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6 Reasons You Need at Least $665K (Plus Social Security) To Retire in Pennsylvania

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6 Reasons You Need at Least 5K (Plus Social Security) To Retire in Pennsylvania


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Where you choose to live is the single biggest factor in how much money you can expect to spend on housing, utilities, groceries, healthcare, transportation and other common budget items. This is true whether you are working or retired.

Learn More: 8 States To Move to If You Don’t Want To Pay Taxes on Social Security

For You: The Surprising Way You Can Get Guaranteed Retirement Income for Life

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In retirement, however, location takes on even greater importance because most retirees live on a fixed income that’s no longer bolstered by work raises or bonuses. If you choose to retire in Pennsylvania, you can expect to spend near the national average on living costs.

Pennsylvania landed right in the middle of the pack nationally — No. 25 out of 50 states — in a cost of living study conducted by GOBankingRates. The study determined the annual expenditure cost for a retired person in each state by analyzing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.

According to the GBR study, you need a minimum of $664,894 — including Social Security benefits — to retire comfortably in Pennsylvania for 20 years. That’s below the national average of $725,025, though the average skews much higher due to extremely high costs in states like Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, New York and Alaska. Retirees in Pennsylvania need at least $831,118 for 25 years of retirement and just less than $1 million for 30 years of retirement.

Because Pennsylvania landed in the middle, its retirement costs can serve as a median for the entire country. In some spending categories, its costs are higher than average, while in others, its costs are lower.

According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center’s data series, the Keystone State had a cost of living index score of 94.8 as of the 2023 third quarter. That number rose slightly to 95.6 during the 2024 first quarter. Any score below 100 indicates that living costs are lower than the national average, while any score above 100 means living costs are higher than average.

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If you are considering retiring in Pennsylvania, here are six reasons you’ll need a minimum of $665,000 to retire there for 20 years.

  1. Overall living costs: You can expect to spend $54,811.46 a year on overall cost of living expenditures in Pennsylvania, which is below the national average of $57,818. When you back out Social Security income, the average total expenses in Pennsylvania are $33,244.70. You’ll need to cover these costs with retirement savings or side gigs.

  2. Housing costs: Pennsylvania has a housing cost of living index score of 82.1, meaning you’ll spend much less on rent or home purchases here than in much of the country. Its annual cost of housing averages $9,559.13 vs. the U.S. average of $11,692.

  3. Utilities cost: This is one of the categories where you can expect to spend more than the national average if you retire in Pennsylvania, partly because of its cold winters. The Keystone State has a utility index score of 106.6 and an average utility cost of $4,515.58 per year versus the national average of $4,236.

  4. Grocery cost: By retiring in Pennsylvania, you can expect to spend a little less than average on groceries. Its yearly cost of groceries averages $4,715.45 compared with the national average of $4,797.

  5. Healthcare costs: Healthcare expenses are a major budget item in retirement, and you’ll likely save money by retiring in Pennsylvania. The Keystone State’s healthcare index score is 92.3, with average annual expenditures of $6,959.42. That’s nearly $600 less than the national average of $7,540.

  6. Transportation costs: The cost of getting around in Pennsylvania is slightly higher than the national average, with an index score of 104.1. Its average annual cost of transportation is $5,145.66 vs. the national average of $4,943.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Reasons You Need at Least $665K (Plus Social Security) To Retire in Pennsylvania



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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania moms can get free support from other moms through text message service

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Pennsylvania moms can get free support from other moms through text message service



New moms now have more support with the statewide expansion of a mom-to-mom texting program through a nonprofit called NurturePA. 

Six thousand moms in Allegheny County have used the free service since NurturePA started it in 2014. It’s now open to anyone in Pennsylvania who’s pregnant or caring for a child up to age five. Trained mentors, who are moms themselves, are paired with a new mom for anonymous, nonjudgmental texting support.

Sharon Welburn used the service with her firstborn child and loved having someone to vent to and learn from.

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“I didn’t realize how common jaundice in babies was until my baby was jaundiced,” Welburn said. “I was panicking that I did something wrong, and then my mentor texted, ‘You’re OK. You’re not doing anything wrong. It’s something that sometimes happens. My kid had jaundice when they were born.’”

The trained mentors screen for postpartum depression eight times in the first year after the baby is born. NurturePA Executive Director Susan Crookston says the service is especially ideal for moms in rural areas who are further from support networks. She says for many new moms, having a baby can feel disorienting because so much changes.

“New baby, new everything,” Crookston said. “Your body is different … Every element of your life can be upended by a baby, and though it’s a wonderful and joyous experience, it’s also incredibly challenging.”

Nurture PA is also collecting parenting wisdom from moms across Pennsylvania to be shared across their platforms and in an art exhibit.

To share your words of wisdom or enroll in the free mom-to-mom texting service as a new mom or a mentor, go to the NurturePA website. And for more advice and local resources for new parents, go to Kidsburgh.org.

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KDKA is proud to partner with kidsburgh.org. 



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Man working on vehicle crushed to death, Pennsylvania officials say

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Man working on vehicle crushed to death, Pennsylvania officials say


A man died after the vehicle he was working on fell off jack stands in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, officials said. 

Gage Alexander Rowe died on Monday afternoon following the fatal accident in a garage in Warsaw Township, CBS affiliate WTAJ reported. 

Citing Jefferson County Coroner Greg Furlong, the news outlet reported that first responders were called to the garage on Milliron Road around 2 p.m. on Monday. Investigators reportedly said the 25-year-old man was working underneath a vehicle when the jacks holding up the vehicle gave out, killing him. 

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First responders were called to the home after family members became concerned when Rowe didn’t arrive at a gathering and was unreachable by phone, WTAJ reported. 

The 25-year-old man’s cause of death was blunt force trauma, and it was ruled accidental. Authorities did not release any additional information. 



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Body found inside burning van in Berks County on Tuesday, officials say

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Body found inside burning van in Berks County on Tuesday, officials say


An investigation is underway after a person’s body was found in a burned out vehicle on Tuesday, according to the Berks County Coroner’s Office.

Authorities were called to the 400 block of Friedensburg Road in Oley, Pennsylvania, around 9:43 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26 for reports of a van on fire, officials said.

Once the fire was put out, officials reported finding a person’s body in the back of the van so the Berks County Coroner was called to the scene.

The person has not yet been identified but an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday, May 28 to help authorities uncover more information.

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The investigation into this case is ongoing.



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