If you are considering retiring in Pennsylvania, you might consider where you want to live in order to stretch that retirement income as far as you can. According to the online personal finance site SmartAsset, one of the best in which to retire is Westmoreland County. Unfortunately, Indiana County does not fare well among the state’s 67 counties.
Factoring in Social Security income, taxes, and the cost of living, Smart Asset places Indiana County 49th in the commonwealth, with an annual cost of living of $19,254 and Social Security income of $18,739.
Next door, Westmoreland County ranks 5th in the state, with $20,087 in annual Social Security income and a cost of living of $18,727. Armstrong ranks 21st, Cambria 23rd, Clearfield 45th, and Jefferson 55th.
To arrive at the rankings, SmartAsset First took the average Social Security income for each county and subtracted the taxes a typical retiree would pay on that income. They then calculated how far that net income would go in every county to cover the basic necessities.
The top five counties in which to retire are Wayne, Sullivan, Juniata, Elk, and Westmoreland. The hardest county in which to retire is Philadelphia, which ranked 67. Next hardest is Delaware County, next door to Philadelphia…then Monroe, Lycoming, and Centre.
