Pa. Cities Among Top 30 Best Places to Retire in 2021

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Seven Pennsylvania metropolitan areas were ranked among the 2021 best places to celebrate retirement, according to new U.S. News and World Report rankings.

In this year's ranking, Lancaster was able to rank No.5, while Allentown jumped 29 spots this year, landing No.11. Harrisburg and Reading also ranked No. 13 and No. 15 respectively.

The other Keystone State cities ranked were Pittsburgh, No. 29, Scranton, No. 21, Philadelphia, No. 19, and York, No. 17.

According to U.S. News, Lancaster "offers a balance between natural and commercial spaces that residents appreciate and expansive farms that rub elbows with manicured suburbs".

Similarly, the report points out that Allentown, which is Pennsylvania's third-largest metro, offers a "vast collection of historic homes and buildings," that architects have been able to modernize and convert them into apartments and lofts.

The report also states that several of Pennsylvania's cities climbed in the rankings this year, partly due to the accessibility of high-quality health-care facilities.

“The cost of a potential retirement spot is a top concern for many retirees, but they are also looking for a high quality of life,” explained Emily Brandon, U.S. News’ senior retirement editor.

To rank each of the 150 ranked metro areas, U.S. News looked at housing affordability, happiness of its residents, health care, employment, and taxes to come up with its rankings in 2021 and 2022.

It also used data from sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau and the Tax Foundation.

Here are the top 10 places for retirees, according to U.S. News & World Report 2021 rankings:

1. Sarasota, Florida
Metro population: 803,709
Median home price: $387,630
Median monthly rent: $1,209
Unemployment rate: 6.8%

2. Naples, Florida
Metro population: 371,453
Median home price: $345,000
Median monthly rent: $1,317
Unemployment rate: 7%

3. Daytona Beach, Florida
Metro population: 646,288
Median home price: $278,897
Median monthly rent: $1,076
Unemployment rate: 7.7%

4. Melbourne, Florida
Metro population: 585,507
Median home price: $217,400
Median monthly rent: $1,068
Unemployment rate: 6.7%

5. Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Metro population: 540,999
Median home price: $226,550
Median monthly rent: $1,009
Unemployment rate: 7.5%

6. Tampa, Florida
Metro population: 3,097,859
Median home price: $301,963
Median monthly rent: $1,115
Unemployment rate: 7.2%

7. Fort Myers, Florida
Metro population: 737,468
Median home price: $277,900
Median monthly rent: $1,154
Unemployment rate: 7.4%

8. Port St. Lucie, Florida
Metro population: 472,012
Median home price: $233,133
Median monthly rent: $1,162
Unemployment rate: 7.3%

9. Ann Arbor, Michigan
Metro population: 367,000
Median home price: $270,567
Median monthly rent: $1,114
Unemployment rate: 6.5%

10. Pensacola, Florida
Metro population: 488,246
Median home price: $200,800
Median monthly rent: $1,015
Unemployment rate: 6.2%

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