DETROIT – In what world is Ohio a better place to retire (or do anything, for that matter) than Michigan?
Sixty and Me created a scoring system, ranking the most exciting states to retire, factoring in things like destinations, population age, mobility, recreational activities, volunteer opportunities, jobs and taxes, to name a few.
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The blog said: “Our scoring system ranks all 50 states based on 16 factors to find out which states come out on top for a particular hobby, activity, or lifestyle factor, and which state is the most all-around exciting place for retirees.”
Florida and Massachusetts topped the list with the scoring system. Ohio was ranked fourth (how?!) best, and Michigan ranked 8th best.
Now, I’m sure Ohio has some trees and maybe the occasional chili dog, but how can you even compare Ohio to Michigan, when it comes to things to do?
Related: 12 reasons why the state of Michigan is better than Ohio
Michigan lakes alone should be enough to rank higher than Ohio. Here’s what Sixty and Me says about Michigan:
Michigan’s higher score comes from its volunteer opportunities (161) and golf courses (904). It also scores reasonably well across all of the other categories, except for college courses, retiree taxes, internet speeds, and author salaries.
- Best for – those looking to get involved with the community.
- Not suited for – those looking to write a novel, work online, or start a college course.
Here’s what it says about Ohio:
The Buckeye State has a mixture of positives, including high business survival rates (over 53% survive the first 5 years), a large number of professional sports teams (8), great volunteer opportunities (113), a high number of golf courses (699), a great number of local attractions (720), and free college for seniors.
- Best for – those looking to keep active with a mixture of opportunities on offer.
- Not suited for – those looking to make money writing a novel (one of the lowest annual salaries for authors – $53,790) or save money (poor tax offerings for retirees).
Alaska, Nebraska and North Dakota ranked among the least exciting places to retire.