West Coast snubbed in new study of best places to retire in the US

West coast — not best coast.

Pricey, high-tax California was shut out of the running in a new report that selected the 50 best towns in the country for retirement-age Americans.

According to the number crunchers at MoneyLion, not one municipality with a population between 1,000 and 10,000 in the Golden State deserved consideration — with most of the slots snapped up by cheaper East Coast spots.

The list of criteria in order to qualify, which very few places west of the Rockies could meet, included the average home value, cost of living, property and violent crime rates and more.

All added up, the towns were assigned a livability index score — and those with a score of 80 or higher were sent on to the final round.

For the sweetest, easiest retirement, the financial publication tapped Camp Hill, Pa., for the top of the list.

Located just across the Susquehanna River from the historic state capital of Harrisburg, recently named a “city on the rise” in a new study, the laidback suburb has a population just over 8,000, an average home price of $337,890, and an annual cost of living of about $43,794.

The Keystone State wound up dominating the list, with two other cities — Jenkintown, in suburban Philadelphia, and Aspinwall, outside of Pittsburgh — also in the top 10.

A total of 15 Pennsylvania cities made the top 50. More than 20 of the 50 small towns on the list were on the East Coast, overall, while many others were in the Midwest.

Way out West, your best picks, according to the list, are in Washington and Oregon.

College Place, Wash., just outside of Walla Walla in wine country, ranked ninth on the list, with an average home value of $410,675 and annual cost of living of $38,068.

And little Steilacoom, Wash., near Tacoma, came in at number 20. The town of just 6,700 has an annual cost of living of $47,767.

Prosser, Wash., near the Tri-Cities, also made the list, as well as Philomath, Ore., near Corvallis, and King City, a small town in upscale Washington County, Ore. outside Portland.

The most affordable towns on the list were Davison, Mich. with an annual cost of living of $35,245, and Decorah, Iowa, which has an annual cost of living at $35,467.

Retirees who remain keen on California may want to consider settling in Mendocino County — the mostly rural NorCal region recently named one of the best places in the Western US to retire in another recent report released by The Motley Fool.

The financial research publication particularly liked the county for its “quiet, scenic coastal lifestyle with small towns, redwood forests, and rugged Pacific Ocean views.”

Down south, a separate study from July named Orange County’s Laguna Woods as the best place in California to retire. The senior-friendly city is home to one of the region’s largest age-restricted communities.

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