http://www.bankrate.com/finance/retirement/ranking-best-worst-cities-to-retire-1.aspx#ixzz3cTVA939a
Bankrate's "Best and worst cities to retire" list ranks U.S. cities according to their cost of living, crime rate (violent and property crimes), walkability, health care quality, state and local tax burden, personal well-being for seniors and weather (temperature and precipitation).
Our list started with a database of thousands of cites; however, only 196 had data available for all of the ranking categories. We pared the list further to combine neighboring areas with nearly identical statistics, leaving us with 172 distinct areas.
The chart shows each city or region and how it fared in each category.
Check out how cities in the West rank nationally for retirement |
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Rank | City | Cost of living | Crime | Well- being |
Walkability | Taxes | Health care | Weather |
1 | Mesa/ Phoenix, AZ | Average | Low | Good | Below average | Low | Average | Great |
3 | Prescott, AZ | Average | Low | Great | Below average | Low | Average | Good |
4 | Tucson, AZ | Average | High | Good | Below average | Low | Average | Great |
6 | Denver/ Aurora, CO | High | Average | Good | Good | Low | Good | Good |
9 | Colorado Springs, CO | Average | Average | Good | Below average | Low | Good | Good |
12 | Salt Lake City, UT | Low | Very high | Good | Good | Average | Good | Below average |
17 | Lakewood, CO | High | Average | Good | Below average | Low | Good | Good |
25 | Sunnyvale, CA | Very high | Very low | Great | Good | Very high | Below average | Great |
28 | Seattle, WA | Very high | High | Good | Great | Average | Good | Below average |
30 | Vancouver, WA | Average | Low | Good | Average | Average | Good | Below average |
32 | Santa Clara, CA | Very high | Low | Great | Good | Very high | Below average | Great |
39 | Roseville, CA | High | Low | Great | Below average | Very high | Below average | Great |
43 | Spokane Valley, WA | Low | Average | Good | Below average | Average | Good | Average |
45 | Henderson, NV | High | Low | Poor | Below average | Low | Below average | Great |
47 | Everett, WA | High | High | Good | Average | Average | Good | Below average |
49 | Lakewood, WA | High | High | Good | Below average | Average | Good | Below average |
50 | Long Beach, CA | Very high | Low | Good | Great | Very high | Below average | Great |
52 | Tacoma, WA | High | High | Good | Good | Average | Good | Below average |
54 | Bellevue, WA | Very high | Low | Good | Below average | Average | Good | Below average |
59 | Los Angeles/ Glendale, CA | Very high | Low | Good | Good | Very high | Below average | Great |
63 | Paradise, NV | High | Average | Poor | Average | Low | Below average | Great |
65 | San Diego, CA | Very high | Low | Good | Good | Very high | Below average | Great |
70 | San Jose, CA | Very high | Low | Great | Good | Very high | Below average | Great |
71 | Santa Ana, CA | Very high | Low | Good | Good | Very high | Below average | Great |
72 | Sacramento, CA | High | Average | Great | Average | Very high | Below average | Great |
75 | Arden-Arcade, CA | High | High | Great | Average | Very high | Below average | Great |
78 | Las Vegas, NV | High | Average | Poor | Below average | Low | Below average | Great |
81 | Spokane, WA | Low | Very high | Good | Average | Average | Good | Average |
83 | Berkeley, CA | Very high | Average | Good | Great | Very high | Below average | Good |
88 | Boise, ID | Low | Low | Poor | Below average | Average | Below average | Good |
96 | Irvine, CA | Very high | Very low | Good | Average | Very high | Below average | Great |
109 | Anaheim, CA | Very high | Low | Good | Good | Very high | Below average | Great |
114 | Carlsbad, CA | Very high | Low | Good | Below average | Very high | Below average | Great |
119 | Hayward, CA | Very high | Low | Good | Good | Very high | Below average | Great |
121 | Hillsboro, OR | Very high | Low | Good | Average | High | Below average | Below average |
122 | Portland, OR | Very high | Average | Good | Good | High | Below average | Below average |
132 | Ontario, CA | High | Low | Below average | Average | Very high | Below average | Great |
137 | Bakersfield, CA | High | Average | Below average | Below average | Very high | Below average | Great |
142 | Riverside, CA | High | Low | Below average | Below average | Very high | Below average | Great |
