Even if you’ve heard that old rhyme, “Grow old along with me — the best is yet to be,” you may not have given much thought to just where you’ll want to do so.
The folks at 24/7 Wall St. has very kindly given thought to it on your behalf, coming up with a list of the top 10 states in which to grow old.
To determine how elder-friendly each state was, 24/7 Wall St. considered seniors’ median household income.
It also looked at policies concerning accessibility and other elder-friendly measures.
And education was considered, since it translates not only into job opportunities and higher incomes but serves as an indication of well-being. Another major factor was safety, since older people tend to be more vulnerable.
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What follows is 24/7 Wall St.’s list of the 10 best states for aging.
10. Massachusetts
Median household income for those over 65: $40,020 (15th highest)
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 29.2 percent (7th highest)
Percentage of 65+ with disability: 34.1 percent (10th lowest)
Violent crime rate: 404.0 per 100,000 residents (16th highest)
Elders in Massachusetts have the good fortune to live in a state with a very strong health care system. Just 0.5 percent of residents over 65 did not have health insurance; that’s one of the lowest rates in the country. The state also promotes policies that provide services to seniors and other groups that need them, and there’s a state directive requiring all public transportation land-use plans to incorporate features necessary to provide better access for people of all capabilities. Oh, yeah, and they have the Patriots!
9. Washington State
Median household income for those over 65: $42,287 (12th highest)
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 29.8 percent (5th highest)
Percentage of 65+ with disability: 37.4 percent (17th highest)
Violent crime rate: 277.9 per 100,000 residents (21st lowest)
If you want a place where services for the elderly are accessible, Washington State is your target. Seniors in Washington gave their accessibility to services a score of 8.9 out of 10, which is pretty good no matter how you look at it. Washingtonians are also highly educated and have good incomes, which helps to keep them healthy. (Plus there’s all that strong coffee in Seattle.)
8. Connecticut
Median household income for those over 65: $44,240 (7th highest)
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 28.3 percent (11th highest)
Percentage of 65+ with disability: 32.1 percent (2nd lowest)
Violent crime rate: 254.5 per 100,000 residents (15th lowest)
Elderly residents of the Nutmeg State are well-educated, have high median incomes and good health — all things to be welcomed as one grows older. And with all those advantages, they can spend long retirement years (the third longest lifespan in the country) taking advantage of all the recreational activities they never had time for before they retired: everything from skiing to sailing to looking for antiques (that’s furniture older than they are, in case you were wondering).
7. Colorado
Median household income for those over 65: $43,281 (10th highest)
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 34.1 percent (the highest)
Percentage of 65+ with disability: 34.3 percent (14th lowest)
Violent crime rate: 291.2 per 100,000 residents (24th lowest)
A high education rate among the state’s elderly and healthy incomes are just two of the characteristics of the Centennial State. And while it’s not guaranteed that you’ll live to be 100 if you move there, it’s a pretty safe place (unless you’re prone to skiing accidents, that is).
6. Minnesota
Median household income for those over 65: $38,531 (18th highest)
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 24.3 percent (22nd highest)