Yahoo Finance 10 Best Places in Washington State for a Couple To Live on Only a Social Security Check
Opinions vary widely on whether to retire in Washington state or not. In just this past year, the Evergreen State was named the No. 1 state to retire in by Global Residence Index, but the eighth worst state to retire in by WalletHub.
Pros include the state’s natural beauty and plethora of outdoor recreation opportunities, the lack of a state income tax, and really good coffee. Cons include a high cost of living in cities like Seattle, a lot of gray days if you’re west of the Cascade mountains, and some pockets of high crime.
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Of course, a lot depends on which cities in Washington you have your eyes on. Seattle, for example, can stretch even robust retirement budgets, but Washington does have more financially friendly cities for retirees — even for couples who plan to get by on just their Social Security checks.
GOBankingRates has rounded up a top 10 list of cities that combine livability with total monthly living costs within reach of Social Security-only couples. For reference, the average benefit for couples these days is about $3,580, according to the Social Security Administration.
To compile our list, we analyzed data from the U.S. Census, Sperling’s Best Places, AreaVibes, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Zillow. You can check out our full methodology at the end of the list. Here’s out top 10 in reverse order.
10. Kennewick
Average rent: $1,610.02
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,184.12
Livability score: 79
Located in south-central Washington, Kennewick is part of the Tri-Cities area along with Pasco and Richland. Kennewick’s average monthly rent is the highest in our top 10, but its average total cost of living puts it within reach for retired couples living on just Social Security checks. Unlike Seattle, it has an arid climate with temperatures frequently topping 90 degrees in the summer. The city’s roughly 83,000 residents have easy access to 27 different parks, four golf courses and 160 wineries within a 50-mile radius.
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9. Moses Lake
Average rent: $1,468.68
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,011.56
Livability score: 76
You’ll find Moses Lake along Interstate 90 in central Washington, about 2½ hours east of Seattle and 1½ hours west of Spokane. Its livability score is the second lowest in our list, but it’s average monthly cost of living (just over $3,000) may interest budget-conscious retired couples. The lake for which the city is named offers more than 120 miles of coastline and opportunities for fishing, boating and other activities.
8. Walla Walla
Average rent: $1,541.46
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,084.32
Livability score: 80
Wine enthusiasts may want to give Walla Walla a look for a possible retirement destination. The city of about 33,000 in southeast Washington is home to dozens of wineries, and the area has been selected as “Best Wine Region” in the USA Today Reader Choice Awards twice in this decade. Walla Walla’s combined average monthly expenditures for groceries, healthcare, utilities and transportation come in around $1,543 — the second lowest in our list.
7. Aberdeen
Average rent: $1,263.10
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,894.58
Livability score: 80
Known as “The Gateway to the Olympic Peninsula” and as the birthplace of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, Aberdeen combines relative affordability with a respectable livability score. This western Washington city has historically relied on the fishing and timber industries, but tourism has become a new focus. About 17,000 people make their home here.
6. Spokane Valley
Average rent: $1,582.08
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,168.05
Livability score: 85
The city of Spokane Valley hasn’t actually been a city all that long — it incorporated in March 2003. Home to more than 100,000 residents, it has the highest average monthly total cost of living in our list, but also the highest livability score. Located near the Washington-Idaho state line, Spokane Valley is home to the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, the Spokane Valley Mall and numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation.
5. Cheney
Average rent: $1,224.37
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,791.43
Livability score: 80
Home to Eastern Washington University, Cheney (pronounced CHEE-nee) is located about 15 miles southwest of Spokane. Cheney has about 13,000 residents, not including EWU’s student population. Attractions include Cheney Rodeo Days each July, and the Cheney Farmers’ Market from June through mid-September.
4. Hoquiam
Average rent: $1,131.25
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,785.65
Livability score: 74
Hoquiam received a livability score of 74 from AreaVibes, but its affordability may catch the eye of retired, Social Security-only couples. Groceries for two here cost about $385 a month, the lowest in our top 10. Hoquiam’s average monthly rent and total cost of living are also list lows. This city of about 8,700 residents is located next to Aberdeen in western Washington.
3. Pullman
Average rent: $1,356.25
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,877.64
Livability score: 84
Much of Pullman’s identity is tied to Washington State University. The city, located in Washington’s Palouse region, has a population of about 33,000 and a rich agricultural history. Attractions include numerous parks and pathways popular with hikers and bikers.
2. Spokane
Average rent: $1,536.35
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,113.55
Livability score: 80
Washington’s second-largest city and its surrounding areas have seen significant growth in the 21st century, but Spokane maintains a small-town feel for many of its 226,000 residents. The unofficial capital of the Inland Northwest, Spokane is home to the annual, massive Hoopfest basketball tournament, the Lilac Bloomsday road race, Gonzaga and Whitworth universities, and many types of outdoor recreation.
1. Yakima
Average rent: $1,229.32
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,810.74
Livability score: 78
The city of Yakima (pronounced YACK-uh-muh) bills itself as the “Heart of Central Washington.” The surrounding Yakima Valley is filled with scores of wineries, orchards and farms. Yakima itself has about 100,000 residents and a reasonable cost of living. Its sub-$3,000 average total monthly cost of living for a couple 65+ includes about $395 for groceries and $292 for utilities.
Methodology: To find the best places in Washington state for a couple to live on only social security checks, GOBankingRates analyzed the cities in Washington across a variety of factors including total population and population aged 65 and over (both sourced from U.S. Census American Consumer Survey; cost-of-living indexes for groceries, healthcare, utilities and transportation from Sperling’s Best Places; monthly rental cost as sourced from Zillow Observed Rental Index; national average expenditure costs as sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey; livability scores as sourced from AreaVibes; and average monthly Social Security benefits as sourced from the Social Security Administration. The cost-of-living indexes for each city were multiplied by the national average expenditure cost to find the average expenditure costs for each city. The expenditure costs for each city were added to the average rental cost to find the total monthly cost needed to live in each city. The average Social Security benefits were doubled to find the average needed for a couple and all cities above the average monthly Social Security benefits were removed. The total population was scored and weighted at 0.75, percent population 65 and over was scored and weighted at 0.75, the livability index was scored and weighted at 1.50, the rental cost was scored and weighted at 1, the expenditure cost was scored and weighted at 1, and the total monthly cost was scored and weighted at 1.25. All the scores were added together and sorted to show the best places in Washington for a couple to live on only Social Security checks. All data was collected and is up to date as of November 6th, 2023.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Best Places in Washington State for a Couple To Live on Only a Social Security Check
