- By Mary Stroka | The Center Square/February 10th, 2021
(The Center Square) – While older adults can enjoy entertainment and volunteer opportunities in The Empire State, the state is not known for its affordability.
It was the second-least affordable state for retirees, a factor that largely drove its ranking as the second-worst state to retire in, according to WalletHub’s recent analysis. Its overall score was 41.86 across dimensions of affordability, quality of life and health care.
“New York is among the worst states to retire, mostly due to its unaffordability,” WalletHub analyst and communications director Jill Gonzalez told The Center Square via email. “Local authorities could lower the cost of living for retirees by adopting policies to become more tax friendly.”
New York has the third worst “general tax-friendliness” rating, the 10th-lowest retired taxpayer-friendliness, the fourth-highest share of population aged 65 and older in poverty (11.5% in poverty) and the sixth-highest adjusted cost of living (131.66). Retired taxpayer-friendliness measures taxation on retirement income, property and purchases, and special tax breaks for seniors.
The state suffered in the health care category as well, coming in 27th, with the third-worst quality of public hospitals (according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ ranking of public hospitals), the seventh-highest risk of social isolation and the least family medicine physicians per capita. Social isolation takes the following risk factors into account: divorced, separated or widowed; never married; poverty; disability; independent living difficulty; and living alone.
“Additionally, the state has a large share of elderly residents who cannot afford a visit to the doctor,” Gonzalez continued. “Financing clinics for those aged 65+ would improve their quality of life. Lowering the risk of social isolation for retirees could be done by encouraging volunteering through different support groups created by the state. These could also help those who are living in poverty. The state would also need to attract more family medicine physicians, build more healthcare facilities, and increase the quality of existing public hospitals.”
Still, the state has above average quality of life, stacking up as 17th best in the nation. The state is ranked third for highest life expectancy, following only Hawaii and California. It has the best access to adult volunteer activities (0.23 rated charity organizations per capita) and the eighth-highest number of golf courses per capita (0.23), according to the report.
“New York is definitely the state for retirees who have no financial problems,” Gonzalez said. “The state best serves those who can and want to spend their retirement being active, as it offers a lot of opportunities for entertainment and volunteering, among others.”
WalletHub’s September 2020 analysis of 182 best and worst places to retire, based on affordability, activities, quality of life and health care, ranked Rochester as 127th, Buffalo as 146th, New York City as 166th, and Yonkers as 172nd. New York City received the highest subscores among the state’s municipalities, coming in at 24th best in terms of activities and 33rd best in quality of life.
New Jersey was the worst state to retire in and the least affordable, according to the analysis. The Garden State had the 35th best quality of life and 33rd best healthcare compared with other states.
Latest from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
- When You Think About Your Health, Don’t Forget Your EyesBernard J. WolfsonSeptember 22, 2023 I vividly remember that late Friday afternoon when my eye pressure spiked and I staggered on foot to my ophthalmologist’s office as the rapidly thickening fog in my field of vision shrouded passing cars and traffic lights. The office was already closed, but the whole eye care team was there … Read more
- Americans now want gun restrictions for those convicted of domestic violenceOriginally published by The 19th Your trusted source for contextualizing America’s core issues. Sign up for our daily newsletter. Want to support this work? Donate today. Michele Bell wishes more politicians knew what she saw in her 50 years working as a nurse at a Houston hospital, where she cared for countless women who had … Read more
- A Fabulous New Haynes Lawsuit Gets Crain’s Attention AgainFiled last week, the new Shelton Haynes lawsuit required an article here, but that’s where it should have ended. But Crain’s New York got wind of it and couldn’t resist. Missing much of the substance and misconstruing more, their report embarrasses Roosevelt Island and repeats unsubstantiated claims by Haynes. by David Stone The Roosevelt Island … Read more
- How to Get the New COVID-19 Vaccine in New York CityThe newest shot is not a booster, and it’s available at pharmacies at no cost. Here’s how to make your appointment for a jab. Rachel Holliday Smith, The City This article was originally published on Sep 21 5:00am EDT by THE CITY ‘Tis the season for a new COVID vaccine. If it’s been more than … Read more
- Building a Better World for People With PMDDAugust 31, 2023 by Ciara McLaren For one week of every month, I have a very bad time. My back aches so badly I struggle to stand up straight. My mood swings from frantic to bleak. My concentration flags; it’s difficult to send an email. Then, my period starts, and the curse is lifted. I … Read more