Best American Cities to Live the Good Life in Retirement

This list of retiree-friendly cities has something for everyone on every budget.

Author:
Samanda Dorger
Publish date:
Sep 20, 2022 8:00 AM EDT

This list of retiree-friendly cities has something for everyone on every budget.

You did it. You worked, you saved, you invested. Maybe you raised a family, put kids through college, and paid off your mortgage. Now you’re ready to retire from working full time.

Maybe you want to enjoy all the things you didn’t always have time for -- more travel, more recreation, more reading, more volunteer work -- whatever it is you’ve been itching to do.

Do you want sunny weather and beaches, outdoor dining, fishing, golfing, tennis, boating, horseback riding? Are you seeking nature, wide-open skies, hiking, biking, or kayaking, or do you prefer the excitement of a bustling city with a good airport nearby? Maybe you want to join a book club, go to the opera, theater, museums, antique shopping, or just walk to the farmers market in the morning. You want good healthcare, good quality of life and a place that will fit your budget and your lifestyle.

To compile this list of retiree-friendly cities, personal finance site WalletHub used a variety of data sources to compare 182 U.S. cities — including the 150 most populated, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across four key dimensions:

• Affordability, which includes cost of living, taxes, cost of in-home services and adult day health care

• Activities, which includes recreation centers, fishing, golf, museums, theaters, art galleries, book clubs, music venues, and volunteer activities

• Quality of life includes the share of population over 65, elderly friendly labor market, poverty figures, walk score, transportation for seniors, mild weather, crime and air and water quality

• Health care includes vaccination stats, number of health care facilities, doctors, dentists, nurses and physical therapists, elder suicide rate, life expectancy and quality of the public hospital system.

Each metric was scored and city scores were then averaged, resulting in the ranking.

So whether you’re done with shoveling snow and seek a mild climate, or you enjoy the winter white, four seasons, and cozy holiday season, this list has the cities where you can live your retirement good life.

1. Charleston, S.C.

Affordability rank: 21
Activities rank: 15
Quality of life rank: 75
Health care rank: 48

The coastal South Carolina city is often high on the lists of best places to retire. TopRetirements.com describes it as a charming old city with central squares, parks and many new developments springing up for retirees. Charleston has a strong economy thanks to tourism and its nearby military bases. It is also becoming a prime location for technology jobs and corporations. The area enjoys mild winters and there are museums and festivals, seven hospitals and an international airport.

If you like fishing, Charleston has the most fishing facilities per capita, according to WalletHub.

The rankings are based on 182 cities.

2. Orlando

Affordability rank: 24
Activities rank: 16
Quality of life rank: 77
Health care rank: 53

While retirees might be wary of Florida's frequent hurricanes, Orlando's inland location means it takes less of a hit. DisneyWorld has only closed six times for hurricanes in the last couple of decades, sometimes only for part of a day.

3. Cincinnati

Affordability rank: 98
Activities rank: 3
Quality of life rank: 66
Health care rank: 49

Cincinnati may be the overlooked great city of the Midwest. It's got major sports teams, museums, breweries, wineries, performing arts, recreation opportunities, great restaurants and an international airport, all in a relatively affordable city.

4. Miami

Affordability rank: 78
Activities rank: 7
Quality of life rank: 94
Health care rank: 25

It's hard to beat the weather and cosmopolitan lifestyle of Miami. It has lots of over-55 communities, sunny beaches and a big airport.

5. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Affordability rank: 87
Activities rank: 12
Quality of life rank: 52
Health care rank: 31

Fort Lauderdale is another of the top fishing spots, according to WalletHub.

6. San Francisco

Affordability rank: 160
Activities rank: 2
Quality of life rank: 22
Health care rank: 18

If you can afford it, you'll never get bored in San Francisco, which has ample recreation opportunities, great restaurants, and is among the cities on WalletHub's list with the most museums.

7. Scottsdale, Ariz,

Affordability rank: 66
Activities rank: 28
Quality of life rank: 4
Health care rank: 71

Of all the cities, Scottsdale has the second highest percentage of people aged 65 and over, behind Pearl City, Hawaii. It also ranks fourth for mild weather.