10 Best Places to Retire in the Northeast U.S.

Hermitage, Pennsylvania

This small city is located in the northwestern part of the state, about 70 miles from Pittsburgh. The area offers abundant outdoor recreation, including boating, fishing, and swimming on the Shenango River Lake. There’s also the 300-acre Buhl Park, which has a public golf course, picnic areas, walking and running trails, gardens, and playgrounds. The city is about 20 miles from Youngstown, Ohio, which has several museums, a performing arts center, a planetarium, a casino, and a horse-racing track.

With a population of 15,816, Hermitage offers small-town charm, historic sites, and a county-wide median home value of $153,600. Mercer County’s 11 hospitals and 276 health care establishments provide accessible medical care. Another plus: Pennsylvania does not tax withdrawals from IRAs or 401(k)s. To top it off, the county is also known for tax-free shopping at the Grove City Premium Outlets.

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Johnstown is known to many for the 1889 flood that killed more than 2,200 people, now commemorated by the Johnstown Flood National Memorial and the Johnstown Flood Museum. In addition to the museum, the Johnstown Discovery Network oversees the Heritage Discovery Center, the Children’s Museum, the Wagner-Ritter House, and the Stone Bridge, all of which tell stories of immigration, the flood, and the steel industry.

Johnstown features a variety of colorful murals around town, and the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center hosts concerts, ballets, and theater performances. Other notable happenings include the Johnstown PolkaFest, an annual two-day music festival, and events celebrating diversity, the arts, and agriculture.

Founded in 1804, Johnstown is the largest city in Cambria County, with a population of 17,809. It is situated about 80 miles from Pittsburgh International Airport. The median home value in the county is $115,900. Residents have access to six area hospitals and 266 health care establishments. Withdrawals from pre-tax accounts are not taxable in Pennsylvania, potentially a significant saving for state residents.

Altoona, Pennsylvania

With a population of 42,418, Altoona is the largest of the three Pennsylvania cities on this list, as well as the largest in Blair County, located in the central part of the state. Outdoor activities are plentiful, and Canoe Creek State Park provides opportunities for boating, fishing, and hiking. In winter, skiing and other snow sports are popular, as are mountain biking and golf in the summer. ArtsAltoona supports community activities in art, theater, music, and education, and events, plays, and other enrichment opportunities are offered at Penn State University, about 45 miles away. Altoona’s growth is closely tied to the Pennsylvania Railroad, and railroad buffs enjoy visiting Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark, a railroad link considered to be an engineering marvel.

Altoona is about a 2.5-hour drive from Pittsburgh International Airport. Affordable real estate is available in the Blair County area, with a median home value of $156,700. With 12 area hospitals and 293 health care establishments, residents have convenient access to medical care as well. Like everywhere in Pennsylvania, withdrawals from pre-tax accounts are not subject to state tax.

Utica, New York

Utica is set in the Mohawk Valley along the Erie Canal, which dates back to 1825. Today, visitors can enjoy the canal for boating, kayaking, and scenic cruising. A bike path, part of the 750-mile Empire State Trail, follows much of its route. Concerts, hockey games, ice-skating shows, and special events are held in the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, which was built in 1959. (Fun fact: New York City’s Madison Square Garden was modeled after the Auditorium.) Residents enjoy outdoor activities year-round, from snow sports in the winter to golf, hiking, and biking in the warmer months.

With a population of 63,089, Utica is located in Oneida County, about 90 miles from Albany, the state capital. The median home value is $171,100. Health care is provided through the county’s 14 hospitals and 379 health care establishments. And while Social Security income is not taxable, withdrawals from pre-tax accounts are partially taxed.

Union, New York

Union, which dates back to Revolutionary times, is located in Broome County, in south-central New York, near the Pennsylvania border. The village of Endicott is the birthplace of IBM and the Endicott Johnson Shoe Company, once the world’s largest shoe manufacturer. The Endicott History and Heritage Center tells the stories of those companies with photos and artifacts.

Less than eight miles from Union, Binghamton University provides athletic and cultural events as well as continuing-education opportunities. The Bundy Museum of History & Art and the Roberson Museum and Science Center are found in Binghamton. Ross Park Zoo and Cider Mill Stage are both nearby. For hiking, waterfalls, forests, and natural beauty, IBM Glen provides 200 acres of outdoor activities.

