Simsbury and Weatogue Named Among Top 50 Places to Retire in CT

Connecticut isn’t typically associated with retirement. In fact, WalletHub ranked the state as the third-worst for retirement in the U.S., mainly based on its high cost of living.

Because the state is crossed by four rivers, has more than 100 miles of coastline along the Long Island sound, and is within a few hours of New York City, Connecticut is a very desired location for living and retirement, according to MarketWatch.

But water proximity increases the cost of living in Connecticut by approximately 30 percent more than the national average, MarketWatch writes. Also, because of the state’s proximity to New York City, Connecticut attracts some of the highest median incomes in the nation, which in effect increases real estate values in places like Greenwich or Fairfield County, areas known for their expansive mansions.

Connecticut is also one of 14 states that tax Social Security income, exempting those based on adjusted gross income, according to MarketWatch, and pension income is also sometimes taxable.

But there are well-ranked places in Connecticut that are reportedly more retirement-friendly, according to Niche’s 2016 Best Places to Retire in Connecticut.

The list is based on the number of retirees, weather, access to healthcare and entertainment, and data from the U.S. Census and other data sources, Niche says.

Here are the top 100 towns and places for retirement in Connecticut. Check out if your town made the list.

1. Heritage Village in Southbury
2. Saybrook Manor
3. Essex
4. Southbury
5. Old Saybrook
6. Sherwood Manor in Enfield
7. Prospect
8. Portland
9. Lyme
10. Berlin
11. Bloomfield
12. Salmon Brook in Glastonbury
13. Madison
14. Newington
15. Canton
16. Southington
17. Collinsville in Canton
18. Glastonbury Center
19. Avon
20. Cheshire
21. Chester
22. Durham
23. Wilton
24. Woodbridge
25. New Canaan
26. Wethersfield
27. Shelton
28. South Woodstock
29. East Lyme
30. Farmington
31. Rocky Hill
32. Kensington in Berlin
33. Hazardville in Enfield
34. Simsbury
35. Cromwell
36. West Hartford
37. Wallingford
38. Middlebury
39. Vernon
40. Weatogue in Simsbury
41. Branford
42. Enfield
43. Coventry Lake
44. Brookfield
45. Haddam
46. South Windsor
47. Glastonbury
48. North Haven
49. Somers
50. Milford
51. Glenville
52. Coventry
53. Middletown
54. Milford City
55. East Haddam
56. Granby
57. Higganum in Haddam
58. Groton
59. Westbrook
60. Greenwich
61. Oakville in Watertown
62. Southwood Acres in Enfield
63. Trumbull
64. Easton
65. Orange
66. Fairfield
67. Darien
68. Norwalk
69. Windsor
70. East Haven
71. Byram in Greenwich
72. East Hampton
73. Stratford
74. Westport
75. Pawcatuck
76. Danbury
77. Torrington
78. Willington
79. Harwinton
80. Windsor Locks
81. Meriden
82. Stafford
83. Norwich
84. Thompsonville in Enfield
85. Ledyard
86. Hamden
87. Bristol
88. Stafford Springs
89. Guilford
90. Hebron
91. Woodstock
92. Salem
93. Stamford
94. Wolcott
95. Mansfield
96. Killingly
97. Plainfield
98. Plymouth
99. Suffield
100. New London

See the full top 100 Connecticut list here.
See the full WalletHub list here.
See the full MarketWatch article here.