Washington was ranked No. 7 on North Carolina’s list of best places to retire.

SmartAsset, a financial technology company out of New York, compiled the list. Cities are ranked based on the following criteria: tax friendliness, recreational and social opportunities for seniors and medical care availability, according to Steve Sabato, spokesperson for SmartAsset.

Researchers calculated the tax rate by looking at sales and income taxes and assessed the rate based on a $35,000 annual income, accommodating for spending disposable income on taxable goods — a situation considered typical for a retiree, according to the website.

Washington’s data included a 12.7-percent tax rate, 3.3 doctor’s offices per 1,000 people, 0.7 recreation centers per 1,000 people and 0.3 retirement centers per 1,000 people. The city was given an index score of 71.95 out of a possible 100.

Sabato said Washington moved up three spots from 10^th place in last year’s study. This is only the second year for the study.

The top-10 ranked cities in the state include: Shelby at No. 10, Brevard at No. 9, Smithfield at No. 8, Washington at No. 7, Ahoskie at No. 6, Marion at No. 5, Pinehurst at No. 4, Whiteville at No. 3, Morehead City at No. 2 and Hendersonville at No. 1.

For more information about the results or other retirement questions, visit smartasset.com/retirement.