Study: Westerly top community for retirement in R.I.

RHODE ISLAND did not land any communities among the best places to retire, according to a ranking put out by SmartAsset, in no small measure because of the state's tax burden on retirees. / COURTESY SMARTASSET
RHODE ISLAND did not land any communities among the best places to retire, according to a ranking put out by SmartAsset, in no small measure because of the state's tax burden on retirees. / COURTESY SMARTASSET

PROVIDENCE – A new list ranks the 10 best places to retire in Rhode Island, and some of them may be a surprise.
When one thinks about retirement, thoughts may gravitate toward beachfront destinations, but this list from SmartAsset, a financial technology company, considers factors such as taxes, both income and sales tax, as well as the number of doctors’ offices, and the opportunity for recreation and a social life.
Taxes were figured at 19 percent for Rhode Island.
Coming in first was Westerly, with three doctors offices, 0.2 recreation centers and 1.8 retirement centers per 1,000 people. The senior population represents 17.3 percent of the population.
Warwick was next with two doctors offices, 0.1 recreation centers and 0.4 retirement centers per 1,000 people, and a senior population of 17.5 percent.
Newport was third with 1.3 doctors offices, 0.1 recreation centers and 1.7 retirement centers per 1,000 people, and a senior population of 15.1 percent.
The rest of the list was as follows: the Greenville section of Smithfield, Tiverton, Cranston, Providence, East Providence, Pawtucket and Woonsocket.
No Ocean State communities made the top 10 nationally, however.
That list was dominated by retirement-friendly Florida, which had nine communities make the list. Stuart was No. 1, followed by Inverness, Naples, Brooksville, Bradenton, New Port Richey, Orange Park and Pompano Beach. Seaford, Del., came in at No. 9, while Sarasota, Fla., filled out the list at No. 10.
Stuart has 13.7 doctors offices and 3.3 retirement centers per 1,000 people, and a 24.8 percent senior population.
Tied for lowest tax burden were a number of cities, at 3.6 percent, although many of those on the list are in New Hampshire.
Leading the list for the number of doctors offices per 1,000 people was Cumming, Ga., at 30.6 per 1,000 population.
And leading the list for recreational and social factors was Naples, Fla., which has 1 recreation center per 1,000 people, 9 retirement centers per 1,000 people and has a population that is 47.6 percent senior.

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