Delaware
Which county in Delaware is the best to retire in? Plus, how it compares with others
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It’s no secret that Delaware is regarded as a retirement haven.
From quiet suburbs to quaint coastal neighborhoods, there’s plenty to choose from when it comes to how you want to spend your Golden Years. Many Delaware towns have been touted as some of the best places in the nation to retire in, but there’s one county that is better than the rest.
Best Delaware county to retire in
SmartAsset, a financial technology company, gathered data on the three regional factors – tax-friendliness, medical care, and social opportunities –that affect the quality of life for retirees.
This information was used to calculate the amount of sales taxes paid and the amount of disposable income left over. Resources like the number of doctor’s offices, recreation centers and retirement centers per 1,000 residents in each location and the number of seniors in each city were calculated. Each location was then ranked based on these three factors, with the highest ranking being the best place to retire.
The best county for retirement in Delaware is Sussex County, according to the data.
Sussex received an overall score of 76.87. The tax burden is listed as 9.9%, with 1.23 medical centers, 0.53 recreation centers and 0.03 retirement communities per 1,000 people. The percentage of seniors in Sussex County is 27.9%.
Kent County is the second best for retirement in Delaware with an overall score of 68.64. Kent ties with Sussex at 9.9% for tax burden and 0.03 for retirement communities per 1,000 people. Kent has fewer medical centers per 1,000 people than Sussex, at 1.05, and more recreation centers per 1,000 people than Sussex, at 0.76. Kent’s population is 17.1% seniors.
New Castle County ranks the lowest in the state for retirement with a score of 67.32. New Castle has the highest tax burden at 10.1%; the second-highest number of medical centers per 1,000 people at 1.21; the second-highest number of recreation centers per 1,000 people at 0.56; and the highest number of retirement communities per 1,000 people at 0.04. In New Castle County, seniors are 15.6% of the population.
Overall, these findings leave Delaware with a tax burden of 10%; 1.16 medical centers per 1,000 people; 0.54 recreation centers per 1,000 people; 0.03 retirement communities per 1,000 people; and a population including 20.2% seniors.
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