Metro Atlanta Featured In U.S. News Best Places To Retire Rankings

METRO ATLANTA — The metro Atlanta area is one of the Best Places to Retire, according to a new ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

This year’s list is based on the evaluation of the nation’s 150 most populated metropolitan areas based on how well they meet Americans’ expectations for retirement. Measures used in the evaluation were affordability, health care, desirability, retiree taxes, the job market and overall happiness.

Metro Atlanta finished No. 84 with an overall score of 6.5, an affordability score of 6.2 and a health care ranking of six.

U.S. News said Atlanta has become one of country’s fastest-growing metros with a population of 6,026,734 people. The Alliance Theatre, the CNN Center, the Chattahoochee River, Stone Mountain and the Georgia Aquarium are among some of metro Atlanta’s most notable features. Rent in Atlanta averages $1,294 while the annual salary averages $59,100, according to U.S. News.

Pennsylvania dominated the top five in this year’s list and had seven metro areas in the top 10. Cities in the top tier are:

1. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
2. Reading, Pennsylvania
3. Allentown, Pennsylvania
4. Scranton, Pennsylvania
5. New York City
6. York, Pennsylvania
7. Daytona Beach, Florida
8. Youngstown, Ohio
9. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
10. Ann Arbor, Michigan

Record-high interest rates in the housing market, inflation and extreme weather patterns all figured into retirees’ choices on where to live, Beverly Harzog, personal finance expert at U.S. News, said in a news release.

“As retirees consider where to spend their golden years, they want areas that not only give them the best bang for their buck, but places where they can live a happy, healthy life,” Harzog said. “This is why Pennsylvania dominated the Best Places to Retire ranking’s top positions. …”

Florida also ranked high as a desirable place to retire, with six metro areas in the top 25. Also notable:

• Adjustments made for affordability and retiree taxes allowed Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to move up 19 spots to No. 17;
• Trenton, New Jersey, moved up 25 positions to No. 29; and
• Rochester, New York, moved up 29 positions to No. 21.

Affordability is the most heavily weighted of the six factors used to rank the 2024 Best Places to Retire. Data points were expended to better encapsulate a place’s strengths and weaknesses. The results are also based on a survey to determine if people want to retire to a given metro area.