Best & Worst Places to Retire (2026)

A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Javascript is required to use this website.

Prefer us on Google

Best & Worst Places to Retire

Best & Worst Places to Retire

Source: WalletHub

After putting in decades of hard work, we naturally expect to have financial security in our golden years. But not all Americans can look forward to a relaxing retirement. Around 61% of workers are somewhat confident that they will have enough money to retire comfortably, but only 21% are very confident. As a result, many workers expect to delay retirement, with the median expected retirement age holding at 65, while nearly three-quarters expect to continue working in some capacity after retiring.

To help Americans plan an affordable retirement while maintaining the best quality of life, WalletHub compared the retiree-friendliness of more than 180 U.S. cities across 45 key metrics. Our data set ranges from the cost of living and tax laws to the availability of activities and the quality of health care.

If you’re considering retiring out of state, make sure to check out WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States to Retire” ranking, too.

Top 5 Cities for Retirees

Orlando, FL
Miami, FL
Tampa, FL
Scottsdale, AZ
Casper, WY

chip lupo

“It’s important to choose wisely when picking where to retire, as many retirees are on a fixed income. As a result, the best cities for retired people are those that minimize taxes and expenses, as well as have good opportunities for retirees to continue paid work for extra income, if they choose to do so. In addition, the top cities provide high-quality health care and offer plenty of enjoyable activities for retirees.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Main Findings

