You are not alone in your daydreaming about where to retire in America. If you’re like most people, career demands dictate where you plant your roots for most of your life—then, once retirement rolls around Now you can choose your next address without worrying about daily commutes or corporate requirements. It’s now time to select your new address. But where do you begin?
You’re faced with the decision of whether you prefer to live in a world of sunshine all year round or one that is dominated by snowy winters. Small-town charm Big city amenities or stay close to family? Keep close to family or retire abroad? And beyond lifestyle preferences, there’s a slew of practical considerations that play a major role in narrowing down your options—think healthcare, cost of living, and taxes.
WalletHub released its annual balance sheet to help consumers find the best possible balance. Best & Worst Places to Retire list—a ranking of 182 cities across the US (including the 150 most populated US cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state) based on affordability, activities, quality of life, and healthcare.
Each of these four metrics considers several factors. “Affordability” looks at adjusted cost of living and taxpayer-friendliness (among others); “activities” looks at museums, theaters, book clubs, and art galleries per capita; “quality of life” looks at weather and strength of elder abuse protections; and “healthcare” looks at quality of public hospitals and life expectancy.
Unsurprisingly, Florida It continues to show itself as a retirement hot spot by occupying five slots on the top 15. This is exactly what it did last year. The Sunshine State’s consistent presence at the top of the ranking is understandable, given its favorable tax policies and wealth of recreational activities—not to mention that year-round sunny weather.
Florida is a strong contender, but the list covers a wide range of demographics and geography. If you were wondering, WalletHub ranked San Bernardino in California as the “worst city” for retirees. It was followed by three other cities. California Stockton Rancho Cucamonga Bakersfield
Read on for the 15 best places to retire in the US, according to this year’s WalletHub study—with supporting data we’ve pulled from the US Census Bureau, Zillow, city governments, and the demographic data firm Best Places. You can use it to decide where to park your vintage convertible in your golden years. (Hey, you deserve it.)
The information in this gallery has been updated since it was first published.
