10 Best Places to Retire in Washington

If you pick one of these 10 best places to retire in Washington, you will have many advantages. Firstly, the Pacific Ocean is near if you want to take a swim and secondly, Canada’s border is 2-hour drive tops, in case that Donald Trump wins the Presidential Elections.

Washington is 18th largest and 13th most populous state in the United States. The state is often divided into two parts, Eastern and Western Washington, because of the obvious differences in terrain and climate, between the two. While Western Washington has a mild climate with warm summers and cool winters, Eastern Washington has a more extreme climate. In Eastern Washington, the winters are way colder, and summers are hotter than in the Western part. Also, while Eastern Washington has a significant snowfall during the winter, Western Washington has minimal or none. For those who wish for steadier climate, check out these 10 best places to retire in Vermont.

You should be aware that living in Washington isn’t cheap. The cost of living is 17% more expensive than the U.S. average, while prices of rent and housing are just slightly above the U.S. average. The health care isn’t the best you can get since there is a lower number of physicians per capita than the U.S. average and health costs are 13% more expensive than the average. But, we shouldn’t focus on the downsides. So let’s discover 10 best places to retire in Washington.

To get the list of the places that are most convenient for retirees, we checked the 20 most livable places (with a population greater than 5,000) in the state according to Area Vibes . We then used Sperling’s Best Places and U.S. Census to check the number of physicians per capita (100,000), crime rates, the number of residents aged 65 years and over, and the cost of living in each of these places. After calculating the separate rankings for these factors, we assigned points to each place and then summed them up in our Retirement Score. Enjoy our list!

10. Snoqualmie

Retirement Score: 35
Cost of Living: 49% more expensive than U.S. average
Physicians per Capita: 416
Crime Rates: 3.1
Residents Aged 65 and Over: 3.9%

Snoqualmie is a city with beautiful landscapes, numerous parks, and spectacular Snoqualmie Falls. This city was also the location for filming the exterior shots of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.

9. Mercer Island

Retirement Score: 39
Cost of Living: 147% more expensive than U.S. average
Physicians per Capita: 416
Crime Rates: 24.7
Residents Aged 65 and Over: 19.5%

By far the most expensive place on our list and one of the places with the biggest percentage of the elderly population. If you have deep pockets, and you always wanted to live on an island, then you should strongly consider Mercer Island.

8. Camas

Retirement Score: 40
Cost of Living: 32% more expensive than U.S. average
Physicians per Capita: 166
Crime Rates: 32
Residents Aged 65 and Over: 8.7%

Camas is all about nature. Besides many parks scattered in and around the city, there are four lakes and two rivers nearby, perfect for fishing, boating or swimming.

7. Normandy Park

Retirement Score: 40
Cost of Living: 65% more expensive than U.S. average
Physicians per Capita: 416
Crime Rates: 35.4
Residents Aged 65 and Over: 21.2%

Normandy Park will offer you a quiet and safe environment with a strong and growing community. The best things about this place include its amazing nature, many bodies of water and its proximity to the city of Seattle.

6. DuPont

Retirement Score: 42
Cost of Living: 28% more expensive than U.S. average
Physicians per Capita: 416
Crime Rates: 22
Residents Aged 65 and Over: 7.1%

DuPont is divided into “smaller villages”, each of them designed uniquely. Some of the villages are still under development and others are well established as desirable residential areas. If you are like to play golf, you should know that DuPont will allow you to practice your swing on the famous premier golf course, The Home Course.

5. Kenmore

Retirement Score: 43
Cost of Living: 47% more expensive than U.S. average
Physicians per Capita: 416
Crime Rates: 34.5
Residents Aged 65 and Over: 11.9%

If you are not in the mood for spending your time in one of many Kenmore’s parks and recreational centers, you are sure to find entertainment in the heart of the city. Throughout the entire year, the city is buzzing with tourists and hosts many events and festivals.

4. Bainbridge Island

Retirement Score: 44
Cost of Living: 60% more expensive than U.S. average
Physicians per Capita: 240
Crime Rates: 30.3
Residents Aged 65 and Over: 16.4%

If Mercer Island is too expensive for you, we have a cheaper alternative to our list of 10 best places to retire in Washington. Bainbridge Island has a growing community of retirees who are attracted by a variety of possibilities this city has to offer. Among many awards for the quality of life in this city, Bainbridge Island was named by CNN/Money and Money magazine as “the second-best place to live in the United States”.

3. Richland

Retirement Score: 48
Cost of Living: 2% more expensive than U.S. average
Physicians per Capita: 211
Crime Rates: 36.7
Residents Aged 65 and Over: 14.6%

If you are set in Eastern Washington, Richland may be your choice. It has the most pleasant climate with hot summers and mild winters with minimum snowfall. Whether you are looking to play golf when you retire or enjoy water sports, Richland will make it possible.

2. Lake Forest Park

Retirement Score: 48
Cost of Living: 55% more expensive than U.S. average
Physicians per Capita: 416
Crime Rates: 27.4
Residents Aged 65 and Over: 15.1%

Situated on the shore of Lake Washington, Lake Forest Park which ranks second on our list of best places to retire in Washington, lives up to its name. It will enable you to spend your retirement days enjoying one of the many parks and nature preserves located in and around the city. The best thing of all is that Lake Forest Park has no industry, and the commercial zone is almost entirely in one location.

1. Vashon

Retirement Score: 48
Cost of Living: 53% more expensive than U.S. average
Physicians per Capita: 416
Crime Rates: 33.9
Residents Aged 65 and Over: 17.6%

The last entry on our list of 10 best places to retire in Washington is for those wanting to spend their retirement exploring galleries, forests, parks and beaches. Although only 20 minutes from Seattle, Vashon looks like it is in some other era. There are no traffic jams, industry or anything else that could ruin your retirement peace.