Source: WalletHub

Best Retirement Cities

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Affordability Rank	Activities Rank	Quality of Life Rank	Health Care Rank
1	Orlando, FL	63.38	2	17	77	11
2	Miami, FL	59.40	54	6	91	29
3	Tampa, FL	59.29	41	10	34	89
4	Scottsdale, AZ	58.87	114	18	1	35
5	Casper, WY	58.79	3	63	23	65
6	Atlanta, GA	58.73	56	4	96	52
7	Minneapolis, MN	57.92	97	8	89	20
8	Fort Lauderdale, FL	57.92	75	13	64	41
9	Charleston, SC	57.54	29	26	79	59
10	Pittsburgh, PA	56.58	112	21	57	7
11	Madison, WI	56.52	110	49	6	19
12	Las Vegas, NV	56.49	11	5	97	169
13	Cape Coral, FL	56.25	14	72	26	82
14	Wilmington, DE	56.18	71	23	153	15
15	Cincinnati, OH	56.18	107	2	101	62
16	St. Petersburg, FL	55.94	41	32	36	88
17	Tempe, AZ	55.40	114	47	14	30
18	Sioux Falls, SD	55.33	28	141	65	1
19	Denver, CO	55.24	94	11	82	70
20	Richmond, VA	55.09	53	34	127	22
21	San Francisco, CA	54.73	172	1	22	39
22	Pembroke Pines, FL	54.65	68	102	16	80
23	Austin, TX	54.56	45	29	71	114
24	Bismarck, ND	54.35	79	155	28	6
25	Columbia, MD	54.21	130	78	5	8
26	St. Louis, MO	53.92	40	20	176	28
27	Boise, ID	53.86	82	64	13	74
28	Knoxville, TN	53.42	4	77	131	119
29	Columbia, SC	53.00	17	81	81	94
30	Portland, ME	52.89	134	22	47	32
31	Hialeah, FL	52.49	54	108	27	76
32	San Diego, CA	52.48	158	12	15	44
33	Fargo, ND	52.27	43	174	110	4
34	Charleston, WV	52.09	23	67	75	144
35	Nashua, NH	51.99	89	99	86	27
36	Salt Lake City, UT	51.93	99	16	155	86
37	Jacksonville, FL	51.90	9	66	114	116
38	St. Paul, MN	51.85	102	40	63	63
39	Los Angeles, CA	51.81	160	15	19	48
40	West Valley City, UT	51.77	96	82	61	91
41	Virginia Beach, VA	51.68	57	93	48	57
42	Akron, OH	51.33	64	61	85	111
43	New Orleans, LA	51.28	111	7	173	67
44	Juneau, AK	51.20	105	51	138	18
45	Colorado Springs, CO	51.10	47	96	35	97
46	Washington, DC	51.01	143	3	78	103
47	San Antonio, TX	50.90	39	28	137	163
48	Cedar Rapids, IA	50.89	44	154	43	107
49	Chandler, AZ	50.77	114	97	4	77
50	Dallas, TX	50.56	69	39	119	130
51	Raleigh, NC	50.47	70	74	106	55
52	Chattanooga, TN	50.42	7	128	147	126
53	Henderson, NV	50.38	11	112	10	174
54	Rapid City, SD	50.34	86	116	171	5
55	Tucson, AZ	50.21	78	35	70	162
56	Tallahassee, FL	50.20	8	123	88	146
57	Des Moines, IA	50.14	18	143	84	102
58	Reno, NV	49.98	33	70	44	170
59	Glendale, CA	49.75	163	60	8	13
60	Philadelphia, PA	49.72	123	33	109	56
61	Honolulu, HI	49.61	179	9	3	66
62	Louisville, KY	49.60	92	48	76	129
63	Overland Park, KS	49.54	125	125	46	34
64	Jackson, MS	49.45	22	85	164	132
65	Manchester, NH	49.34	90	156	40	37
66	Birmingham, AL	49.29	26	38	177	131
67	Huntington Beach, CA	49.18	163	25	38	31
68	Portland, OR	49.16	137	14	117	104
69	Irvine, CA	49.10	163	41	24	17
70	Missoula, MT	49.06	132	50	163	3
71	Long Beach, CA	49.05	160	31	30	41
72	Lexington-Fayette, KY	49.03	93	145	17	45
73	Milwaukee, WI	49.01	91	44	169	49
74	Norfolk, VA	49.00	57	80	102	109
75	Plano, TX	48.98	85	120	33	78
76	Phoenix, AZ	48.95	114	45	68	113
77	Columbus, OH	48.92	100	101	41	72
78	Fort Worth, TX	48.82	63	75	56	152
79	Mobile, AL	48.77	31	90	124	155
80	Durham, NC	48.62	80	121	139	16
81	Cheyenne, WY	48.51	25	149	52	147
82	Houston, TX	48.46	35	43	167	158
83	Anchorage, AK	48.46	87	92	113	51
84	North Las Vegas, NV	48.44	11	130	67	166
85	Grand Rapids, MI	48.39	129	56	100	50
86	Huntington, WV	48.34	16	166	135	154
87	Brownsville, TX	48.30	1	178	95	167
88	Baton Rouge, LA	48.20	65	46	170	138
89	Little Rock, AR	48.11	67	129	161	61
90	Peoria, AZ	48.09	114	87	39	128
91	Grand Prairie, TX	47.98	72	151	49	123
92	Nampa, ID	47.94	82	167	25	140
93	Chesapeake, VA	47.73	57	164	42	100
94	Gilbert, AZ	47.69	114	119	20	108
95	Port St. Lucie, FL	47.68	37	161	92	106
96	Kansas City, MO	47.67	51	71	162	95
97	Chicago, IL	47.46	148	19	116	84
98	Boston, MA	47.45	181	30	32	9
99	Nashville, TN	47.45	50	57	180	93
100	Glendale, AZ	47.44	114	73	74	98
101	Garland, TX	47.39	72	127	55	143
102	Cleveland, OH	47.37	88	55	165	90
103	Garden Grove, CA	47.35	163	62	31	21
104	Albuquerque, NM	47.35	84	53	136	145
105	Sacramento, CA	47.16	151	37	29	101
106	Oklahoma City, OK	46.97	34	88	130	160
107	Irving, TX	46.89	72	133	105	85
108	Huntsville, AL	46.85	38	159	73	159
109	Oakland, CA	46.81	146	36	115	46
110	Tulsa, OK	46.72	30	103	145	148
111	Springfield, MO	46.51	52	110	160	122
112	Newport News, VA	46.50	57	144	103	142
113	Winston-Salem, NC	46.47	27	153	107	135
114	Aurora, CO	46.46	94	138	129	23
115	Fremont, CA	46.24	171	105	2	40
116	Dover, DE	46.14	66	84	182	118
117	Mesa, AZ	46.14	114	111	45	124
118	Santa Ana, CA	46.04	163	59	53	25
119	Fort Wayne, IN	46.03	61	157	87	110
120	Lewiston, ME	45.98	103	142	72	92
121	Oceanside, CA	45.94	155	68	21	69
122	Memphis, TN	45.85	5	104	179	157
123	El Paso, TX	45.84	10	139	90	172
124	Arlington, TX	45.75	62	124	98	149
125	Rochester, NY	45.72	144	42	134	58
126	Charlotte, NC	45.53	81	117	122	112
127	Omaha, NE	45.46	128	100	120	33
128	South Burlington, VT	45.42	153	113	126	2
129	Augusta, GA	45.38	24	165	66	180
130	Aurora, IL	45.37	148	83	62	47
131	Las Cruces, NM	45.16	76	148	99	165
132	Santa Clarita, CA	44.95	162	106	18	54
133	San Jose, CA	44.84	170	126	9	26
134	Corpus Christi, TX	44.63	15	109	158	175
135	Providence, RI	44.61	141	58	118	87
136	Billings, MT	44.49	108	150	123	81
137	Columbus, GA	44.43	48	169	50	177
138	Worcester, MA	44.38	140	118	112	43
139	Anaheim, CA	44.25	163	79	58	24
140	Laredo, TX	44.18	6	179	104	181
141	Buffalo, NY	44.11	133	52	146	125
142	New York, NY	44.01	182	24	37	60
143	Amarillo, TX	43.79	21	177	121	176
144	Santa Rosa, CA	43.69	174	95	11	99
145	Indianapolis, IN	43.68	101	107	172	73
146	Montgomery, AL	43.58	20	146	152	179
147	Lincoln, NE	43.53	150	122	51	36
148	Seattle, WA	43.49	177	27	60	71
149	Fayetteville, NC	43.34	31	131	157	178
150	Vancouver, WA	43.21	147	91	142	53
151	Modesto, CA	43.18	98	181	69	156
152	New Haven, CT	43.11	152	136	149	10
153	Toledo, OH	43.11	109	135	140	105
154	Burlington, VT	43.08	153	76	144	38
155	Lubbock, TX	43.08	19	158	154	164
156	Gulfport, MS	43.07	36	89	174	182
157	Yonkers, NY	42.92	178	69	59	14
158	Chula Vista, CA	42.54	158	163	12	68
159	Fort Smith, AR	42.45	49	152	143	168
160	Wichita, KS	42.39	104	137	148	139
161	Shreveport, LA	42.34	77	168	151	150
162	Baltimore, MD	42.09	130	54	175	117
163	Warwick, RI	41.98	141	115	128	79
164	Oxnard, CA	41.88	157	132	54	75
165	Greensboro, NC	41.80	46	134	178	151
166	Spokane, WA	41.02	113	147	156	121
167	Pearl City, HI	41.02	179	175	7	96
168	Jersey City, NJ	40.99	173	98	80	64
169	Ontario, CA	40.67	145	160	108	115
170	Moreno Valley, CA	40.62	136	180	94	134
171	Riverside, CA	40.13	139	114	125	133
172	Salem, OR	40.02	124	173	132	141
173	Fontana, CA	39.85	138	170	93	136
174	Detroit, MI	39.46	127	94	181	137
175	Bridgeport, CT	39.14	176	162	159	12
176	Tacoma, WA	39.02	175	65	150	83
177	Bakersfield, CA	38.70	106	172	111	173
178	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	38.48	163	171	83	120
179	Fresno, CA	38.30	122	176	141	161
180	Newark, NJ	37.89	156	86	168	127
181	San Bernardino, CA	36.83	126	140	166	171
182	Stockton, CA	35.19	135	182	133	153

