A new GOBankingRates report ranks cities where retirees can live well for less than $2,000 per month—without sacrificing sunshine. Fort Myers, Florida and Raleigh, North Carolina were both ranked on the list. Read on to discover which destination has been named the best in terms of good weather, low cost of living and other factors.
The cost of living, healthcare and other factors are important to retirees who plan to relocate. important consideration is weather.
Recently, GOBankingRates Retirement budgets of less than $2,000 per month are possible in 25 communities that have good weather. Personal finance website evaluated U.S. cities based on factors such as population, demographics by age, weather and cost of life. The data was collected up to July 14, 2025 and then sorted in order of the city with highest overall livability.
Come out on top! Tallahassee, FloridaThe city scored 85 points out of 100. Florida’s state capital offers a good mix of affordable recreational activities, and has a cost-of-living that is almost 10% lower than the average national rate for people over 65.
Tallahassee has 11 percent of its population in retirement. A retiree who rents a house can expect to pay $995 per month in expenses. Tallahassee is home to many parks, hiking trails and exciting nightlife. It also has a vibrant arts scene.
In the summer, the city’s average temperature is in the low 90s. The winter highs are around the mid-60s. According to ClimateCheck.comThe city is at high risk of heat and precipitation.
Florida also grabbed the No. GOBankingRates ranked the state of Florida at No. Fort Myers Tallahassee comes in second. It scored 85 points on livability. And it has a much larger retiree population, at 22.2%. Fort Myers has a higher cost of living than the average for the country, but it is only 4.2 per cent. The Sunshine State offers many tax breaks for residents—most notably, no income and inheritance taxes—allowing retirees to maximize their income, while enjoying plenty of outdoor activities like golfing, fishing, and lying on the beach.
Raleigh, North Carolina rounds out the top five. The top five is rounded out by Raleigh, North Carolina at No. Las Vegas was the only West Coast city to reach the top 10. 7.
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