More good news for the year 2011…
New Hampshire was picked the #1 state for retirement in the United States according to Moneyrates.com. We’ve known for a long time that New Hampshire has many desirable attributes; however, seeing New Hampshire at the top of the “best of” list is exciting news! AARP also recently published an article that reaffirms this ranking; they wrote that “New Hampshire is the best-rated state to retire to because of its super-low crime rate, modest living costs and reasonable tax burden.”
According to a new report published by moneyrates.com, the ten best states for retirement were in the following order: New Hampshire, Hawaii, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Virginia, Utah, Connecticut, Vermont, and Idaho. The worst state was Nevada.
The rankings were based on a combination of quantifiable factors and data including cost of living, unemployment rate, climate, life expectancy, violent and property crime rates, and local tax burden.
These ratings usually attract readers who have dreamed about moving to less expensive cities and towns with low crime rates and recreational attractions to take advantage of after they stop working or semi-retire. Think about it. With our numerous lakes, mountains, rivers, forests, and oceans nearby, New Hampshire, and the Lakes Region in particular, is a wonderful place to spend the golden years.
Moneyrates.com ranked New Hampshire number one because it’s a safe and cheap place to live. NH’s cost of living is 89% of the national average, and the average state and local tax burden is only 7.6%, putting it among the lowest in the country in both categories. The unemployment rate is at 5.8% and the state had the lowest crime rate according to FBI statistics. The average monthly temperature range is 18.17 degrees Fahrenheit in January; however, it was a very appealing 67.83 degrees in July. Just bring plenty of sensible clothes, because climate was one of the one criteria on which New Hampshire didn’t score well. We all know about New Hampshire’s legendary winters, however, for many of us, we welcome the radical change to bring on the winter sports of skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, skating, and ice fishing. Who wants twelve months of summer anyways?
If you’re looking to semi-retire in New Hampshire, the average life expectancy rate was very promising at 78.3 years. Thank you New Hampshire for the clean air, water, and the affordable, healthy lifestyle!
Frank Roche
