Retirement is a time to relax and embrace life, and Victoria is home to some of Australia’s best towns for retirees. Published by Time Out Melbourne earlier this year, new research by ShiftCare ranked the state as number one for retirement based on 22 key factors, including the accessibility and quality of aged, residential and home care; health and safety; community engagement; social opportunities and walkability.
Victoria 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 $5B in government investment in aged care and has a joint highest number of GPs (116 per 100,000 people aged 65-plus), so retirees are well and truly taken care of.
World Atlas has delved further into which towns are standouts for retirees, with Shepparton making the list due to its practicality and affordability, with housing prices around $450,000 and a well-supported healthcare system.
Leongatha, Port Fairy, Echuca, Castlemaine, Warrnambool, Yarrawonga, Torquay, and Golden Beach also made the list, providing different lifestyles and communities.
Outside of Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory ranked as second-best to grow old in Australia, boasting the shortest home care wait times (90 days) and the highest community satisfaction (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).
