Swarthmore, Pa.: A Smart Place to Retire
The Pennsylvania small town features an inclusive liberal arts college and an active retiree community.
Population: 6,401
Cost of living: 113
Median home price: $237,000
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
College perk: Residents have access to all of Swarthmore College’s libraries with a local library card.
When Linton Stables, 67, first moved to the tiny borough of Swarthmore, he was a tad wary. “I’ll be honest: I’m a city person, and this is a suburb,” says Stables, a former New York City architect who retired in 2014. But it didn’t take him long to warm up to this college town. Five years later, he’s president of the Swarthmore Senior Citizen Association and has a half-acre of land to garden. “It’s a bucolic, pretty town,” he says.
It doesn’t hurt that for all of its small-town charm, Swarthmore is a 20-minute train ride to Philadelphia, where you can take in museums, theater and every kind of cuisine. The train goes to Philly’s 30th Street Station, and from there, New York City and Washington, D.C., are less than two hours away by train (in opposite directions).
The town itself is walkable, with plenty of sidewalks and more than two dozen lushly forested trails. “You can’t live anywhere in Swarthmore that’s more than a 10-minute walk to town,” says Carrie Piccard, a local real estate agent since 2003. Add in free public transit for seniors, and “having a car just isn’t a necessity,” says mayor Marty Spiegel.
Swarthmore College, one of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges, occupies about a third of the town, and with more than 4,000 different kinds of plants stretching across 300 acres, it’s also a designated arboretum. The school has long welcomed town residents by making virtually all of its happenings—concerts, lectures, sporting events and more—open to the public.
Stables says the local retirement community—a mix of longtime residents and recent settlers—is an active one. The seniors’ association has frequent meetups and is a nexus for volunteering. Retirees can spend time helping maintain the campus’s arboretum, working for the library and tutoring at local schools. Plus, the senior association has an Aging-in-Place Committee dedicated to making sure Swarthmore’s seniors have all the resources they need, in addition to advocating for the city’s buildings and downtown to become more accessible.
Because of its small size, the housing market can be tight, but residents say the situation is improving. Housing ranges from spacious, gracious old homes for $500,000 and up to condos and town houses in the $120,000 to $220,000 range. Swarthmore’s city government recently lifted a zoning law that prevented more than a few unrelated people from living together in a family home—originally intended to prevent a dozen students from cramming into a house. “That means more of us can do the Golden Girls thing and live with our friends,” Stables says. Although the town itself lacks major medical facilities, some of the best hospitals in the world, including the four-star Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, are located a half an hour away in Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania is tax-friendly for retirees. Social Security benefits, retirement plan withdrawals and pensions are exempt from taxes.
For population figures, we used the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data. Cost-of-living data comes from the Council for Community and Economic Research (100 represents the national median). Median home prices were provided by Redfin, Zillow and local associations of Realtors.
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
-
Here's How To Get Organized And Work For Yourself
Whether you’re looking for a side gig or planning to start your own business, it has never been easier to strike out on your own. Here is our guide to navigating working for yourself.
By Laura Petrecca Published
-
How to Manage Risk With Diversification
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket" means different things to different investors. Here's how to manage your risk with portfolio diversification.
By Charles Lewis Sizemore, CFA Published
-
457 Plan Contribution Limits for 2025
Retirement plans There are higher 457 plan contribution limits for state and local government workers in 2025 than in 2024.
By Kathryn Pomroy Last updated
-
Medicare Basics: 11 Things You Need to Know
Medicare There's Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap plans, Medicare Advantage plans and so on. We sort out the confusion about signing up for Medicare — and much more.
By Catherine Siskos Last updated
-
The Seven Worst Assets to Leave Your Kids or Grandkids
inheritance Leaving these assets to your loved ones may be more trouble than it’s worth. Here's how to avoid adding to their grief after you're gone.
By David Rodeck Last updated
-
SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025
SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $69,000 in 2024 and $70,000 in 2025..
By Jackie Stewart Last updated
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025
Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
By Jackie Stewart Last updated
-
SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025
simple IRA The SIMPLE IRA contribution limit increased by $500 for 2025. Workers at small businesses can contribute up to $16,500 or $20,000 if 50 or over and $21,750 if 60-63.
By Jackie Stewart Last updated
-
457 Contribution Limits for 2024
retirement plans State and local government workers can contribute more to their 457 plans in 2024 than in 2023.
By Jackie Stewart Published
-
Roth 401(k) Contribution Limits for 2025
retirement plans The Roth 401(k) contribution limit for 2024 is increasing, and workers who are 50 and older can save even more.
By Jackie Stewart Last updated