🏖️Best Places to Retire in America 2026

The Villages, FL

America's largest age-restricted community has grown past 80,000 residents with over 50 golf courses and three town squares hosting nightly free entertainment. Florida's lack of a state income tax sweetens the deal for fixed-income retirees.

Cost of Living Index: 97 idxMedian Home Price: $340,000Tax Friendliness: 9.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJR

Sarasota, FL

Siesta Key has repeatedly topped Tripadvisor's best-beach rankings, and the Ringling Museum of Art anchors a genuine cultural scene rare among Florida retirement towns. Insurance costs are climbing fast after recent hurricane seasons.

Cost of Living Index: 105 idxMedian Home Price: $430,000Tax Friendliness: 9.5/10Healthcare Quality: 8/10Climate Rating: 8.5/10

added by IJRin 2 rankings

Asheville, NC

Ringed by the Blue Ridge Mountains and home to the 250-room Biltmore Estate, Asheville pairs four mild seasons with a nationally known craft-brewery scene of 30+ breweries. The 2024 Hurricane Helene flooding was a stark reminder mountain towns aren't immune to disaster.

Cost of Living Index: 103 idxMedian Home Price: $450,000Tax Friendliness: 7/10Healthcare Quality: 8/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJRin 2 rankings

Greenville, SC

A revitalized Main Street and the 22-mile Swamp Rabbit Trail have turned this Upstate SC city into a walkable retirement magnet with costs still below the national average. Prisma Health anchors a growing regional hospital system.

Cost of Living Index: 94 idxMedian Home Price: $340,000Tax Friendliness: 7.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 7.5/10

added by IJRin 2 rankings

Chattanooga, TN

Dubbed 'Gig City' for rolling out 1-gigabit municipal fiber in 2010, Chattanooga sits on the Tennessee River with Lookout Mountain hiking nearby, and Tennessee levies zero state income tax.

Cost of Living Index: 91 idxMedian Home Price: $290,000Tax Friendliness: 9/10Healthcare Quality: 7/10Climate Rating: 7.5/10

added by IJRin 4 rankings

Knoxville, TN

As the main gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park — the most-visited national park in the US with over 12 million annual visitors — Knoxville pairs no income tax with low overall costs.

Cost of Living Index: 89 idxMedian Home Price: $300,000Tax Friendliness: 9/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 7.5/10

added by IJR

Charleston, SC

Charleston's historic district holds over 1,400 pre-Civil War buildings, and the Medical University of South Carolina gives retirees serious academic healthcare access, though flood risk and prices keep climbing.

Cost of Living Index: 108 idxMedian Home Price: $470,000Tax Friendliness: 8/10Healthcare Quality: 8/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJR

Fort Myers, FL

Still rebuilding from Hurricane Ian's 2022 landfall, Fort Myers remains a more affordable Gulf Coast option than nearby Naples or Sarasota, with warm winters and no state income tax.

Cost of Living Index: 100 idxMedian Home Price: $380,000Tax Friendliness: 9.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 8.5/10

added by IJR

Naples, FL

One of Florida's priciest retirement markets, Naples offers the NCH Healthcare System and upscale Fifth Avenue South shopping, but a median home price near $650,000 puts it out of reach for many.

Cost of Living Index: 118 idxMedian Home Price: $650,000Tax Friendliness: 9.5/10Healthcare Quality: 8.5/10Climate Rating: 8.5/10

added by IJR

San Antonio, TX

With no state income tax and a large veteran population near Joint Base San Antonio, this River Walk city keeps costs low, though summer highs regularly clear 100°F.

Cost of Living Index: 92 idxMedian Home Price: $290,000Tax Friendliness: 8.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 7.5/10

added by IJRin 2 rankings

Tucson, AZ

Home to Banner-University Medical Center, Tucson's dry desert air is often cited as easier on arthritis and respiratory conditions than humid climates, at a lower cost than nearby Phoenix suburbs.

Cost of Living Index: 96 idxMedian Home Price: $330,000Tax Friendliness: 7.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJRin 2 rankings

Winston-Salem, NC

Anchored by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, this Piedmont Triad city keeps home prices well below the national median while offering genuine four-season weather.

Cost of Living Index: 92 idxMedian Home Price: $270,000Tax Friendliness: 7/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 7/10

added by IJR

Scottsdale, AZ

With over 200 golf courses across greater Phoenix and a full Mayo Clinic Arizona campus, Scottsdale delivers premium retirement amenities at a premium price — median homes run near $780,000.

Cost of Living Index: 115 idxMedian Home Price: $780,000Tax Friendliness: 7.5/10Healthcare Quality: 8.5/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJR

Boise, ID

One of the fastest-growing mid-size cities of the past decade, Boise pairs Sawtooth Mountain access with a lower crime rate than the national average, though home prices have surged since 2020.

Cost of Living Index: 101 idxMedian Home Price: $480,000Tax Friendliness: 7/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 7/10

added by IJRin 5 rankings

Myrtle Beach, SC

The Grand Strand's 90-plus golf courses and 60 miles of beach make this one of the country's most golf-dense retirement spots, though hospital options thin out compared to bigger metros.

Cost of Living Index: 95 idxMedian Home Price: $310,000Tax Friendliness: 8/10Healthcare Quality: 6.5/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJRin 3 rankings

Ocala, FL

Known as the 'Horse Capital of the World,' Ocala's 2021-opened World Equestrian Center anchors an inland Florida retirement market that's notably cheaper than the coasts.

Cost of Living Index: 90 idxMedian Home Price: $290,000Tax Friendliness: 9.5/10Healthcare Quality: 6.5/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJR

Venice, FL

Nicknamed the 'Shark Tooth Capital of the World' for fossils that wash ashore, Venice offers a quieter, more walkable alternative to nearby Sarasota's tourist crowds.

