Minneapolis Shines As A Top Retirement Destination In The U.S.
When your working days are done, the fun has just begun.
That's the hope, anyway, when it comes to retirement. With no job to tie you down, you could spend your remaining days ANYWHERE in the world. But what if I told you that Minneapolis, Minnesota (right up the road!) is among the best places in the entire country to call it a career.
Not surprisingly, Orlando, Florida and Scottsdale, Arizona were ranked first and second respectively on WalletHub's ranking of "Best Places to Retire." Two other Florida cities, Miami and Tampa, ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
FLORIDA, ARIZONA... MINNESOTA?!?
Sandwiched in between those four is third-place... Minneapolis? Do they have one of those in Florida?
Minneapolis is the third-best place to retire, and it has one of the most elderly-friendly labor markets in the country, meaning that it has a large percentage of jobs that are easy to perform even for elderly residents. Many retired people choose to continue to work for some extra income, or simply to have something to keep them occupied. There are plenty of opportunities to do that in Minneapolis, since over 22% of the working population is over age 65.
Minneapolis also provides a friendly environment for retirees, ranking as the 34th-most caring city in the U.S. It has the eighth-best hospital system, too, along with a high number of nursing homes and gerontologists per capita. Minneapolis ranks eighth in the nation for the number of recreation and senior centers, offering retirees ample opportunities for community engagement and activity.
PLAN AHEAD
Phyllis Moen, who is McKnight Presidential Chair and a Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota, says that one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to their retirement is 'assuming that their retirement is a long ways off.' She says that most people retire earlier than they expected due to factors like layoffs, poor health, caregiving responsibilities, overload or even simply having a bad boss.
The only other Minnesota city on the list of Best Places to Retire was St. Paul (#21).