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U.S. News & World Report on Nov. 7 ranked Salisbury and Baltimore among the nation’s 150 best places to retire. American and Maryland flags are pictured above. (Jacob Baumgart/Patch)
Patch Regional Manager Deb Belt wrote this story.
MARYLAND — Two communities in Maryland are ranked among the 2023-2024 Best Places to Retire, according to a new ranking released Nov. 7 by U.S. News & World Report.
In Maryland, Salisbury ranked 46th this year, and Baltimore ranked No. 54 on the list. Both cities also made the rankings last year.
This year’s list is based on the evaluation of the nation’s 150 most populated metropolitan areas based on how well they meet Americans’ expectations for retirement. Measures used in the evaluation were affordability, health care, desirability, retiree taxes, the job market and overall happiness.
Salisbury had an overall score of 6.7, an affordability score of 6.8 and a health care ranking of 6.9.
About Salisbury, the editors said: "While Salisbury continues to grow as the hub of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware metropolitan area, it has never lost touch with the small-town feel fitting of a place that remains predominantly rural. ... It is a melting pot of college students, retirees and families who might all be seen together enjoying a Saturday night at a microbrewery or watching a minor-league baseball game."
Baltimore had an overall score of 6.7, an affordability score of 5.3 and a health care ranking of 8.3.
About Baltimore, the editors said: "Baltimore's elegant architecture, friendly people and lively pockets of nightlife and music make Charm City a pleasant and fun place to call home. The metro area also boasts a restaurant scene that goes beyond the city's famous crab cakes, pit beef and Berger cookies.
"Baltimore is home to a variety of communities that are concentrated in the city's neighborhoods, several of which are designated as historic districts. Walking through these distinct areas provides a glimpse into the city's worldly population. Little Italy, located near the Inner Harbor, and Greektown, on the east side, both showcase their residents' heritages with eateries and shops."
Pennsylvania dominated the top five in this year’s list and had seven metro areas in the top 10. Cities in the top tier are:
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Reading, Pennsylvania
- Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Scranton, Pennsylvania
- New York City
- York, Pennsylvania
- Daytona Beach, Florida
- Youngstown, Ohio
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
Record-high interest rates in the housing market, inflation and extreme weather patterns all figured into retirees’ choices on where to live, Beverly Harzog, personal finance expert at U.S. News, said in a news release.
“As retirees consider where to spend their golden years, they want areas that not only give them the best bang for their buck, but places where they can live a happy, healthy life,” Harzog said. “This is why Pennsylvania dominated the Best Places to Retire ranking’s top positions. …”
Florida also ranked high as a desirable place to retire, with six metro areas in the top 25. Also notable:
- Adjustments made for affordability and retiree taxes allowed Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to move up 19 spots to No. 17;
- Trenton, New Jersey, moved up 25 positions to No. 29; and
- Rochester, New York, moved up 29 positions to No. 21.
Affordability is the most heavily weighted of the six factors used to rank the 2024 Best Places to Retire. Data points were expended to better encapsulate a place’s strengths and weaknesses. The results are also based on a survey to determine if people want to retire to a given metro area.
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