New Hampshire’s health care, quality of life should appeal to seniors, according to report

By Dave Lemery | Watchdog.org

It’s a common assumption that people who move after retirement generally opt to head south. But perhaps they should be moving north — to New Hampshire.

A recent report from financial analysis company WalletHub ranked the 50 states on the basis of dozens of metrics to come up with a list of the best states to retire. After crunching the numbers, they found that the Granite State was fourth best in the nation.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

After crunching the numbers, WalletHub found that the Granite State was fourth best in the nation when it comes to where to retire.

“To determine the best states to retire, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 46 key indicators of retirement-friendliness,” WalletHub’s Adam McCann wrote. “Our analysis examines affordability, health-related factors and overall quality of life.”

Florida, South Dakota and Colorado were the three states that landed ahead of New Hampshire. Kentucky landed in 50th place. Among New Hampshire’s neighbors, Massachusetts was 21st, Maine 23rd, Connecticut 38th, Vermont 47th and Rhode Island 49th.

When WalletHub’s 46 indicators were subdivided into three groupings, New Hampshire was middle-of-the-road in one area and top 10 in the other two.

In terms of affordability, New Hampshire was ranked just 25th, based on the state’s cost of living, tax friendliness and several other related metrics. WalletHub rated the state 18th in “general tax friendliness” and 36th in cost of living.

For health care, New Hampshire did a bit better, landing at ninth overall. Categories that helped boost this ranking included life expectancy (ninth overall among the states at 80 years), the share of the senior population in good health (first among the U.S. states at 83 percent) and the ratio of doctors to population (fifth in the nation).

Quality of life was where New Hampshire really shined, with a third overall ranking. New Hampshire earned high marks for water quality, air quality, crime rates and the share of the elderly population living in poverty.

Terri Holbrook, a lecturer at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas, told WalletHub that states with a large senior population — a list that includes New Hampshire — can expect to see a high number of positive aspects from this group.

“Retirees are a more stable resident base and can contribute to the retail and entertainment economy,” she said. “Particularly younger retirees spend more money than working adults because they have more time on their hands, are generally healthy and active. Furthermore, many retirees with substantial income from investments can contribute nicely to a state’s tax base.”

On the other hand, as New Hampshire lawmakers have grappled with, there are drawbacks as well, Holbrook said.

“Older retirees and those less healthy can require more of the healthcare and service sectors of the local economy,” she said. “States wishing to attract retirees must be able to provide these services.”

Image courtesy of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

3 thoughts on “New Hampshire’s health care, quality of life should appeal to seniors, according to report

  1. What nonsense! Between outrageous property taxes, interest and dividend taxes, and very high tax to register cars, New Hampshire is very tough on senior citizens. Add to all of that, liberals are moving to NH by the thousands and changing everything for the worse………………..they escape the messes that they have made in MA, CT, NY and NJ and then move to NH and try to make it just like the damned mess they just left. New Hampshire is doomed just like Vermont and Maine.

    • I lived in Alton 21 years. Property taxes, it depends in what areas they are assessed.South of Rt 4, yes-high. Most area north of that not so much. But with the businesses and employment higher than many states and no income or sales taxes NH is a nice state. Littleton is a booming area. If you drive the two states VT-NH and look around. It’s like the old East Germany (VT) and West Germany (NH), dead to prosperous. I now both states very well and many other states. SD, WY, AL, TN, NC, MO, TX are nice.

      Agree, libs are moving in, the southern area voted for 40 new Dem legislators and changed the government, not positive. Hassan & Shaheen Governors were a disaster, Hassan ruled the financial status much lower, no common sense, she’s from MA now a Senator. Sununu’s hands are sorta tied because of the Libs.

      The A–Holes that moved into VT and ruined it will also depart for another place to ruin, too bad it won’t be Mars.

      However I am a native Vermonter since birth, But will be leaving.

    • If I still lived in NE I would be in NH or moving to it. For the geographical area you can’t beat it.

      My un-subsidized property taxes where about on par with a equal home value in NH.I would of saved ~13k in income taxes along in NH. That’s 13k VT no longer gets because they kept looking at me like a piggy bank. Then the NH icing is no sales tax. NH knows got it right for the most part.

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