Henderson ranked fifth-best county for retirement in state

Henderson County has been ranked by a financial technology company as one of the top 10 counties in Kentucky to retire.

SmartAsset ranked Henderson County No. 5 among the best places to retire among Kentucky’s 120 counties, using a statistical analysis.

SmartAsset said it gathered data on three separate regional factors that affect the quality of life for retirees, including tax-friendliness, medical care and social opportunities.

First, it said it looked at state and local tax rates, considering two types of taxes: income and sales. It calculated effective rates based on a retiree earning $35,000 annually from retirement savings, Social Security and part-time employment.

It subtracted income taxes paid from the gross income to determine disposable income. Sales taxes paid were calculated based on the disposable income being spent on taxable goods.

Next, it determined the number of doctors’ offices, recreation centers and retirement centers per thousand residents in each location.

Finally, it measured the number of seniors in each county as a percentage of the total population.

SmartAsset ranked each location on these three factors. It calculated an average ranking for each area and weighted the three factors equally. The areas with the highest average ranking were determined to be the best places to retire.

The study relied largely on 2022 Census Bureau data.

The top 10 counties in Kentucky for retirees according to SmartAsset are: