivity among seniors has also decreased – by 16 percent!