Blaine noted among best places in Washington to retire

A new study ranks Blaine among the best places to retire in Washington state.

Blaine is the ninth best place in Washington state to retire, according to research by SmartAsset, a financial technology company that provides personal finance advice online.

The Washington towns and cities that ranked above Blaine were Gig Harbor, Sequim, Snohomish, Olympia, Clarkston, Woodinville, Lynnwood and Port Orchard.

Rounding out the top ten was Port Townsend, which was ranked last on the list.

To come up with its rankings, SmartAsset gathered data on three separate regional factors that affect the quality of life for retirees.

First, they looked at state and local tax rates, considering two types of taxes: income and sales. They 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.

Blaine’s effective tax rate, according to the study, is 16.1 percent.

Next, SmartAsset determined the number of doctors’ offices, recreation centers and retirement centers per thousand residents in each area. According to the study, Blaine has 1.6 doctors’ offices, 1.4 recreation centers and 0.6 retirement centers per 1,000 people.

Finally, they found the number of seniors in each area as a percentage of the total population. According to the study, 24.2 percent of Blaine’s population are seniors.

In the final analysis, SmartAsset ranked each county and city on these three factors. They calculated an average ranking for each area, weighting the three factors equally. The areas with the lowest average ranking were named the best places to retire. To view the study, go to smartasset.com/retirement/retirement-calculator#washington.