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Your motto will soon be 'goodbye tension hello pension' if you decide to call Pennsylvania home for your retirement years.
Yes, folks, Pennsylvania is one of 37 states that does not tax Social Security and one of nine states that does not have an income tax. It is considered one of the most "tax friendly" states in America and this why it is one of the best states to retire in the country.
There are some places, however, in the Keystone State that are better than others for retirees and HomeSnacks is here to tell you where the best places to retire in Pennsylvania for 2023
How'd we determine the best places to retire in Pennsylvania? Well, we know that when people are searching for the best places to retire, they are also looking for things like convenience, affordable healthcare, and an economy that protects their bottom line. So, to identify Pennsylvania's top ten, we consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 22 cities. We looked at important factors like cost of living, crime, amenities, rent and distance to closest national airport for every place with over 10,000 residents.
This is what we discovered. One, a majority of Pennsylvania's best places to retire are located close to the state's biggest cities: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Two, many of Pennsylvania's best places to retire are also some of the state's safest.
And three, you won't have to travel further than 40 miles to get to the closest international airport for any of the places that made our list.
So, want to know where the hottest retirement deals are located in Pennsylvania? Keep reading.
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Pennsylvania For 2023
Why did Scranton take the top spot? And where are Allentown and Erie?
HomeSnacks is also happy to report that Pennsylvania's best places to retire have great neighborhoods, parks, and programs to keep its residents happy, healthy, and you guessed it, safe.
So, what's the best place to retire in Pennsylvania for 2023? According to the latest data, that would be, Scranton.
To see how your favorite places in the Quaker State compared, take a look at the list below; and if you don't see it there, head to the bottom.
For more Pennsylvania state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Cheapest Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Pennsylvania For 2023
/10
Population: 75,987
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $842
Distance to Closest Airport: 5 miles
More on Scranton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 13,452
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $707
Distance to Closest Airport: 31 miles
More on Butler: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 12,222
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $624
Distance to Closest Airport: 25 miles
More on New Kensington: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 11,703
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $778
Distance to Closest Airport: 27 miles
More on Lower Burrell: Real Estate | Data
/10
Population: 95,536
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $754
Distance to Closest Airport: 5 miles
More on Erie: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 49,969
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Median Rent: $867
Distance to Closest Airport: 8 miles
More on Harrisburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 19,869
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $891
Distance to Closest Airport: 23 miles
More on Carlisle: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 11,007
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $1,097
Distance to Closest Airport: 5 miles
More on Lansdowne: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 13,573
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $745
Distance to Closest Airport: 57 miles
More on Indiana: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 44,114
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $712
Distance to Closest Airport: 88 miles
More on Altoona: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Keystone State for 2023
To create our list of the best places in Pennsylvania to retire, we first used Census data to find all places in the Keystone State -- 1752 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren't townships. This left us with 22 places from across the state.
For these 22, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI's Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criteria from one to 22, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Scranton, with the lowest average rank was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second careers. You can download the data here.
Summary: Maybe You're Not Ready To Retire In Pennsylvania Yet...
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Pennsylvania goes to Scranton.
If you're not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Allentown
- State College
- Chester
For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:
- 30 Things To Know About Moving To Pennsylvania
- Richest Cities In Pennsylvania
- Safest Places In Pennsylvania
Where Are The Best Places To Retire In Pennsylvania?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scranton | 75,987 |
| 2 | Butler | 13,452 |
| 3 | New Kensington | 12,222 |
| 4 | Lower Burrell | 11,703 |
| 5 | Erie | 95,536 |
| 6 | Harrisburg | 49,969 |
| 7 | Carlisle | 19,869 |
| 8 | Lansdowne | 11,007 |
| 9 | Indiana | 13,573 |
| 10 | Altoona | 44,114 |
