A survey says low crime and higher incomes makes area best for pensioner health and wealth.
Research into pensioner wellbeing has found that if you want to have a long, healthy and safe retirement you should move to the South West of England.
By looking at the number of healthcare workers per head, life expectancy and crime statistics Prudential has come up with a league table of the best places to retire to in the UK.
Of the top 20 counties six are in the South West with Devon coming out as the best place for pensioners, and Dorset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Cornwall all appearing in the rankings.
In another bit of good news for pensioners in the region, the South West saw one of the largest year-on-year jumps in expected retirement incomes among this year’s retirees. New pensioners are expected to live on 19% a year more than those who retired in 2014.
Why Devon came out on top
[SPOTLIGHT]Devon made it to the top of the pensioner wellbeing league table for a number of reasons.
Firstly, as a largely rural county crimes are relatively low at 50.1 per 1,000 people a year – well below the national average of 56.7. Secondly, pensioner life expectance is high with the average 65-year-old Devonian man expected to live a further 19 years to 84, and a woman 22 years to 87. Finally, the county boasts an above average number of healthcare workers per thousand people.
Separate research by Prudential also found that 36% of people retiring in 2015 in the south west said they would be able to afford to leave an inheritance. That is much higher than the national average of 29%.
Top 20 places to be a pensioner
Here's the full top 20.
|
|
County |
Healthcare workers per 1,000 |
Annual crimes per 1,000 |
Life Expectancy at 65 (m) |
Life Expectancy at 65 (f) |
Overall pensioner wellbeing score* |
|
1 |
Devon |
65.6 |
50.1 |
19.3 |
22.0 |
8.00 |
|
2 |
Dorset |
59.1 |
48.4 |
20.0 |
22.8 |
10.75 |
|
3 |
Powys |
62.2 |
35.8 |
19.1 |
21.8 |
12.00 |
|
3 |
Norfolk |
61.4 |
45.5 |
19.3 |
21.8 |
12.00 |
|
5 |
East Sussex |
70.7 |
51.9 |
19.2 |
21.7 |
13.25 |
|
6 |
Surrey |
53.6 |
41.3 |
19.7 |
22.0 |
13.75 |
|
7 |
Gloucestershire |
61.0 |
47.9 |
19.1 |
21.9 |
14.25 |
|
8 |
West Sussex |
62.7 |
51.9 |
19.3 |
21.7 |
15.25 |
|
9 |
Suffolk |
58.8 |
48.7 |
19.4 |
21.8 |
15.50 |
|
10 |
North Yorkshire |
61.8 |
43.2 |
19.1 |
21.5 |
16.75 |
|
11 |
Cambridgeshire |
58.9 |
54.9 |
19.6 |
22.1 |
17.00 |
|
12 |
Wiltshire |
54.4 |
47.0 |
19.3 |
21.8 |
17.25 |
|
13 |
Somerset |
63.2 |
59.3 |
19.3 |
21.8 |
17.50 |
|
13 |
Hampshire |
56.7 |
53.2 |
19.5 |
21.9 |
17.50 |
|
15 |
Herefordshire |
63.4 |
56.2 |
18.9 |
22.0 |
18.00 |
|
16 |
Conwy |
72.6 |
53.5 |
18.9 |
21.3 |
18.50 |
|
17 |
Buckinghamshire |
52.2 |
53.8 |
19.6 |
22.3 |
19.50 |
|
18 |
Oxfordshire |
57.2 |
53.8 |
19.3 |
21.8 |
19.75 |
|
19 |
Cornwall |
62.1 |
50.1 |
19.0 |
21.3 |
20.50 |
|
20 |
Monmouthshire |
61.7 |
65.3 |
19.2 |
21.9 |
21.25 |
|
|
England & Wales |
60.9 |
56.7 |
18.8 |
21.3 |
|
*Each county is ranked according to its score in the previous four column. The overall score is then calculated by totalling its four rankings and dividing the total by four.
Choosing where to retire
“For people hoping to have the most comfortable lifestyle in retirement the best approach remains to save as much as possible as early as possible during your working life – but while being financially secure in retirement shouldn’t be overlooked issues such as safety, security and health play an important part in a pensioner’s overall quality of life,” says Vince Smith Hughes, retirement income expert at Prudential.
“The changes to the rules governing access to pension savings for the over-55s may tempt those looking to relocate somewhere that better suits their retirement needs to dip into their retirement savings to help pay for the move.”
But before you take money out of your pension savings and move to Devon make sure you understand the implications of withdrawing that cash. You could land yourself with a hefty tax bill or lose vital income guarantees.
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