Today, the city has a population of 53,821. The median county home value is $145,100. Social Security income is not taxed by the state of New York, but withdrawals from pre-tax accounts are partially taxable.

Springfield, Massachusetts

Located in the southwestern part of the state, Springfield is the largest city in Hampden County and the third-largest city in Massachusetts, with a population of 153,337. Billed as “The City of Firsts,” it’s the birthplace of basketball and of Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss). According to the city’s website, “the economy is growing, businesses are flourishing, and public spaces are being made more vibrant every day.” The median home value in Hampden County is $276,300, and medical care is accessible through 22 hospitals and 683 health care establishments. The state of Massachusetts does not tax Social Security income, but withdrawals from pre-tax accounts are taxable.

MGM Springfield has a casino, a cinema, concert venues, restaurants, and a hotel. Other area attractions include the Basketball Hall of Fame; the MassMutual Center, an events venue; Storrowton Village Museum; the Zoo in Forest Park; and Six Flags New England. Springfield is set along the Connecticut River, and the nearly four-mile paved Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway provides a scenic place to bike, run, walk, or skate. Recreational boating is available at Riverfront Park, too.

Conway, New Hampshire

With a population of 10,340, the small town of Conway is one of the largest communities in Carroll County. It is located on the eastern side of the state, near the White Mountain National Forest and the border with Maine. The 34-mile Kancamagus Highway, considered one of the nation’s most scenic for its waterfalls and colorful fall foliage, begins just west of town. Echo Lake State Park in North Conway offers hiking, camping, swimming, and biking, and in the winter, there’s skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and dog-sledding—plenty of year-round activities for residents. The Salyard Center for the Arts, supported by the Conway Historical Society, offers a variety of events from April to December.

The median home value in Carroll County is $348,900, the highest on this list. The county has two hospitals and 82 health care establishments. New Hampshire does not tax Social Security income or withdrawals from pre-tax accounts, an attractive benefit for retired residents.

Vineland, New Jersey

Located in the southern part of the state in Cumberland County, Vineland is an agricultural area about 40 miles from Philadelphia. The city of 61,126 is described as a “culturally diverse community filled with wonderful, giving people, a friendly business environment, and a cost of living well below the state average,” according to its website. (The county’s median home value is $205,600.) Vineland was named one of the top 10 most affordable small cities in the country by the National Association of Home Builders, with a variety of housing styles available, including over-55 communities, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. Three hospitals and 248 health care organizations serve its residents.

Nearby Parvin State Park has lakes for boating and fishing, wooded trails, and places for camping, picnicking, and wildlife viewing. In addition, parks and recreational areas offer golf courses, soccer fields, and walking paths. Rowan College provides continuing-education opportunities as well as a performing-arts center. New Jersey taxes withdrawals from pre-tax accounts, but Social Security income is not taxable.

Concord, New Hampshire

Concord, New Hampshire’s capital, is located in Merrimack County, in the central part of the state. It has a lively downtown with restaurants, shops, galleries, public art, and a full schedule of events. Outdoor activities are plentiful, from the numerous hiking trails to the Contoocook River, which offers boating, fishing, kayaking, and paddleboarding.

The Capitol Center for the Arts presents concerts, theater, dance, and films as well as educational opportunities. Dedicated to Christa McAuliffe, the Concord teacher who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, and astronaut Alan Shepard, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is an air and space museum.

With a population of 44,769, Concord is a major city in Merrimack County. Residents enjoy convenient access to health care with 40 hospitals and 252 medical establishments in the county. The median home value in the county is $330,600. New Hampshire does not tax Social Security income or withdrawals from pre-tax accounts.

Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Located in the western part of the state, Pittsfield is set in the Berkshires, an area known for the arts, theater, and music, especially Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The downtown Colonial Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, First Fridays ArtsWalk, and Berkshire Athenaeum library add to a rich cultural atmosphere. Many of the city’s homes and buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Pittsfield State Forest offers hiking, mountain biking, boating, fishing, and swimming as well as skiing and other snow sports in the winter. Two lakes—Onota and Pontoosuc—are also popular for outdoor activities.

With a population of 42,771, Pittsfield is the largest city in Berkshire County. Health care is available through five hospitals and 231 medical establishments. The median home value in the county is $283,800. The state of Massachusetts does not tax Social Security income, but withdrawals from pre-tax accounts are taxable.