When the corporate grind begins to take its toll, there’s no shame in fantasising about a future where the only deadlines involve happy hour. Maybe it’s sipping cocktails by the pool at Wategos, toasting to wine’o’clock in the Hunter Valley, or clinking Champagne glasses in a cosy country 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, NSW ranked third on the list.
As Australia’s most populous state, it’s no surprise that NSW is home to more people aged 65 and over than any other state, with 1,459,299 people aged 65 and above calling NSW home. According to the data, the quality of life score for older people living in NSW is 89.95 – based on a number of factors including health care, walkability, aged care offerings and community. To make life lovely for our residents, NSW is home to 2.05 home care providers per capita and 1.99 residential aged care providers per capita – a total of 882 homes, from 290 providers across the state. NSW is also home to 648 social clubs (considerably more than all other states), and with a whopping $5 billion in government investment in aged care (the highest in the country) and the joint highest number of GPs (116 per 100,000 people aged 65-plus), retirees here are well and truly taken care of.
As the retirement capital of Australia (lol, what a claim!), Victoria scored higher than NSW overall. It boasts the highest number of residential aged care home providers (294), and although it benefits from $4 billion in government investment in aged care (slightly less than NSW), it ties with NSW on the number of GPs per aged person. Add in Australia’s lowest crime rate, excellent walkability and a thriving network of social clubs – Victoria really has it all for the oldies.
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 places to retire in Australia:
- Victoria
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Western Australia
- Tasmania
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Northern Territory