13th Annual Best Places to Retire in Washington

Northwest Prime Time's 13th Annual "Best Places to Retire in Washington" issue explores the places in Washington State that have achieved national acclaim this past year as great places to live and to retire

Each year Northwest Prime Time reviews national surveys of best places to retire and reports on the top “Best Places.” So, what’s hot in Northwest retirement destinations?

As always, our state is well-represented in the national polls. This year’s Washington ‘Best Places’ are listed on below. But first, what goes into selecting the best places to retire?

How to Choose a Retirement Destination

Each organization uses its own criteria to select best places to retire. Many consider living and housing costs, how tax structures impact retirees, weather, doctor and hospital availability, crime rates, outdoor recreation such as walking and biking trails, cultural richness, as well as educational, volunteer and employment opportunities.

Organizations like AARP and the National Council on Aging advise looking at how your home is designed and if your community can support you as you age (does it have a senior center, transportation, health and other programs for seniors?) rather than prioritizing climate, cultural and recreational opportunities. And, they say, take a comprehensive look at what makes your life enjoyable and satisfying—factors that rankings can’t quantify.

A study by Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research shows the main reasons retirees move are (in order): family, financial, better location, leisure/climate and health. The study shows that the vast majority of retirees tend to stay within about 20 miles of their current home unless they are moving to be closer to children and grandchildren.

But a national survey by Consumer Federation reports that up to a third of baby boomers would consider moving across state lines for lower taxes and housing costs, a nice climate and quality health care. At 78 million, the baby boom generation will have a significant impact on the communities they move to—a community need only attract three-tenths of one percent of relocating boomers to add $1 billion per year in new income to its economy, according to the survey.

Northwest Prime Time hopes you enjoy the best places lists to follow. Wherever your retirement takes you, we wish you health and happiness.

Best Places to Retire Annual ‘Round-Up’

What tops the 2014 “Best Places” lists in retirement destinations? The Sunbelt states still rate high, but in recent years some surprising places are popping up (like North Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming). Not surprising is that Washington State makes the grade. According to the annual arbiters of best places to retire, here’s how the scores add up:

Scenic Mount Shuksan is near Bellingham

• Forbes added new factors in their research for “Best Places to Retire” this year and sifted through more than 400 cities. Bellingham made their top 25— Bellingham and Boise, Idaho were the only Northwest locations to make the list. For the full list, visit forbes.com.

• TopRetirements.com is an online tool for researching retirement destinations; its annual list is a popularity contest that reflects towns that receive the most online visitors. As usual, Florida dominates the list with the most towns in the top 100, though Asheville, North Carolina was #1 on the list. Washington State came in a strong sixth in the nation. According to TopRetirements, Washington’s most popular retirement places are Seattle, Spokane, Sequim, Port Townsend, Bellingham, and the San Juan Islands. Some past favorites like Walla Walla slipped off the list this year. But speaking of the San Juans, they placed in the top ten of best islands in the country from tripadvisor.com for second year in row.

Port Townsend

• A recent study by the National Institute on Retirement Security looked at potential retirement income, retiree costs, and labor market opportunities when selecting their “Best Places to Retire” list but did not consider some traditional factors such as weather. With that in mind, Wyoming came out on top. They report: “Retirees looking for financial security might want to think twice about seeking warmer environs” and California, South Carolina and Florida were at the bottom of the list. Washington received a strong 7 out of 10.

• Money-Rates.com also warns to be careful of sunny climates with hazards like skin cancer, mosquitoes, heat stroke, water shortages, crime and high cost of living. Their top state this year is Idaho. Oregon is in 5th place and Washington was ranked at a respectable 19. The same organization says Washington is the #1 “Best State to Make a Living.”

Wenatchee

• Don’t confuse the Milken Institute’s Best Cities for Successful Aging with rankings and opinion polls. Milken looks at local investment in services such as senior programs, health services, public transportation and housing options. Provo, Utah and Boston-Cambridge topped Milken’s list. Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue and Vancouver/Portland Metro areas made the “Large Metro” list. Bellingham, Mount Vernon/Anacortes, the Tri- Cities, Olympia, Longview, Wenatchee and Spokane all ranked in the “Small Metro” list.

• Money magazine’s 50 “Best Places to Live” include two in our state: Newcastle at 19th in the country (“ideal for commuters who want to commune with the outdoors”) and Mill Creek at 36th (“strong schools and affordable homes”).

