The best places to retire are the ones your budget, your health, and your people can support for the next 20 or 30 years. For 2026, U.S. News & World Report ranks Midland, Michigan, first. WalletHub’s 2026 study puts Orlando, Florida, at the top. Midland also made Forbes’ 2026 list of 25 picks.
Rankings are a good way to build a shortlist. Before you pack a box, price each finalist in your own plan. This guide covers where the major lists agree, where retirees are moving, how to decide, and how to test a move first.
Where Are the Best Places to Retire in 2026?
No single city tops every 2026 list. U.S. News ranks Midland, Michigan, No. 1, followed by Weirton, West Virginia, and Homosassa Springs, Florida. WalletHub puts Orlando first, with Miami and Tampa next. Forbes names 25 top places to retire without ranking them, and Midland is one of them.
Each list weighs different things, so each one crowns a different winner. Here’s how the three biggest rankings compare.
| Ranking | Released | Places compared | No. 1 pick | What it weighs most |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. News & World Report, Best Places to Retire 2026 | Nov. 4, 2025 | 850+ cities (top 250 published) | Midland, Mich. | Quality of life, plus affordability, health care, retiree taxes, jobs, and where people 55+ are moving |
| WalletHub, Best & Worst Places to Retire 2026 | Aug. 31, 2026 | 182 cities, 45 measures | Orlando, Fla. | Affordability, activities, quality of life, and health care |
| Forbes, Best Places to Retire 2026 | May 8, 2026 | Nearly 1,000 places | Unranked list of 25 (includes Midland, Mich.) | Home prices, income taxes, doctor supply, and walkability, with the highest disaster-risk areas screened out |
Source: U.S. News & World Report; WalletHub; Forbes. Checked October 2026.
Why the rankings disagree
Each list measures something different. U.S. News weights quality of life most. WalletHub leans on low taxes and expenses, plus things to do.
The 2026 Global Retirement Index shows how far apart the yardsticks can get. It scores how well 44 countries support their own retirees, and Norway ranks first. Greece, a top pick on many retire-abroad lists, ranks 36th. Before you trust a list’s No. 1, check what it measured.
Where Retirees Are Moving, by the Numbers
About 2.1 million Americans 65 and older moved in 2025, and close to 1 in 5 crossed a state line, according to HireAHelper’s 2026 retirement study. Florida drew the most older arrivals, about 45,700. Nearly 44,900 left, also the most of any state.
South Carolina posted the biggest net gain, with 5,427 more people 65 and older moving in than moving out. Texas came second at 5,156. Las Vegas was the top city, with 7,854 arrivals 65 and older, and Tucson came next at 7,627.
Rising housing and insurance costs explain a lot of the shift, AARP reports. Some who leave Florida settle partway back north, in the Carolinas, where winters stay mild and costs run lower. University of Florida researchers call them halfbacks.
How to Decide Where to Retire
Start with why you want to move. Then price housing, state taxes, and health care for each place on your shortlist. Spend a season there before you buy. Run every option through your plan to see how long your money lasts.
Where you live shapes what you spend, what your home equity buys, and what you owe in taxes. These eight questions help you turn a long list of places into a short one.
1. Name your reason for moving
A ranking scores places for a typical retiree. Your shortlist starts with how you want to spend your days. Ask yourself:
- What isn’t working where you live now?
- What will you do most days? Golf, grandkids, part-time work, volunteering, or something new?
- Which of those activities depend on place? Skiing, sailing, and big-city theater all do.
- Is this a place to live or a place to visit? A great vacation spot can be a hard place to live year-round.
- Who do you want to be in this next chapter, and will this place help you get there?
2. Decide how close to stay to family and friends
For many people, distance from family settles the whole question. Living nearby can mean more time with grandchildren and help when you need it. It can also tie you to a costly area.
Friends matter as much. A new town means building a social life from scratch. Before you commit, look for clubs, volunteer groups, faith communities, or classes where you’d meet people.
3. Price housing first
Housing can make or break a relocation budget. Compare what you’d net from selling against what the next home costs to buy or rent. Then add the yearly costs that come with it: property tax, insurance, HOA fees, and upkeep.
A pricey area can still work. Some retirees choose a smaller home, a manufactured-home community, a tiny house, or a housemate. If you’re weighing a 55+ or continuing care community, ask for the full fee schedule. Many charge an entrance fee as well as monthly fees.
4. Check the state tax picture
Taxes vary a lot from state to state. A state with no income tax can still charge high property or sales taxes. Some states tax Social Security or pension income, and others leave it alone.
Compare the total tax bill in each place: income, property, and sales tax together. Our guide to the best states to retire for taxes breaks it down state by state.
5. Map your health care access
Out-of-pocket health costs take almost 30% of the typical retiree’s Social Security benefit, according to a February 2026 brief from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. That’s with Medicare, and it leaves out long-term care.
Before you move, check that the specialists you need are nearby. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, it’s tied to a service area, so you’ll need a new plan in a new region. You can compare plans by ZIP code with Medicare’s Plan Finder. Our guide to health care costs in retirement shows how to budget for them.
6. Think about how you’ll get around
Picture yourself at 85. Can you reach a grocery store, a pharmacy, and your doctor without driving? Walkable neighborhoods, public transit, and a nearby airport count for more as the years go on.
7. Weigh climate and disaster risk
Some people want year-round sun. Others want four seasons. Look past the forecast to the risks: hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. They shape your safety, your insurance bill, and what your home will sell for.
FEMA’s National Risk Index lets you check the hazards in any county. See how to protect your retirement from climate disasters.
