Top places to retire in Louisiana

A happy, healthy retirement depends a lot on location. To find the best places to retire, SmartAsset.com gathered data on three separate regional factors that affect the quality of life for retirees.

First, it looked at state and local tax rates, considering two types of taxes: income and sales. It calculated effective rates based on a typical retiree, earning $35,000 annually (from retirement savings, social security or part-time employment), and spending their disposable income on taxable goods. Next, it determined the number of doctors’ offices, recreation centers and retirement centers per thousand residents in each area. Finally, it found the number of seniors in each area as a percentage of the total population.

In the final analysis, it ranked each parish and city on these three factors, and calculated an average ranking for each area, weighting the three factors equally. The areas with the lowest average ranking are the best places to retire.

1. Covington - 12.9 percent tax, 15.0 Doctors' Offices per 1,000 People, 0.2 Recreation Centers per 1,000 People, 2.7 Retirement Centers per 1,000 people, 15.3 percent of seniors, 68.79 Best Place to Retire Index

2. Mandeville - 13.1 percent tax, 8.5 Doctors' Offices per 1,000 People, 0.3 Recreation Centers per 1,000 People, 1.9 Retirement Centers per 1,000 people, 15.0 percent of seniors, 67.60 Best Place to Retire Index

3. Thibodaux - 12.4 percent tax, 4.3 Doctors' Offices per 1,000 People, 0.1 Recreation Centers per 1,000 People, 1.0 Retirement Centers per 1,000 people, 13.2 percent of seniors, 65.00 Best Place to Retire Index

4. West Monroe - 13.7 percent tax, 6.1 Doctors' Offices per 1,000 People, 0.2 Recreation Centers per 1,000 People, 1.0 Retirement Centers per 1,000 people, 15.5 percent of seniors, 62.27 Best Place to Retire Index

5. Gonzales - 12.7 percent tax, 3.6 Doctors' Offices per 1,000 People, 0.2 Recreation Centers per 1,000 People, 1.3 Retirement Centers per 1,000 people, 12.2 percent of seniors, 61.36 Best Place to Retire Index

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