Is Dorset The Best Place To Retire In England & Wales?

Christchurch Priory

Dorset came top of a list of the best places in England and Wales to retire, in a 2014 report scoring highly for quality of life factors such as good health, property ownership and marriage.

The Independent article outlining the details suggested that in an analysis done using Office of National Statistics data, the insurance company Prudential ranked local authorities in England and Wales from best to worst as places for retirement.

The county of Dorset scored the highest; with 46 points out of a possible 50.

Dorset’s historic town of Christchurch has also been dubbed the retirement capital of England as it has the highest percentage of retirees at 29.7% of its population.

As well as factors such as marriage and good health in retirement the “propensity to travel among pensioners" was also considered a factor – shown by the percentage of pensioners who hold a passport in each area.

Another crucial factor considered by Prudential was the percentage of people in each area who can provide unpaid care such as the relatives of pensioners.

Vince Smith-Hughes, a retirement expert at Prudential, said: “Our analysis clearly shows that the quality of life experienced by retirees varies significantly across the country. However, it is not always possible for people to up sticks and move to a location they consider to be more desirable, when the time comes to give up work. Family ties and the cost of moving home often dictate where people find themselves living as pensioners.”

Fit to Retire Ltd is the local lifestyle management specialist, with roots in Christchurch.

Having moved to Christchurch just before the pandemic, Sean Fane, the Managing Director, has fallen in love with the area.

"I have never been so appreciative of the outdoor lifestyle as I have been since moving to Christchurch".

"Dorset has an embarrassment of riches in terms of its geographical beauty...with Hengistbury Head to the South, along with great local beaches and the New Forest to the North/East and towns such as Christchurch and Poole, as well as the beautiful Isle of Purbeck to the West, we are surrounded by amazing scenery for walking, cycling swimming and sight-seeing".

Not only is Dorset beautiful, and well kept, but it also has fantastic links to London by train and motorway, so is only a short journey away from the hustle and bustle of city life, if one feels the need to inject a bit of a faster pace.

Eight years on from the report by Prudential, it seems that Dorset could still be the perfect place to retire.

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Executive Advisor, Poole

Fit to Retire Ltd is an executive advisory business based in Poole, Dorset.

We provide business strategy advice to IT business owners, and we introduce our clients to qualified financial advisers for advice on savings, investments, inheritance tax planning and protection (including insurance products).

Contact us by telephone on 01202 070071.

Contact us by email at clientcare@fittoretire.co.uk 

Fit to Retire Ltd is located at: FOUNDRY, The Dolphin Centre, Poole BH15 1SZ

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Whilst this article provides some information related to personal finances, it should not be construed as personal financial advice. For personal investment advice please contact Fane Financial Services.

It is important to remember that investments can go up as well as down in value, and any investment you make should be assessed for its risk profile and its appropriateness for your circumstances.