When the nine-to-five grind gets a bit much, there’s no shame in fantasising about a future where the only deadlines involve happy hour. Maybe it’s sipping cocktails by the waterfront in the Whitsundays, toasting to wine’o’clock in the Barossa Valley, or clinking Champagne glasses in a cosy Tassie pub – everyone’s idea of the perfect retirement looks a little different. But when dreaming about how to spend your golden years, it’s important to make sure your future home is as practical as it is picturesque.
Australia is home to many magnificent places to retire, but not all are equal when it comes to the availability and quality of healthcare for senior citizens. New research from care organisation software ShiftCare has ranked the best and worst states for retirees across the country, analysing 22 key factors, including the accessibility and quality of aged, residential and home care, health and safety, community engagement, social opportunities and walkability.
After crunching the numbers, Victoria emerged as the retirement capital of Australia (lol, what a claim!). It boasted the highest number of residential aged care home providers (294), plus the second-most residential aged care homes (768) and home care providers (223). On top of that, Victoria benefits from a whopping $5 billion in government investment in aged care and has the joint highest number of GPs (116 per 100,000 people aged 65-plus), so retirees are well and truly taken care of. Add in Australia’s lowest crime rate, excellent walkability and a thriving network of social clubs – Victoria really has it all for the oldies.
The Australian Capital Territory ranks as the second-best state to grow old in Australia, boasting the shortest home care wait times (90 days) and the highest community satisfaction rating (4/5). Along with New South Wales, which ranks third overall, the ACT also has the highest number of senior social clubs per capita (0.44 per 100,000 people aged 65-plus) – bring on the pension parties!
While the Northern Territory is a dreamy destination for a golden getaway, it’s not quite the best spot to settle down for good. Unfortunately, the NT ranks as the worst place for retirees in Australia, lagging behind the country with the lowest government funding per provider for home care services ($590,975 compared to Queensland’s $25,355,050), the fewest residential providers (4), the second shortest supply of home care providers (30), and the smallest ratio of GPs (82 per 100,000 people aged 65-plus). So, it’s probably best to save those Outback adventures for your younger years and look elsewhere for retirement.
You can deep dive into the data here or check out the full rankings below.
These are the best and worst places to retire in Australia:
- Victoria
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Western Australia
- Tasmania
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Northern Territory
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