Geography & Countries
The Best U.S. Cities to Retire in 2026
WalletHub scores 182 U.S. cities each year on how well they suit retirees on a fixed income. Four categories carry equal weight (25 points each): affordability, activities, quality of life and health care, measured across 45 metrics. These are the 25 highest scorers in the 2026 edition, published August 31, 2026. Orlando leads for the third year running, and Florida has seven of the top 25.
Pictured: Orlando, Florida, #1 with a score of 63.38 out of 100.
Category ranks are out of 182 cities, where 1 is best. Two cities can share a total score: WalletHub lists Minneapolis ahead of Fort Lauderdale, and Wilmington ahead of Cincinnati. Region is the U.S. Census Bureau region. Beyond the top 25, Sioux Falls has the best health care in the study, San Francisco the most to do, Brownsville, Texas the lowest costs (87th overall), and Stockton, California finishes last with 35.19. New York, the least affordable city, is 142nd.[1]
The Top 10
#1
Orlando, Florida — 63.38
Orlando is WalletHub's best place to retire for the third year in a row, and its lead is the widest in the top 10: almost four points clear of Miami. It ranks 2nd of 182 cities for affordability, helped by Florida having no state income tax and no estate or inheritance tax, and it is among the 20 cheapest cities for homemaker services and adult day health care. Health care is a strength too (11th), with the 4th-best hospitals for geriatrics in the study. Its weak spot is quality of life, where it ranks only 77th.[1][2]
#2
Miami, Florida — 59.40
Miami gets to second on things to do (6th for activities). It ranks at or near the top of the country for adult volunteer activities, art galleries and fishing facilities per capita, and WalletHub rates it the 6th most walkable city in the study. Florida's tax rules help it as well. Quality of life holds it back: Miami ranks 91st there, the lowest of the top three.[1]
#3
Tampa, Florida — 59.29
Tampa finishes just 0.11 points behind Miami, making Florida's three biggest retirement draws the top three. It is the most balanced of them: top 50 for affordability (41st), activities (10th) and quality of life (34th). WalletHub singles out its low property crime (19th lowest), its 9th-most bingo halls per capita and its 11th-highest rate of adult volunteering. Health care (89th) is its one weak score.[1]
#4
Scottsdale, Arizona — 58.87
Scottsdale is the best of all 182 cities for quality of life (#1), and it already has the 2nd-highest share of residents aged 65 and over in the study. It is also 4th in WalletHub's mild-weather ranking. The cost is high: Scottsdale ranks 114th for affordability, the worst affordability score in the top 10.[1]
#5
Casper, Wyoming — 58.79
Casper, a city of about 59,000, is the smallest place in the top 10 and the surprise of the 2026 list. It ranks 3rd for affordability and 23rd for quality of life. Wyoming has no state income tax, and the state also topped WalletHub's separate 2026 ranking of the best states to retire, just ahead of Florida. Casper finishes only 0.08 points behind Scottsdale.[1][3][4]
#6
Atlanta, Georgia — 58.73
Atlanta is the 4th best city for activities and shares 1st place for museums per capita with Washington, San Francisco and St. Louis. It ranks a middling 56th for affordability, and its quality-of-life score (96th) is the lowest in the top 10. It is the only Georgia city in the top 25.[1]
#7
Minneapolis, Minnesota — 57.92
Minneapolis is the best Midwestern city in the ranking. It earns its place on activities (8th) and health care (20th). Its total score is exactly level with Fort Lauderdale's (57.92), and WalletHub lists it seventh. Affordability (97th) and quality of life (89th) keep it out of the top five.[1]
#8
Fort Lauderdale, Florida — 57.92
Fort Lauderdale is Florida's fourth top-10 city, tied on score with Minneapolis. It shares 1st place for fishing facilities per capita and ranks 13th for activities overall. Its other scores are close to the middle: 75th for affordability, 64th for quality of life and 41st for health care. Seven of the top 25 cities are in Florida.[1]
#9
Charleston, South Carolina — 57.54
Charleston is the cheapest city in the top 10 after Orlando and Casper, ranking 29th for affordability. It also shares 1st place for fishing facilities per capita and ranks 26th for activities. Quality of life (79th) and health care (59th) are its weaker categories.[1]
#10
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — 56.58
Pittsburgh is the highest-ranked city in the Northeast and has the best health care score in the top 10 (7th). It also ranks 21st for activities. Affordability (112th) is the main thing holding it back. Madison, Wisconsin is just 0.06 points behind in 11th.[1][2]
Sources
- WalletHub, Best & Worst Places to Retire in 2026 (published August 31, 2026; data collected as of August 3, 2026). Source of the full ranking of 182 cities, the total and category scores, the methodology (45 metrics in four 25-point categories) and the per-metric details quoted in the write-ups. WalletHub's own data come from the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CDC, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Tax Foundation, AARP, Genworth Financial and others.
- Coverage of the 2026 release by 401k Specialist, NBC Miami and LiveNOW from FOX: Orlando first for the third straight year, and Pittsburgh as the best Northeast city at 10th.
- WalletHub, Best and Worst States to Retire (2026): Wyoming first, just ahead of Florida.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census: population of Casper, Wyoming (59,038).