149 | South San Francisco, CA | Very high | Low | Good | Good | Very high | Below average | Good |
150 | Fresno, CA | High | Average | Below average | Average | Very high | Below average | Great |
157 | San Francisco, CA | Very high | High | Good | Great | Very high | Below average | Good |
160 | San Bernardino, CA | High | High | Below average | Below average | Very high | Below average | Great |
161 | Redwood City, CA | Very high | Low | Good | Good | Very high | Below average | Good |
165 | Oakland, CA | Very high | Very high | Good | Great | Very high | Below average | Good |
Check out how cities in the South rank nationally for retirement |
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Rank | City | Cost of living | Crime | Well- being |
Walkability | Taxes | Health care | Weather |
2 | Arlington/ Alexandria, VA | Very high | Very low | Great | Great | Average | Good | Average |
7 | Austin/Round Rock, TX | Low | Average | Great | Below average | Very low | Poor | Good |
8 | Cape Coral/ Fort Myers, FL |
Average | Low | Great | Poor | Average | Below average | Good |
10 | Franklin, TN | Low | Very low | Good | Poor | Very low | Average | Below average |
11 | Mauldin, SC | Low | Very low | Good | Poor | Low | Average | Below average |
14 | Irving, TX | Average | Low | Average | Average | Very low | Poor | Good |
15 | Tampa, FL | Low | Low | Below average | Average | Average | Below average | Good |
19 | Omaha, NE | Low | Average | Good | Average | Average | Good | Below average |
21 | Virginia Beach, VA | Average | Low | Average | Below average | Average | Good | Average |
22 | Charleston, SC | Average | Low | Below average | Below average | Low | Average | Good |
24 | Greenville, SC | Low | High | Good | Average | Low | Average | Below average |
26 | Sarasota, FL | Average | High | Good | Good | Average | Below average | Good |
29 | Plano, TX | Average | Low | Average | Below average | Very low | Poor | Good |
31 | Denton, TX | Low | Low | Average | Below average | Very low | Poor | Good |
33 | Deltona, FL | Low | Very low | Good | Poor | Average | Below average | Average |
34 | Bradenton, FL | Average | Average | Good | Below average | Average | Below average | Good |
35 | Newport News, VA | Average | Low | Average | Below average | Average | Good | Average |
36 | Murfreesboro, TN | Low | Average | Good | Below average | Very low | Average | Below average |
37 | Norfolk, VA | Average | Average | Average | Average | Average | Good | Below average |
38 | North Port, FL | Average | Very low | Good | Poor | Average | Below average | Good |
40 | Richmond, VA | Average | Average | Below average | Good | Average | Good | Below average |
41 | Ormond Beach, FL | Low | Low | Good | Poor | Average | Below average | Good |
42 | Metairie, LA | Average | Low | Below average | Good | Very low | Poor | Average |
51 | Nashville, TN | Low | High | Good | Below average | Very low | Average | Below average |
57 | Dallas, TX | Average | Average | Average | Average | Very low | Poor | Good |
60 | Sugar Land, TX | Average | Very low | Average | Below average | Very low | Poor | Good |
61 | Clearwater, FL | Low | Average | Below average | Average | Average | Below average | Good |
62 | Miami/Kendall, FL | High | High | Below average | Great | Average | Below average | Average |
64 | Winston-Salem, NC | Low | High | Great | Poor | High | Average | Below average |
69 | New Orleans, LA | Average | Average | Below average | Good | Very low | Poor | Average |
73 | Conroe, TX | Low | Low | Average | Below average | Very low | Poor | Average |
74 | Columbia, SC | Average | High | Average | Below average | Low | Average | Average |
76 | New Braunfels, TX | Low | Low | Below average | Poor | Very low | Poor | Good |
79 | Arlington, TX | Average | Average | Average | Below average | Very low | Poor | Good |
80 | Towson, MD | High | Low | Good | Good | High | Average | Below average |
82 | San Antonio, TX | Low | High | Below average | Below average | Very low | Poor | Good |
84 | Wilmington, NC | Average | High | Good | Below average | High | Average | Below average |
86 | Baton Rouge, LA | Low | High | Good | Below average | Very low | Poor | Below average |
87 | Frederick, MD | Very high | Low | Great | Average | High | Average | Below average |
91 | Anderson, SC | Low | Very high | Good | Below average | Low | Average | Average |
92 | Fort Worth, TX | Average | Average | Average | Below average | Very low | Poor | Good |
93 | The Woodlands, TX | Average | Low | Average | Poor | Very low | Poor | Good |
