Top U.S. Retirement Destinations: How We Ranked the Best Places for Your Ideal Lifestyle

Our Destination: Retirement 2025 series highlights the top U.S. counties chosen through a detailed ranking process focusing on what retirees value most: cost of living, travel convenience, healthcare access, and entertainment options. These rankings are based on the latest publicly available data from trusted sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

To compile the definitive list of 50 ideal retirement cities, editors from Investopedia and Travel + Leisure collaborated to identify standout locations within key counties across five major U.S. regions: Northeast, Southeast, West, Southwest, and Midwest. Our aim was to find cities that strike the perfect balance between financial feasibility and enriching lifestyle amenities that retirees seek.

Data Collection and Evaluation Process

Our research team gathered extensive statistics, which were then refined by Investopedia editors to select cities representing diverse states and population sizes. Each location was scored rigorously against specific criteria before Travel + Leisure editors applied expert insights on travel and lifestyle to finalize the list.

Note on Retirement Preferences

While our methodology covers critical factors, we recognize that retirement priorities vary widely. This guide serves as a well-rounded starting point based on broad retiree interests.

Key Factors Considered

Cost of Living

• We prioritized average monthly expenses at the county level, including median housing costs (from the 2023 U.S. Census 5-year estimates), and monthly food, taxes, and transportation expenses (sourced from EPI’s 2024 Family Budget Calculator for two adults).
• All financial data was current as of February 2025 to ensure relevance.

Travel Accessibility

Proximity to major airports was measured by the distance from each county center to the nearest FAA-designated large or medium hub airport, based on 2023 commercial data, to gauge ease of travel for retirees.

Healthcare Access

We evaluated the availability of hospitals and outpatient health facilities per capita using county-level data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Q1 2024), ensuring retirees have convenient access to medical services.

Entertainment and Cultural Opportunities

Our rankings also incorporated the density of arts, entertainment, and recreational venues—including museums and sports facilities—per resident, sourced from the BLS, to reflect vibrant community life.

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