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Grand Lodge Hall at Masonic Village, West Donegal Township, a retirement community with over 1,900 residents.
Willow Valley Communities in West Lampeter Township, which has 2,500 residents.
Garden Spot Village, Earl Township
Grand Lodge Hall at Masonic Village, West Donegal Township, a retirement community with over 1,900 residents.
Willow Valley Communities in West Lampeter Township, which has 2,500 residents.
Garden Spot Village, Earl Township
Housing affordability, overall happiness and health care quality all helped Lancaster County top U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 list of Best Places to Retire, released today.
“Lancaster is a mix of small-town charm and amenities that appeal to many retirees,” said Emily Brandon, senior editor for retirement with U.S. News & World Report.
The Lancaster metropolitan area, which includes all of Lancaster County, consistently scores near the top of the annual rankings, which look at the 150 most populated metro areas in the United States. Last year it ranked number five, and in 2019 it ranked number one.
Local retirement communities are excited about the ranking, because it highlights what their residents already know about the area’s desirability as a retirement destination.
“It causes people to take a look. And as they do their research, they’ll discover this really is a great place to retire,” said Scott Miller, chief marketing officer at Garden Spot Village in Earl Township.
Cities in Florida and Pennsylvania usually take up the top 10 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list. In Florida, retirees make up a larger share of the overall population, but a growing number of people are choosing to retire in the commonwealth.
“People are looking for more than just the weather,” said Kelly Eakin, director of sales and marketing at Masonic Village in West Donegal Township.
The rankings change slightly each year based on the factors that survey respondents feel are the most important. This year, housing affordability was the number one factor. Retirees to Lancaster County can enjoy the same quality of life they did in larger metropolitan areas at a lower cost, Miller said.
That value led to good scores in housing affordability.
“This year retirees and soon-to-be retirees are especially concerned about home affordability due to the current state of the housing market and inflation,” Brandon said.
According to Zillow, the typical home price in Florida this year is $415,762, while in Pennsylvania it’s $267,549.
Another factor is access to quality health care. U.S. News & World Report noted that Lancaster County and other cities in Pennsylvania climbed the rankings due to the close proximity of top-ranked hospitals. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 list of the Best Hospitals in Pennsylvania ranked Lancaster city-based Lancaster General Hospital at number four and Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Dauphin County at number five.
“As people get older and need care, it can be particularly important to be able to get the health care services you need within a reasonable driving distance,” Brandon said.
The area also ranked high in overall happiness – how much people who currently live there enjoy where they live.
Communities hear from retirees who like the area’s mix of amenities in its rural and downtown areas. They can visit winning restaurants in shops in downtown Lancaster, or enjoy scenery and roadside stands in the surrounding countryside. The area’s history, culture and food are all reasons that local retirement communities hear from retirees who come from other areas.
“U.S. News & World Report is saying what we’ve been saying for close to 40 years, that Lancaster is just a wonderful place to live,” said Maureen Leader, public relations and communications manager for Willow Valley Communities in West Lampeter Township.
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U.S. News & World Report ranked Lancaster County number one in its 2022-23 Best Places to Retire list, released today. Pennsylvania and Florida are home to nine of the top 10 locations on the list.
Lancaster County
Harrisburg
Pensacola, Florida
Tampa, Florida
York
Naples, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Allentown
Reading
A rate increase of a little more than 18% starting Dec. 1 is planned by PPL – Lancaster County’s primary electricity provider.
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