94 | St. Petersburg, FL | Low | High | Below average | Average | Average | Below average | Good |
95 | Deerfield Beach, FL | High | Low | Below average | Below average | Average | Below average | Good |
98 | Wilmington, DE | High | Very high | Average | Great | High | Good | Below average |
100 | Orlando, FL | Average | Very high | Average | Below average | Average | Below average | Good |
103 | Jacksonville, FL | Average | Average | Average | Below average | Average | Below average | Good |
104 | Kissimmee, FL | Average | High | Average | Below average | Average | Below average | Good |
105 | Sandy Springs, GA | Average | Low | Average | Below average | Low | Below average | Below average |
106 | Daytona Beach, FL | Low | Very high | Good | Below average | Average | Below average | Good |
110 | Raleigh, NC | Low | Low | Below average | Below average | High | Average | Below average |
111 | Washington, DC | Very high | High | Great | Great | Average | Below average | Average |
112 | Knoxville, TN | Low | High | Average | Below average | Very low | Average | Below average |
113 | Houston, TX | Average | High | Average | Average | Very low | Poor | Average |
115 | Hoover, AL | Low | Low | Below average | Poor | Low | Average | Below average |
117 | Roswell, GA | Average | Low | Average | Poor | Low | Below average | Below average |
123 | Baltimore, MD | High | Very high | Good | Great | High | Average | Below average |
124 | Concord, NC | Low | Low | Below average | Poor | High | Average | Below average |
125 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | High | High | Below average | Good | Average | Below average | Average |
126 | Oklahoma City, OK | Low | High | Good | Below average | Low | Poor | Good |
128 | Miami Beach, FL | High | Very high | Below average | Great | Average | Below average | Good |
130 | Chattanooga, TN | Low | Very high | Average | Below average | Very low | Average | Below average |
131 | Charlotte, NC | Low | Average | Below average | Below average | High | Average | Average |
134 | Silver Spring, MD | Very high | Very high | Great | Good | High | Average | Below average |
135 | Pompano Beach, FL | High | High | Below average | Average | Average | Below average | Good |
138 | Sanford, FL | Average | High | Average | Below average | Average | Below average | Good |
141 | Marietta, GA | Average | High | Average | Below average | Low | Below average | Below average |
144 | North Charleston, SC | Average | High | Below average | Below average | Low | Average | Average |
145 | Tulsa, OK | Low | High | Average | Below average | Low | Poor | Average |
147 | Rockville, MD | Very high | Very high | Great | Good | High | Average | Below average |
148 | Atlanta, GA | Average | Very high | Average | Average | Low | Below average | Below average |
151 | Gastonia, NC | Low | High | Below average | Poor | High | Average | Average |
152 | Asheville, NC | Average | High | Below average | Below average | High | Average | Below average |
155 | Louisville, KY | Low | Average | Below average | Below average | Average | Below average | Below average |
156 | Birmingham, AL | Low | Very high | Below average | Below average | Low | Average | Below average |
159 | Memphis, TN | Low | Very high | Poor | Below average | Very low | Average | Below average |
171 | Little Rock/ Conway, AR |
Average | Very high | Poor | Below average | High | Below average | Below average |
Check out how cities in the Midwest rank nationally for retirement |
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Rank | City | Cost of living | Crime | Well- being |
Walkability | Taxes | Health care | Weather |
5 | Des Moines/ West Des Moines, IA |
Low | Average | Good | Average | Average | Great | Below average |
16 | West Allis, WI | Average | Average | Good | Good | Very high | Great | Below average |
18 | St. Paul/ Minneapolis, MN |
High | Average | Good | Good | High | Great | Below average |
20 | Waukesha, WI | Average | Very low | Good | Below average | Very high | Great | Below average |
23 | Dearborn, MI | Low | Low | Average | Good | Average | Average | Below average |
27 | Columbus, OH | Low | Low | Good | Average | Average | Average | Below average |
48 | Milwaukee, WI | Average | High | Good | Good | Very high | Great | Below average |
53 | Livonia, MI | Low | Low | Average | Below average | Average | Average | Below average |