8. Rent for a season before you buy
Spend a few months in a place before you commit, and try its toughest season. You’ll learn the traffic, the summer heat or the winter dark, and how long it takes to see a doctor. Some retirees rent out their current home to cover a six-month trial.
What Does Moving in Retirement Cost?
A move has three price tags: selling your home, buying or renting the next one, and the move itself. Then the new place brings its own running costs. These are the ones people miss most, according to AARP:
- Health plans. Medicare Advantage networks are regional, so your copays and drug tiers can change.
- Insurance. Home and auto premiums swing a lot from one ZIP code to the next. Planners told AARP that clients moving to storm-prone coasts can pay two to four times more for home insurance.
- Utilities. Electricity cost 31.8 cents per kilowatt-hour in California and 11.9 cents in Idaho, per U.S. Energy Information Administration data cited by AARP.
- Upkeep. Local rates for repairs and yard work vary, and you may hire out more of it as you age.
- Community fees. Continuing care retirement communities can charge large entrance fees on top of monthly costs.
Build a cushion into your first-year budget. One planner AARP spoke with suggests adding 10% for surprises.
Should You Stay Put Instead?
Most people stay. In a 2026 Pew Research Center report, 93% of adults 65 and older live in their own home. If they couldn’t live alone anymore, 60% of those living at home would want to stay there with a caregiver.
Staying keeps your friends, your doctors, and your routines. It skips the cost and stress of a move, and the job of sorting a lifetime of stuff (here’s why decluttering helps either way). It can cost more if your home or your state’s taxes don’t fit your retirement income. Run both paths in the same plan and compare. If you’re leaning toward a move, here’s what research says about the benefits of moving.
Best Places to Retire for Taxes, Budget, and Health Care
Some readers have one deciding factor. Start there.
Best states to retire
State rankings answer a different question than city lists. Our guide to the best states to retire compares the major state rankings side by side.
Best states for retirement taxes
If taxes drive your decision, see the most tax-friendly states for retirees. It covers income, Social Security, property, and sales taxes.
Cheapest places to retire
If cost comes first, start with our list of the cheapest places to retire.
Best places to retire for health care
The Commonwealth Fund’s 2025 Scorecard on State Health System Performance ranks Massachusetts, Hawaii, and New Hampshire highest overall. Check the measures for adults 65 and older, too. Massachusetts ranks near the bottom on several of them.
Best places to retire abroad
About 733,000 Social Security beneficiaries lived outside the U.S. at the end of 2025, according to the Social Security Administration. For destinations, costs, and visas, see our guide to the best places to retire in the world. To plan the move itself, see how to retire overseas, from residency rules to taxes.
Where Should I Retire? Quizzes and Tools to Narrow Your List
Quizzes help you name what you want. Cost-of-living tools show what it costs. Take our where should I retire quiz to sort your priorities. Then compare finalists side by side with Sperling’s BestPlaces.
Test a Move in Your Plan Before You Make It
Your plan knows things no ranking does: your savings, your Social Security, and what your house will sell for. That makes it the best place to test a move.
- Add each finalist to the Boldin Planner as its own scenario.
- Enter the relocation. The Planner applies the new state’s income tax for you.
- Update your home value, property tax, insurance, and recurring expenses for the new place.
- If you use the Planner’s medical cost estimate, it adjusts your costs after 65 by location.
- Compare each scenario with staying put.
The gap shows what a move buys you, in dollars and in how long your money lasts. Compare a move in your plan.
Wherever you land, the best place to retire is one you can afford, enjoy, and stay in as your needs change. A shortlist and a few honest scenarios get you most of the way there.
Best Places to Retire: FAQ
What is the best place to retire in the U.S.?
For 2026, U.S. News & World Report ranks Midland, Michigan, as the best place to retire, citing its affordability and low retiree taxes. WalletHub's 2026 study ranks Orlando, Florida, first. The two lists weigh different factors, so use them to build a shortlist and test your top choices against your own budget.
Where are most retirees moving?
South Carolina gained more residents 65 and older than any other state in 2025, and Texas came second, according to HireAHelper's 2026 study. Florida drew the most older movers, about 45,700, but nearly as many left. Las Vegas and Tucson were the top city destinations for people 65 and older.
How do I decide where to retire?
Start with why you want to move and how close you want to be to family. Price housing, state taxes, and health care in each place on your list. Rent for a season before you buy. Then compare each option with staying put in a retirement plan to see how long your money lasts.
What are the most tax-friendly states for retirees?
Nine states have no broad income tax on wages or retirement income: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Property and sales taxes can offset that advantage. Compare the full tax bill, including what you'd pay on your home, before you choose a state for tax reasons.
What is the cheapest place to retire in the U.S.?
Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee are among the most affordable states, based on the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center's cost-of-living index. All three also gained more residents 65 and older than they lost in 2025. Housing drives most of the gap, so compare home prices and property taxes in the specific towns you're considering.
What hidden costs come with moving in retirement?
Health plans, insurance, utilities, upkeep, and community fees often change after a move. Medicare Advantage plans are regional, so you may need a new plan with different copays. Home insurance on storm-prone coasts can cost two to four times more. Planners suggest adding a 10% cushion to your first-year budget for surprises.
Should I rent before I move in retirement?
Renting first is a smart test for most people. A few months in a new place, including its hardest season, shows you the traffic, the weather, and how long it takes to see a doctor. If the fit is wrong, you can leave without paying to sell a home you just bought.
Is it better to retire near family or somewhere cheaper?
It depends on what you'd trade. Living near family can mean help with care, more time with grandchildren, and fewer travel costs, often in a pricier area. A cheaper place can stretch your savings but adds travel and distance from support. Run both as scenarios in your retirement plan to see the gap.
