Two Arizona communities make Forbes’ list of best places to retire in 2020.
About 25 miles south of Tucson is Green Valley, a retirement mecca, according to Forbes. The business magazine ranked Green Valley No. 9, citing a lower cost of living than the national average, adequate number of physicians per capita, low serious crime rate and good air quality.
Forbes dings Mesa for poor air quality but says the Phoenix suburb offers a lot of outdoor activities, has adequate physicians and a median home price that’s 2% lower than the national median. Both communities get points for having no state income tax on Social Security earnings and no state inheritance tax.
The top spots were Asheville, North Carolina; Augusta, Georgia; Boise, Idaho; Columbus, Ohio; and Dallas, Texas.
Forbes says it compared data on more than 750 places with populations above 10,000 in 50 states. The biggest factors take into account money like cost of living and taxes, but Forbes also considers crime rates, health care, wellness and transportation.
Due to COVID-19, Forbes made some methodology adjustments. Forbes says this year’s list is lighter on smaller college towns because their analysts worry “that the educational and cultural opportunities that had made them so appealing will be slow to return”. Also, Forbes considered climate change risk for the first time.