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Adjusted Cost of Living

Adjusted Cost of Living

Lowest

Lowest
1. Brownsville, TX
2. Amarillo, TX
3. Des Moines, IA
4. Oklahoma City, OK
5. Knoxville, TN

Adjusted Cost of Living

Highest

Highest
T-168. Santa Rosa, CA
T-168. San Jose, CA
T-168. Pearl City, HI
T-168. Honolulu, HI
T-168. New York, NY

Annual Cost of In-Home Services

Annual Cost of In-Home Services

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Columbus, OH
T-1. Laredo, TX
T-1. Brownsville, TX
4. Huntington, WV
T-5. El Paso, TX
T-5. Winston-Salem, NC

Annual Cost of In-Home Services

Highest

Highest
T-175. Seattle, WA
T-175. Sioux Falls, SD
T-175. Rapid City, SD
T-179. Amarillo, TX
T-179. Portland, ME
181. Cheyenne, WY

% of Employed Population Aged 65 & Older

% of Employed Population Aged 65 & Older

Highest

Highest
1. Irving, TX
2. Plano, TX
3. Nashua, NH
4. Arlington, TX
5. Irvine, CA

% of Employed Population Aged 65 & Older

Lowest

Lowest
178. Port St. Lucie, FL
179. Peoria, AZ
180. Dover, DE
181. Gulfport, MS
182. Las Cruces, NM

