Sacramento-area cities score well despite California's rank as worst state to retire in, report says
SACRAMENTO — A new report ranks California as the worst state in the country to retire in, but for certain cities in our area, it's a different story.
When it comes to retirement, California can be a hard sell.
Jeff Smith, who works with Retirement Living, recently published a study that ranked California as the worst place to retire in the country.
"So if you're starting out somewhere that's pretty average in terms of average income, average home price, it's gonna be a big jump to go to California where the average home price is over $600,000," Smith said.
The study also took into consideration taxes, poverty, crime, population density, and population growth. But it's not all bad news for our state.
"Quality of life in some aspects is great for California, it's a beautiful place, you guys have wonderful infrastructure," Smith said.
The state also scores well when it comes to healthcare.
A lot comes down to individual cities. Some that scored well are Merced, Roseville, Tracy, Manteca, Folsom, and Rocklin.
"It was fascinating as I was going through it yesterday I was like, 'Wow that's pretty wild that a good number of ones that are on our list happen to be near Sacramento,'" Smith said.
The bottom line, there are cheaper places to retire. But if you know where to look, there are some hidden gems.
"If you're looking for a cost reduction, California in general is not going to be your cup of tea," Smith said. "But there are many small towns in California that are kind of out of the ordinary where you would be able to have an enjoyable lifestyle."
New York, Maryland, Louisiana, and New Jersey rounded out the top five worst states.
The best were New Hampshire, Maine, Iowa, Idaho and Mississippi.