Seattle

• BertSperling.net analyzes data to provide many different types of “best places” ratings. An interesting list includes the top 10 metro areas with the lowest risk of natural disasters. Washington takes 7 out of 10 places in this “safe places to live” list. Corvallis, Oregon was #1, but Washington dominates the list (with safest at the top): Mount Vernon- Anacortes, Bellingham, Wenatchee, Spokane, Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Yakima and Olympia. Wallethub.com also named Washington as one of the safest states to live in.

• Where to Retire magazine prominently featured Vancouver, Wash. in their current issue, citing its proximity to beaches, mountains and desert areas as well as the highly-rated Portland. “Plus, it has some of the best gardening weather in the nation.” Over the past year, Where to Retire reported that Bellingham’s natural beauty, mountains, fresh air, small-city ambience with great cultural opportunities make it a great place to retire. The magazine describes Seattle as one of America’s most beautiful, eco-conscious, diverse, artsy and techie cities. They listed Spokane as a great place to live if you’re a college basketball fan (think Gonzaga), plus it offers 260 sunny days a year, a four-season climate, reasonable home prices, great golfing and some of the best outdoor adventures at your doorstep.

• Livability.com’s 100 best places to live in mid-to-small sized cities – so Seattle wasn’t considered – (in order): Bellevue, Bellingham, Tacoma, Redmond, Everett, and Vancouver. In addition Livability says Bellingham has one of the Top 10 “Best Downtowns” in the country, and that Burien was placed high for affordable health care with an unusually high ratio of primary care physicians to residents and a low number of premature deaths when compared to the rest of the country.

• According to a United Health Foundation report, Washington ranked 15th for senior health.

• Ranker.com listed Seattle as the 5th “coolest” city in America with San Francisco at #1.

• Thinking about retiring overseas? Panama, Ecuador and Maylasia topped International Living’s 2014 best places to retire.

Washington's Best Places to Retire in 2014

This year’s featured “Best Places to Retire” are Bellingham and Vancouver.

Bellingham

Bellingham had more mentions in the national "Best Places" polls than any other Washington city or town this past year

With more mentions in the national polls than any other Washington city or town, Bellingham gets this year’s top billing as Washington’s “Best Place to Retire.” Easy access to outdoor recreation is one of the many factors that make Bellingham a “best place to retire” year after year. With its casual lifestyle and pleasant neighborhoods, plus Western Washington University in its midst, Bellingham remains a favorite with retirees.

Karen McGuinness retired from Los Angeles to Bellingham in 2006 and has never looked back. “We purchased a Bellingham home in a lakeside community, surrounded by trees. It’s like a forest,” she said in an interview with Where to Retire magazine. She appreciates Bellingham’s natural beauty, lack of smog and small-city ambience.

Forbes named Bellingham one of the top 25 best places to retire in the country; TopRetirements.com said Bellingham is one of the most-researched retirement destinations on their website. The “Best Cities for Successful Aging” noted the local investment in services serving seniors. Bellingham has also been called one of the safest places to live in America, and ranks high on Livability.com’s checklist of great places. It has been named one of the “Hippest, Healthiest and Adventure-Packed Small Cities in America.” National Geographic calls it one of the “Next Great Adventure Towns” and Organic Style Magazine says it is one of “America’s Healthiest Cities.”

Vancouver, Washington

The Vancouver / Portland area is a hot retirement destination

Looking for a slightly milder climate than is found in Bellingham? Consider Vancouver where temperatures can range between 5-10 degrees warmer on average. The Vancouver/Portland area ranks high with AARP, TopRetirements.com, Money/U.S. News, Where to Retire and many others. The area has been noted for its mix of cultural vibrancy, character, charm, outdoor recreation and pleasant walkable neighborhoods. Livability.com says Vancouver offers scenic views, outdoor activities, the Vancouver National Historic Reserve and “some of the best weather for gardening in the country.” The Vancouver USA Tourism office describes its “downtown as revitalized, the Farmers’ Market as absolutely wonderful and the housing market and cost of living as more affordable than nearby Portland.”

Where to Retire magazine, in a July/August 2014 featured article, notes Cheryl and Michael Higgins’ move to Vancouver. These retired police officers searched Thailand, Ireland, Costa Rica and Hawaii among other far-flung locales for their perfect retirement destination. In the same article, another couple’s retirement journey is recounted. The Dambrosios chose Vancouver after checking out Austin, Tex., the East Coast and several West Coast areas including nearby Portland (which usually gets all the attention). “I like Vancouver better than Portland because it’s more wide-open, with not so many hills blocking the views,” said Sharon Dambrosio.