55 | Grand Rapids, MI | Low | Average | Average | Good | Average | Average | Below average |
56 | Rock Island, IL | Low | Low | Good | Average | High | Average | Below average |
58 | Bloomington, MN | High | Low | Good | Below average | High | Great | Below average |
66 | Wyoming, MI | Low | Low | Average | Below average | Average | Average | Below average |
67 | Moline, IL | Low | Low | Good | Average | High | Average | Below average |
68 | Wichita, KS | Low | High | Good | Below average | Average | Below average | Average |
99 | Kansas City, KS | Average | Average | Good | Below average | Average | Below average | Below average |
102 | Carmel, IN | Low | Very low | Average | Poor | Average | Below average | Below average |
107 | Arlington Heights, IL | High | Very low | Below average | Average | High | Average | Below average |
118 | Dayton, OH | Low | High | Average | Average | Average | Average | Below average |
129 | Chicago/ Naperville, IL |
High | High | Below average | Great | High | Average | Below average |
133 | Kansas City, MO | Average | Very high | Good | Below average | Low | Below average | Below average |
136 | Akron, OH | Average | High | Average | Average | Average | Average | Below average |
143 | St. Louis, MO | Low | Very high | Below average | Good | Low | Below average | Below average |
146 | Anderson, IN | Low | Average | Average | Below average | Average | Below average | Below average |
153 | Detroit, MI | Low | Very high | Average | Good | Average | Average | Below average |
158 | Jersey City, NJ | Very high | Low | Below average | Great | Very high | Average | Below average |
163 | Cleveland, OH | Average | Very high | Below average | Good | Average | Average | Below average |
164 | Indianapolis, IN | Low | Very high | Average | Below average | Average | Below average | Below average |
Check out how cities in the Northeast rank nationally for retirement |
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Rank | City | Cost of living | Crime | Well- being |
Walkability | Taxes | Health care | Weather |
13 | Cambridge, MA | Very high | Low | Average | Great | High | Great | Below average |
44 | Portland, ME | High | Low | Average | Good | High | Great | Poor |
46 | Boston, MA | Very high | Average | Average | Great | High | Great | Below average |
77 | Newton, MA | Very high | Very low | Average | Good | High | Great | Poor |
85 | South Portland, ME | High | Low | Average | Average | High | Great | Poor |
89 | Albuquerque, NM | Low | High | Below average | Average | Low | Poor | Good |
90 | Easton, PA | Average | Low | Below average | Good | High | Average | Below average |
97 | Philadelphia, PA | High | High | Average | Great | High | Average | Below average |
101 | Pittsburgh, PA | Average | Average | Below average | Good | High | Average | Below average |
108 | Carlisle, PA | Average | Low | Below average | Good | High | Average | Below average |
116 | Bethlehem, PA | Average | Low | Below average | Good | High | Average | Below average |
120 | Allentown, PA | Average | Average | Below average | Great | High | Average | Below average |
127 | Framingham, MA | Very high | Very low | Average | Below average | High | Great | Below average |
139 | Worcester, MA | High | High | Below average | Good | High | Great | Poor |
140 | Providence, RI | Very high | Average | Below average | Great | High | Great | Below average |
154 | Harrisburg, PA | Average | Very high | Below average | Great | High | Average | Below average |
162 | Warwick, RI | Very high | Low | Below average | Below average | High | Great | Below average |
166 | Hartford/ East and West Hartford, CT |
Very high | High | Average | Great | Very high | Average | Below average |
167 | Albany/ Troy/Schenectady, NY |
High | High | Below average | Good | Very high | Below average | Below average |
168 | Newark, NJ | Very high | High | Below average | Great | Very high | Average | Below average |
169 | Buffalo/ Niagara Falls, NY |
Average | High | Below average | Great | Very high | Below average | Below average |
170 | New Haven/ Milford/Bridgeport, CT |
Very high | High | Poor | Great | Very high | Average | Below average |
172 | New York City, NY | Very high | Low | Below average | Great | Very high | Below average | Below average |
Sources: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Healthways; the Council for Community and Economic Research; the FBI; the Tax Foundation; WalkScore.com; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration