Arizona ranks among bottom half of US states for retirees
Jul 15, 2018, 1:15 PM
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PHOENIX — Arizona is typically thought of as a top living destination for retirees, but a recent report found that the state is not one of the best places to retire.
Arizona ranked as the 29th-best state to retire, according to a report from Bankrate.com.
The report examined a variety of categories, each of which made up a different percentage of the total.
Cost of living and taxes each made up 20 percent of the total, while health care quality and weather each made up 15 percent.
Crime, cultural vitality and well-being each made up 10 percent.
Arizona scored well in weather and well-being, ranking 11th and 15th in the nation, respectively. But it scored poorly in cultural vitality (No. 39) and crime (No. 43).
The state also ranked 34th in the nation for cost of living, 27th for health care quality and 21st for taxes.
South Dakota ranked as the best state to retire on the Bankrate.com list, followed by Utah, Idaho, New Hampshire and Florida.
New York, New Mexico, Maryland, Louisiana and Arkansas fell on the opposite side of the spectrum.
Despite the quality of living for retirees, an earlier study from SmartAsset found that Arizona ranks as the No. 2 state in the nation where people move when they retire.