According to a new study by personal finance site Wallethub, three Florida cities rank among the five best places to retire in 2025.
The analysis, published on September 2nd, ranked over 180 cities on 45 metrics across four broad areas: affordability, activity, quality of life and healthcare. The report utilizes dozens of data sources, including the Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control.
According to Wallethub, the top five cities for retirees are:
- Orlando, Florida
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Minneapolis
- Miami
- Tampa, Florida
That list more or less tracks the general wisdom about where Americans retire: Florida and Arizona.
“Tell your instincts to you and go to Florida. It’s warm and there’s something to do,” said Chip Lupo, a writer and analyst at Wallethub. Orlando, Miami and Tampa are also “very retirement-friendly from a tax perspective,” he said.
The complete analysis covers 182 cities, including the 150 largest US cities and at least two most populous cities from all states.
Of course, each retirement destination has its advantages and disadvantages.
Casper, Wyoming, ranks as the country’s most affordable city, but has a poor quality of life. San Francisco is the first in the nation to rank for activities that retirees enjoy, but it’s relatively unruly. Scottsdale ranks top in overall quality of life, but is low in affordable prices. Missoula, Montana, is the first to rank in the healthcare system, but has a poor quality of life.
Which retirement destinations do you fish the most?
Some other notable top-notch in the Wallethub report are:
- Washington, DC is ranked first for per capita museums, followed by San Francisco.
- Scottsdale has the highest share of the population over 65 years old, followed by Pearl City in Hawaii.
- Glendale and Riverside, California rank among the number one and second in the nation for “moderate” weather.
- Charleston, South Carolina has the most fishing facilities per capita, followed by Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
- Chicago has per capita recreation and senior centers. Honolulu ranks second.
Resignation isn’t just about money. Retireers should consider living in cities where they can live an active life, access to good health care and enjoy the weather, the report says. And that may require some planning.
“One of the biggest mistakes older workers make is that they assume their retirement is a long way off, and they don’t need to plan that,” Phyllis Moen, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Minnesota and Cornell University, spoke in the report. “And planning requires us to consider lifestyle, not just financial issues.”
15 Best Retirement Cities in America
According to Wallethub, these are the 15 best places to retire in the US in 2025.
- Orlando, Florida. Orlando, a tax-friendly city in a tax-friendly state, ranks as the best place to retire within the country. Florida has no real estate or inheritance tax and no income tax. Orlando is not the cheapest city, but it ranks third in the nation for its recreational purposes.
- Scottsdale, Arizona. This Phoenix suburb ranks highly in terms of per capita adult volunteer work, art galleries and golf courses. Arizona, like Florida, does not have real estate, inheritance or income tax. And while Scottsdale ranks fourth in the nation for its “moderate” weather, it could get hot.
- Minneapolis. America’s third best retirement spot is one of the nation’s most elderly job markets. The city is considered a friendly environment for retirees and has a high-ranking hospital system.
- Miami. Known for its refreshing weather, Miami ranks fifth in the nation for its activities. Like Orlando, Miami does not have real estate, inheritance or income tax.
- Tampa, Florida. Another tax-friendly city, Tampa is ranked highly for its advanced activities and overall quality of life.
- Atlanta. The city ranks fourth nationwide for its advanced activities. It is also well ranked in healthcare.
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Rank 14th Nationwide for advanced activities. Also, health care is expensive.
- Cincinnati. It ranks third nationwide for its activities aimed at the elderly. And it has a strong healthcare system.
- Madison, Wisconsin. This university town ranks sixth in the nation and eighth in healthcare for its quality of life.
- Casper, Wyoming. According to Wallethub, Casper is America’s most affordable city for retirees.
- Las Vegas. Ranked 6th and 13 nationwide for advanced activities.th For affordable prices.
- St. Petersburg, Florida. High ranking for activities, quality of life, and affordable prices.
- Sioux Falls, SD is ranked third nationwide for healthcare. It is also ranked reasonably priced.
- Pittsburgh. Wallethub praises Pittsburgh for its relatively strong healthcare and a wealth of activities aimed at retirees.
- Wilmington, Delaware. Ranked nationwide for healthcare and advanced activities.