Cost of Living Index: 103 idxMedian Home Price: $430,000Tax Friendliness: 9.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7/10Climate Rating: 8.5/10

added by IJR

Punta Gorda, FL

Rebuilt with hurricane-hardened codes after Hurricane Charley leveled downtown in 2004, Punta Gorda now offers affordable harborfront living along an extensive bike-trail network.

Cost of Living Index: 99 idxMedian Home Price: $360,000Tax Friendliness: 9.5/10Healthcare Quality: 6.5/10Climate Rating: 8.5/10

added by IJR

Wilmington, NC

A coastal city on the Cape Fear River with a historic Riverwalk and a decades-old film production industry, Wilmington blends coastal living with a growing Novant Health footprint.

Cost of Living Index: 100 idxMedian Home Price: $400,000Tax Friendliness: 7.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJR

Savannah, GA

Savannah's 22 historic squares and Savannah College of Art and Design give the city genuine cultural depth, with home prices still below the national median.

Cost of Living Index: 97 idxMedian Home Price: $340,000Tax Friendliness: 7.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7/10Climate Rating: 7.5/10

added by IJR

Georgetown, TX

Home to Sun City Texas, one of the country's largest age-restricted communities with over 13,000 homes, Georgetown has repeatedly ranked among the Census Bureau's fastest-growing US cities.

Cost of Living Index: 98 idxMedian Home Price: $420,000Tax Friendliness: 8.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7/10Climate Rating: 7.5/10

added by IJR

Lancaster, PA

Amish Country tourism sustains a historic small-city economy, backed by the region's Lancaster General Health system, though Pennsylvania winters bring real snow.

Cost of Living Index: 96 idxMedian Home Price: $310,000Tax Friendliness: 6.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 6.5/10

added by IJR

Prescott, AZ

At 5,347 feet elevation, Prescott stays noticeably cooler than Phoenix in summer while keeping a walkable, historic Whiskey Row downtown.

Cost of Living Index: 102 idxMedian Home Price: $520,000Tax Friendliness: 7.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7/10Climate Rating: 8.5/10

added by IJR

Green Valley, AZ

Built around retirement since the 1960s just south of Tucson, Green Valley offers extensive recreation centers at some of the lowest home prices on this list.

Cost of Living Index: 90 idxMedian Home Price: $280,000Tax Friendliness: 7.5/10Healthcare Quality: 6.5/10Climate Rating: 8.5/10

added by IJR

Sun City, AZ

Del Webb opened Sun City in 1960 as America's first master-planned age-restricted community, and its seven recreation centers and 27 golf courses remain a template the industry still copies.

Cost of Living Index: 92 idxMedian Home Price: $290,000Tax Friendliness: 7.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJR

St. George, UT

Just 46 miles from Zion National Park, St. George has been among the fastest-growing US metro areas from 2020-2024, drawing retirees to its red-rock scenery and mild winters.

Cost of Living Index: 97 idxMedian Home Price: $480,000Tax Friendliness: 7/10Healthcare Quality: 7/10Climate Rating: 7.5/10

added by IJR

Grand Junction, CO

Anchored by the Colorado National Monument and the Grand Valley wine region's dozens of vineyards, Grand Junction offers four distinct seasons with St. Mary's Medical Center for care.

Cost of Living Index: 98 idxMedian Home Price: $430,000Tax Friendliness: 7/10Healthcare Quality: 7/10Climate Rating: 7/10

added by IJR

Fayetteville, AR

In the fast-growing Northwest Arkansas region anchored by the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville offers Ozark trail and lake access at home prices below many national retirement hotspots.

Cost of Living Index: 90 idxMedian Home Price: $360,000Tax Friendliness: 7/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 7/10

added by IJR

Las Cruces, NM

Set in the Rio Grande valley beneath the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, Las Cruces posts some of the lowest home prices in this entire ranking.

Cost of Living Index: 89 idxMedian Home Price: $260,000Tax Friendliness: 6.5/10Healthcare Quality: 6.5/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJR

Hilton Head Island, SC

Twelve miles of beach and 24 golf courses built this into a resort-driven retirement destination, though the island itself has no full hospital, relying on nearby Bluffton and Savannah.

Cost of Living Index: 112 idxMedian Home Price: $620,000Tax Friendliness: 8/10Healthcare Quality: 6.5/10Climate Rating: 8.5/10

added by IJRin 2 rankings

Beaufort, SC

A historic Lowcountry town near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, this antebellum coastal city offers quiet charm with fewer big-city conveniences.

Cost of Living Index: 100 idxMedian Home Price: $410,000Tax Friendliness: 8/10Healthcare Quality: 6.5/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJR

Bend, OR

With three ski areas within an hour and more than 30 craft breweries, Bend is an outdoor-lifestyle magnet, but Oregon's income tax runs as high as 9.9% and wildfire smoke haunts summers.

Cost of Living Index: 118 idxMedian Home Price: $650,000Tax Friendliness: 6/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 7.5/10

added by IJR

Santa Fe, NM

As the highest-elevation state capital in the US at 7,199 feet, Santa Fe pairs the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and adobe architecture with genuinely cold, snowy winters.

Cost of Living Index: 106 idxMedian Home Price: $560,000Tax Friendliness: 6.5/10Healthcare Quality: 6.5/10Climate Rating: 7.5/10

added by IJR

Palm Springs, CA

Over 100 golf courses fill the Coachella Valley around Palm Springs' iconic midcentury-modern architecture, but California's top income tax bracket hits 13.3% and summer highs top 110°F.

Cost of Living Index: 112 idxMedian Home Price: $600,000Tax Friendliness: 4.5/10Healthcare Quality: 7.5/10Climate Rating: 8/10

added by IJR