Data sources
RetireScorecard is built using free public datasets from federal and other official government sources. The site is intended to rely on government databases rather than proprietary, paid, or subscription-only sources, with different official datasets used for different score categories.
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey
Used for affordability, demographics, and retiree-fit context.
BEA Regional Price Parities
Used for affordability and cost normalization.
NOAA Climate Normals
Used for climate comfort and long-run weather patterns.
FEMA National Risk Index
Used for disaster-risk and resilience signals.
EPA AirData
Used for air-quality summary measures.
SSA county data
Used for retiree presence and benefits context.
CMS provider data
Used for healthcare-access signals.
HRSA shortage-area data
Used for healthcare shortage pressure.
How official sources shape the editorial guidance
RetireScorecard’s editorial pages are written around practical retirement questions, but the underlying factors are grounded in public-source concepts: EPA/AirNow air-quality categories, FEMA risk and resilience data, CDC heat-risk guidance for older adults, public healthcare-access data, and Census-style housing and population signals. We use those sources to frame tradeoffs rather than to claim that any single score can choose a retirement location for you.
The site also reflects common real-world retirement concerns that do not always show up cleanly in datasets: distance from family, specialist availability, property insurance, summer humidity, wildfire smoke, airport access, off-season livability and whether a place feels too isolated once the novelty wears off.