These are the best places to retire in the US for 2021-2022

Sarasota, Florida, held the top spot

Retirees are setting their sights on Florida more than any other state across the nation, according to a new study from U.S. News & World Report. 

The Sunshine State occupies seven of the top 10 spots on the publication's ranking of the best places to retire for 2021- 2022.  

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For the second year in a row, Sarasota has captured the top spot even with decreases in health care, housing and happiness scores, according to U.S. News' "Best Places to Retire Rankings." 

"After over a year of staying at home, many people are dreaming about a Florida beach retirement," said U.S. News senior editor for retirement Emily Brandon.

Downtown skyline of Sarasota, Florida. (iStock / iStock)

The report revealed that Sarasota, in particular, had an increase in desirability, retiree tax and job market scores. 

Following right behind is Naples at No. 2 and Daytona Beach, which jumped 12 stops to No. 3. Daytona broke the top three in this year's list partly due to its good air quality and low crime rate, both of which are used to calculate the overall happiness scores of a metro area, according to the report. 

THESE ARE THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN THE US

When comparing areas for retirement, Brandon noted that it's important to look for "affordable housing, proximity to health care services and a strong economy, especially if you plan to work part-time." 

Pennsylvania and Michigan also cracked the Top 10 in this year's rankings with Lancaster sitting at No. 5 and Ann Arbor at spot No. 9. 

However, Pennsylvania metro areas accounted for seven of the Top 25 best places to retire, "largely due to the accessibility of high-quality health care facilities," according to U.S. News.  

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For its methodology, U.S. News evaluated the 150 most populous metropolitan areas across the nation to see how they lined up with Americans' expectations for retirement by measuring factors such as housing affordability, health care and overall happiness.

In order to determine what mattered most to people who are retired, U.S. News conducted a survey of individuals across the U.S. between the ages 45 and 59 and those who are 60 or older.