Published: Monday, July 13, 2015 at 1:10 p.m.
Sarasota racked up another accolade on Monday jULY 13, 2015, SARASOTA was named the third-best small city for retirement by credit card promoter NerdWallet.
Facts
Best cities for retirement
NerdWallet’s 10 best small cities for retirement
1. Fort Lee, New Jersey
2. Bethel Park, Pennsylvania
3. Sarasota
4. Oro Valley, Arizona
5. Prescott, Arizona
6. Walnut Creek, California
7. Brookfield, Wisconsin
8. Saratoga Springs, New York
9. Bloomington, Minnesota
10. Northampton, Massachusetts.
The company said it examined 971 cities, all with populations under 100,000, an analyzed them based on the percentage of the population 65 and older; the average home price from March 2014 to February; health care quality based on Medicare’s Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems; whether the state where they are situated taxes Social Security benefits; median household income growth based on Census data; unemployment; and access to public transportation.
(Read the NerdWallet story here: http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/investing/retirement-planning-compare-best-cities-2015/)
Sarasota came in behind only Fort Lee, New Jersey, and Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, on the NerdWallet list.
“Retirees flock to Sarasota for the sun and sandy beaches, not to mention Florida’s favorable tax structure,” NerdWallet said of the city. “Nearly a quarter of the city’s residents are 65 or older, and those collecting Social Security pay no state tax on that income. Almost 80 percent of patients surveyed rated Sarasota Memorial Hospital a 9 or 10 out of 10.”