Recreation & Senior Centers per Capita

Recreation & Senior Centers per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Honolulu, HI
T-1. Chicago, IL
T-1. Philadelphia, PA
4. Los Angeles, CA
5. Washington, DC

Recreation & Senior Centers per Capita

Fewest

Fewest
99. North Las Vegas, NV
100. Gilbert, AZ
101. Aurora, CO
102. Anchorage, AK
103. Port St. Lucie, FL

Fishing Facilities per Capita

Fishing Facilities per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Charleston, SC
T-1. St. Petersburg, FL
T-1. Fort Lauderdale, FL
T-1. Corpus Christi, TX
T-1. Juneau, AK

Fishing Facilities per Capita

Fewest

Fewest
149. Chula Vista, CA
150. Plano, TX
151. El Paso, TX
152. Washington, DC
153. Columbus, OH

Museums per Capita

Museums per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Washington, DC
T-1. San Francisco, CA
T-1. St. Louis, MO
T-1. Atlanta, GA
5. New Orleans, LA

Museums per Capita

Fewest

Fewest
174. Santa Clarita, CA
175. Port St. Lucie, FL
176. Chesapeake, VA
177. Chula Vista, CA
178. North Las Vegas, NV

% of Population Aged 65 & Older

% of Population Aged 65 & Older

Highest

Highest
1. Pearl City, HI
2. Scottsdale, AZ
3. Cape Coral, FL
4. Honolulu, HI
5. Port St. Lucie, FL

% of Population Aged 65 & Older

Lowest

Lowest
178. Laredo, TX
179. Moreno Valley, CA
180. Fontana, CA
181. West Valley City, UT
182. Irving, TX

Mild Weather' Ranking

Mild Weather' Ranking

Best

Best
1. Glendale, CA
2. Riverside, CA
3. Bakersfield, CA
4. Scottsdale, AZ
5. Henderson, NV

Mild Weather' Ranking

Worst

Worst
T-178. Providence, RI
T-178. Warwick, RI
180. Rochester, NY
181. Buffalo, NY
182. Juneau, AK

Show More

In-Depth Look at the Best Places to Retire

Orlando, FL

Orlando, FL, is the best place to retire, living up to its reputation as a haven for seniors. One big reason for this is the lack of taxes, as Orlando is one of the most tax-friendly cities, and Florida does not have an estate or inheritance tax (or even income tax). In addition, while Orlando doesn’t have a particularly low cost of living, it is the 15th-cheapest city for homemaker services and the 20th-cheapest for adult day health care out of the more than 180 cities in our study.

In addition, Orlando provides a plethora of recreational activities for retirees, ranking as the second-best city for recreation overall. It has an especially high number of music venues, fishing facilities, art galleries and adult volunteer activities.

Finally, Orlando ranks 21st when it comes to gerontologists and eighth-highest for home health care facilities per capita. It also has the fourth-best hospitals for geriatrics, allowing elderly residents to receive quality care.

Miami, FL

Miami, FL, is the second-best place to retire, in large part because it has an abundance of activities popular with retirees. For example, Miami ranks at the top of the country when it comes to adult volunteer activities, art galleries and fishing facilities per capita, and it has the 17th-most museums and 11th-most recreation and senior centers.

Tax-friendliness is another good reason to retire in Miami. As it’s located in Florida, it has no estate or inheritance taxes, no income taxes, and it ranks among the cheapest cities for taxes in general.

On top of that, Miami is the sixth-most walkable city in the country, and the vast majority of residents have access to quality public transportation within walking distance of their homes.

Tampa, FL

Tampa is the third-best place to retire, mainly because it is one of the most tax-friendly cities in the country and does not have an estate or inheritance tax. Tampa also offers retirees a greater sense of security. With the 19th-lowest property crime rate, providing a safer environment for older adults to enjoy their retirement.

Tampa also provides a welcoming environment for retirees, thanks to its abundance of recreational and social opportunities. It ranks as the fifth-best city for recreation in the nation, along with having the ninth-most bingo halls per capita. In addition, Tampa has the 11th-highest rate of adult volunteer activities, giving retirees plenty of opportunities to stay active, social and engaged in their communities.

The methodology can be found on the full version of the article on WalletHub.

Notifications
Settings

Topics

News Alerts

Breaking News