Bob CollinsDespite the daily news cycle, which tends to portray the situation in Minnesota in the most dire terms, there’s a reality here we should consider: Survey after survey on topic after topic (with exceptions, of course) shows that things are better here than almost anywhere else.
And we know this to be true with Bankrate’s release of the the top 10 states to retire to. We don’t even have to look; we know Minnesota is going to be there somewhere.
It’s No. 5. And there isn’t a single sun-belt state ahead of us — only New Hampshire, Colorado, Maine, and Iowa.
The survey considered costs, weather, health care, crime, taxes, cultural amenities and a other things of interest to seniors.
How good do “other things” need to be to offset weather and taxes? Pretty good.
No surprise that the state that’s home to Mayo Clinic ranks near the top for health care. Minnesota also provides retirees with low costs, safe cities and an all-around comfortable way of life. Just be sure to bundle up during the often harsh winters.
Wisconsin, for the record, came in at No. 9 on the strength of health care quality, cost of living, and overall well-being, buoyed, no doubt, by its proximity to Minnesota.
Here’s the full list, best to worst:
New Hampshire
Colorado
Maine
Iowa
Minnesota
Virginia
Massachusetts
South Dakota
Wisconsin
Idaho
Utah
Arizona
Nebraska
Vermont
Pennsylvania
North Dakota
Florida
Delaware
Rhode Island
North Carolina
Wyoming
Michigan
Texas
Kansas
South Carolina
Oregon
Tennessee
Missouri
Montana
Alabama
Washington
Connecticut
Ohio
Illinois
Georgia
Hawaii
New York
New Jersey
Indiana
Maryland
Mississippi
California
Oklahoma
Nevada
Kentucky
Louisiana
New Mexico
Arkansas
West Virginia
Alaska
