Pittsburgh named one of the best cities for retirees

Have a retired client looking to relocate? Pittsburgh may be the answer, as the Steel City was just ranked the eighth of the healthiest and most affordable city for retirees.

The study, America’s Best Cities for a Healthy (and More Affordable) Retirement, examined and ranked the 60 largest metropolitan areas in the United States for retirees. The study was performed by Sperling’s BestPlaces and commissioned by the Bankers Life Center for a Secure Retirement® (CSR).

The report focused on eight categories, including: healthcare, the economy and affordability, social, wellness, activities, environment, transportation and crime. According to the study, each category was statistically weighted to reflect the needs of the retired population.

“Pittsburgh is among the most affordable cities on our list. But affordability is not all it offers. Yinzer retirees also enjoy low crime, top cultural institutions (including the Andy Warhol Museum and Pittsburgh Public Theater) and a high concentration of Boomer residents,” the report stated.

“Retirement used to mean heading South to bake in the sun, spending the rest of one’s life playing tennis, golf and shuffleboard. Not anymore,” said BestPlaces founder Bert Sperling in the report. “The combination of retiring earlier and living longer means that retirement is increasingly the start of a new phase of life that is anything but sedentary.”

Seattle came in on top of the list, followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul and Denver. Portland, Ore. and Hardford, CT, rounded out the top five. Philadelphia landed in 37th place overall.

“It’s increasingly apparent that our choice of home is important,” added Sperling. “We’re affected by the social structure which surrounds us, and we progressively depend on local resources as we age. These cities provide a great balance between lifestyle and affordability which should be considered by anyone nearing retirement.”