5 Reasons Why Retiring In North Texas Is A Challenge For Seniors

DALLAS, TX—Sure, you love the weather and the food and all your friends and family are here. But... if you're thinking of retiring here, it's going to take a bit more effort to get you to your happy place.

In fact, North Texas cities actually rank among the worst spots in America to retire, according to the personal finance site, WalletHub.

Among them, you'll find Arlington as the bottom of the heap at 10th-worst, with Garland not far behind at 19th worst, and Garland sitting not-so-pretty at 23.

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Not a single city in the metroplex — or in North Texas — could even squeeze into the Top 50 on the survey. You'll find Fort Worth tagged in at 100, and Dallas didn't fare any better, coming in at 106, while Grand Prairie could only muster a showing at 142.

By contrast, Florida claimed four spots in the Top 10. Ouch.

The rankings were ascertained after WalletHub conducted a study of U.S. cities based on:

1. Quality of Life
2. Affordability
3. Health Care
4. Activities
5. Environment

That means everything from museums to golf courses and senior centers all played a part in determining which locales are best suited for Boomers and their elders. The survey also looked at COVID-19 vaccination centers, water and air quality, weather, available medical providers and crime rates.

Texas, it seems, tends to favor the young. A few of the Lone Star locales on the survey failed to score well in health care and activities — and the city of Irving ended up last on the list when it came to having a population 65+.

Another factor in choosing a place to retire is financial stability, according to WalletHub. In a survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s 2021 Retirement Confidence Survey, only three of every 10 respondents said they felt "very confident" they had enough money to remain financially comfortable in retirement.

Naturally, seniors are attracted to those places where their money goes furthest.

The data researchers used to compile the survey originated with the FBI, the U.S. Census Bureau Council for Community and Economic Research, the AARP, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. News & World Report, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, County Health Rankings and supplemental sources.

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