Gig Harbor, Nationally Ranked Once Again!

My husband, Eric, and I just returned from a beautiful weekend in Coronado, where we were enamored with the weather, the real estate, and the lifestyle…as is often the case when on vacation... asking ourselves “why do we live in the Pacific Northwest?” 

However, it was upon landing back in Seattle amidst the clouds and drizzle that I was reminded of the special place we call home.  I am that traveler, the one that looks forward to my movie, audiobook, and/or nap (unfortunately for me I am an ugly plane sleeper – mouth open, the whole bit…the one time I find myself grateful for the mandatory masks!).  As I was saying, that traveler… the one that strikes up a conversation with my neighbor as soon as the landing gear makes itself known.  It was upon engaging in conversation with my lovely neighbor that I was reminded of how special our harbor town is.  She is an editor with the Seattle PI and when we started the “are you home or did you leave it behind in San Diego?” questioning, that she met my “oh, no we’re home… we live in Gig Harbor” with a “well did you know that Gig Harbor was just ranked the 4^th best place in the country to retire?”.  So, I have my neighbor in row 15 to thank for the inspiration of this bit and her newspaper to thank for the content!

Gig Harbor isn’t new to such accolades, earning “Best Harbor” numerous times by Coastal Magazine, and “Best Coastal Town” by Sunset Magazine; “The Most Beautiful Towns in the Pacific Northwest” by Expedia Group, theculturetrip.com, and purewow.com…just to name a few.  The City of Gig Harbor keeps a great list of the titles awarded, check it out on the link: https://www.gigharborguide.com/press-center/

In real estate, we see “4^th Best Place to Retire in the US”  resulting in the popularity of ramblers and main-floor primary suites, but there is a little more that goes into it. Here is how SmartAsset determined the Top 10 List…

“While there are many places in our neck of the woods to consider retirement, a study from SmartAsset found Gig Harbor to be the fourth-best in the nation. The study focused on three main factors, including tax-friendliness, medical care, and social opportunities; believing these factors lead to the best quality of life for seniors.

Factoring that a retiree makes $35,000 per year, from a combination of part-time work, retirement savings and government funding SmartAsset was able to calculate income tax rates. Sales tax was also a factor in determining senior quality of life. The study subtracted the tax from income to determine disposable income, which was used to calculate sales tax based on what was spent on taxable goods.

Additionally, how many doctor's offices, recreation centers, and retirement centers were calculated per 1,000 people. Next, how high the senior population was in each city, and what percentage of the population they made up.

Using these three main points, SmartAsset was able to determine the top 10 cities in the United States that are best for seniors to retire to. Here’s the list:

My parents are among those that have chosen to leave the area they’ve called home for all their years to move here, just about 6 years-ago.  I know they are beyond thrilled with that decision; as are many that have always, and those that have just recently come to call Gig Harbor home.