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Harrisburg is the best place in the country to spend your twilight years, according to US News & World Report. Reading, Lancaster, Scranton, and Allentown ranked second through fifth in the study respectively. Pittsburgh finished 10th, with Philadelphia coming in at 13th.
Researchers used a formula that examined the cost of living, happiness, quality of health care, taxes, and desirability of 150 cities across the country to create the list. They also spoke with people 45 to 59 years old about what they expect in retirement and surveyed retirees about what mattered most.
Harrisburg scored high for its affordable housing and lower cost of living compared to many of its East Coast neighbors, the report said.
Researchers also noted the city's many outdoor activities that are affordable and accessible to nearly everyone, including hiking trails along the Susquehanna River and many nearby state forests. The relatively young age of the population was also a tick in Harrisburg's favor.
Many of the same things can be said about the other cities on the list. Each scored 7.0 out of 10 in overall favorability.
Fourth place Scranton's score was buoyed because of its low housing costs, and Scranton climbed the list for the quality of the city's healthcare.
Pittsburgh scored high in many of those metrics, but researchers dinged the Steel City for its rising housing prices. The city is currently below the national average, but that could soon change, US News & World Report noted.
Only Detroit currently ranks lower in housing costs for major cities, the report said.
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