With the much-ballyhooed retirement savings crisis staring many clients in the face, it’s more important than ever to choose the right location in which to retire.
For those living on a fixed income, let alone one that may be smaller than anticipated, variables like the cost of living, tax burden and healthcare costs can make all the difference between a comfortable retirement and a stressful one. And that’s before factoring in quality-of-life aspects, like access to and the quality of said healthcare, and the availability of age-appropriate activities. Around 61% of workers are somewhat confident that they will have enough money to retire comfortably, but only 21% are very confident. As a result, many workers expect to delay retirement, with the median expected retirement age holding at 65, while nearly three-quarters expect to continue working in some capacity after retiring.
WalletHub recently compared the retiree-friendliness of more than 180 U.S. cities across 45 key metrics, including those mentioned above, to determine which U.S. cities are the best and worst for retirees.
Unsurprisingly, Florida cities dominated the list, with Orlando, Miami and Tampa completing a clean sweep of the top three podium places. All three Florida cities were powered by high placings for available activities, but Orlando separates itself by offering excellent health care (11) and, most importantly, huge tax savings, ranking No. 2 overall in that regard.
Scottsdale, Ariz., came in a strong fourth on the strength of its No. 1 ranking for quality of life, but the real surprise of the list is No. 5—Casper, Wyo. Though Wyoming isn’t the first state that comes to mind when one thinks of a retirement haven, a combination of strong placement in affordability (3) and quality of life (23) allowed it to edge its way into the top five.
California, on the other hand, dominated the bottom of the ranking, taking four of the bottom five places, including last place for Stockton, which was joined by San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga and Fresno.
Here are the rest of the 10 best and worst cities to retire in in 2026:
