5 Great Retirement Cities That Are a Lot Closer to New York Than Florida

Ask most folks in Central New York about popular retirement communities, and many would say Florida--maybe because they have relatives there, or they're already spending some winter months in the Sunshine State, or their long-range retirement plans are focused in that direction.

But the personal finance website WalletHub's new listing of 2018's Best & Worst Places to Retire offers some interesting options for great retirement locations. Based on metrics in areas like tax-friendliness, cost of living, and recreational activities, a few cities you might not expect score very well.

Minneapolis. Thanks to high scores in Health Care and Activities, the Minnesota city ranks #11 overall. You could be just like those guys in the movie Grumpy Old Men, living the dream in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. And, hey, at least the summers are nice.

Cincinnati. Home of baseball's Reds and football's Bengals, the Ohio city ranks #13 overall.

Washington. With its rich museums and other attractions, our nation's capital ranks #1 in Activities and #76 overall, out of 182 cities measured.

Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania's Steel City is #15 overall and rates a lot higher in the Quality of Life category than, say, Orlando.

Portland. The one in Maine actually grades out slightly better overall at #56 than the one in Oregon, which is #64.

By the way, New York cities on the report included Rochester (#120 overall), Manhattan (#133), Buffalo (#140), and Yonkers at #160.

Would you consider retiring in one (A) of these northern cities, (B) Florida, or (C) are you staying right in the Mohawk Valley?

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