U.S. News Is Out With Its 2019 Best Places to Retire

Florida and Texas cities show well, but Pennsylvania holds the top spot.

U.S. News & World Report on Wednesday unveiled the 2019 Best Places to Retire in the U.S., and, if you like sausage, there's good news.

Hitching posts for Keim's Amish and Mennonite customers.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, tops the list at No. 1 due to increases in housing affordability and the overall happiness of its residents (the Amish in the area make really good sausage, among other desireable foodstuffs. Fort Myers, Florida, jumps from No.15 to No. 2 due to increases in desirability and happiness scores. Sarasota, Florida, falls from No. 1 to No. 3 this year due to a decline in both overall happiness and desirability. Austin, Texas, jumps to No. 4 from No. 9 due to an increase in desirability, followed by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, rounding out the top 5.

The rankings offer a comprehensive evaluation of the country's 100 largest metropolitan areas based on how well they meet Americans' expectations for retirement, with measures including housing affordability, desirability, health care and overall happiness.

"Deciding where to retire is a big decision," says Emily Brandon, senior editor for Retirement at U.S. News. "The Best Places to Retire offers a way for future retirees to make a more informed decision based on what matters the most to them. Whether that be housing affordability, access to quality hospitals or the desirability of a place in general, the rankings offer a comprehensive list that can point people in the best direction for their needs."

This year, U.S. News increased the weight of the desirability metric from 10% to 15 as it provides a more balanced understanding of the opinions gathered through consumer surveys. Desirability is one of the six factors in the 2019 Best Places to Retire methodology that includes housing affordability, desirability, retiree taxes, the happiness index, job market and health care quality. These measures were selected and weighted based on a public survey of pre-retirees (age 45-59) and retirement-age (age 60+) individuals across the U.S to find out what matters most when considering a place to retire. Data sources include the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as U.S. News rankings of the Best Hospitals.

Here are the top ten. Click on the link at the top of the story to see the rest.