# Comparing rankings for Best 10 and Worst 10 places to retire is interesting **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-rankings-for-best-10-and-worst-10-places-to-retire-is-interesting/626829 "2012-06-30T18:09:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-rankings-for-best-10-and-worst-10-places-to-retire-is-interesting/626829/1 "2012-06-30T18:09:40Z")
See [Worst 10 places to retire](http://www.money-rates.com/research-center/worst-states-for-retirement/2011.htm) [Best 10 places to retire](http://www.money-rates.com/research-center/best-states-for-retirement/2011.htm) Apparently if you are retired warm and cheap beats out crime rates, life expectancy, education level of the population, and a host of other attributes. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-rankings-for-best-10-and-worst-10-places-to-retire-is-interesting/626829/2 "2012-06-30T18:17:22Z")
If you’re retired, such things as education level, job opportunities, etc don’t matter to your quality of life. And cold sucks. 100+ degree summers are far preferable to snowy winters. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-rankings-for-best-10-and-worst-10-places-to-retire-is-interesting/626829/3 "2012-06-30T18:54:39Z")
Cheap becomes a particularly significant factor when your income potential is really low. Not being able to get overtime, a promotion, or that dream job rather severely limits one’s economic opportunities. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-rankings-for-best-10-and-worst-10-places-to-retire-is-interesting/626829/4 "2012-06-30T19:41:10Z")
But what’s all that stuff about tax burden? Presumably that doesn’t matter much to retirees as you should think most of their income is coming from pensions etc, right? If you’re not going to be earning lots then why care about a couple of percent going to the government. Heck you probably want a higher tax burden so all the young people around can subsidise things for you! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-rankings-for-best-10-and-worst-10-places-to-retire-is-interesting/626829/5 "2012-06-30T20:37:01Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > If you’re retired, such things as education level, job opportunities, etc don’t matter to your quality of life. > > And cold sucks. 100+ degree summers are far preferable to snowy winters. No electricity is expensive as fuck, and people die in high temp/humidity situations. And WTF, low unemployment/HIGH TAX? Doesn’t retired mean NOT WORKING and LIMITED INCOME? Screw that, high unemployment means I can pay for some kid to come and clean my house and mow my lawn, and low tax rate means I keep more of my retirement income for my own use. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-rankings-for-best-10-and-worst-10-places-to-retire-is-interesting/626829/6 "2012-06-30T21:09:24Z")
> [@Confused dart cum](#): > > But what’s all that stuff about tax burden? Presumably that doesn’t matter much to retirees as you should think most of their income is coming from pensions etc, right? Income is not the only thing that is taxed. Property taxes, sales taxes, etc. add up, especially with limited income. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-rankings-for-best-10-and-worst-10-places-to-retire-is-interesting/626829/7 "2012-06-30T21:10:45Z")
> [@Confused dart cum](#): > > But what’s all that stuff about tax burden? Presumably that doesn’t matter much to retirees as you should think most of their income is coming from pensions etc, right? > > If you’re not going to be earning lots then why care about a couple of percent going to the government. Heck you probably want a higher tax burden so all the young people around can subsidise things for you! I think they are referring to property tax and sales tax, not income tax, which presumably wouldn’t be a problem for retired folks. Property tax is a killer for old people. You have your house completely paid off and you still have to pay $5k, $10k, $15k a year just in tax to your municipality. That’s a great way to burn through your retirement fund. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-rankings-for-best-10-and-worst-10-places-to-retire-is-interesting/626829/8 "2012-06-30T22:05:57Z")
Ah, I wasn’t aware American property taxes were anything like that much. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-rankings-for-best-10-and-worst-10-places-to-retire-is-interesting/626829/9 "2012-06-30T22:33:30Z")
> [@Confused dart cum](#): > > Ah, I wasn’t aware American property taxes were anything like that much. It’s totally dependent on what state you are in, and further, where in the state you live as different localities have different rates. I believe New Jersey is universally acknowledged as having the highest property tax in the country. I live in a crappy house in a crappy municipality (not in NJ) and I pay $4k in taxes every year. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-rankings-for-best-10-and-worst-10-places-to-retire-is-interesting/626829/10 "2012-06-30T23:28:13Z")
Many states tax pensions as income.