2025 Best and Worst Cities for Retirement Features Repeat Winner (and Loser)
Just-released WalletHub report ranks 182 U.S. cities on 45 different metrics
Orlando is still the best U.S. city for a comfortable retirement providing a high quality of life without breaking the bank, according to personal finance company WalletHub, which today released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst Places to Retire.
WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 45 key measures of affordability, quality of life, health care and availability of recreational activities. The data set ranges from the cost of living to retired taxpayer-friendliness to the state’s health infrastructure.
“It’s important to choose wisely when picking where to retire, as many retirees are on a fixed income. As a result, the best cities for retired people are those that minimize taxes and expenses, as well as have good opportunities for retirees to continue paid work for extra income, if they choose to do so. In addition, the top cities provide high-quality health care and offer plenty of enjoyable activities for retirees,” said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo.
That last part certainly seemed to come into play for the first two cities in this year’s “Best Cities to Retire” list, which appears on the following page.
There are a wide range of financial factors that need to be considered when someone is deciding where to spend their retirement, said Kenneth S. Shultz, Ph.D., Professor and Department Chair, Psychology; Faculty Affiliate of the Center on Aging, California State University, San Bernardino.
“Tax burdens in various states can vary widely. While some states such as Florida and Texas may not have state income taxes, their property and sales taxes tend to be higher,” he said. “Early in retirement, most couples look forward to expensive vacations (e.g., ocean cruises, international travel) that would require ready sources of cash, that may not be available if you just put a large downpayment on a new home for retirement.”
Schultz added that adult children and grandchildren, as well as aging parents, often need more personal and financial assistance than in the past. “As a result, you may need to consider these demands when deciding where you are going to live during your retirement years.”
WalletHub’s 2025 Best Cities for Retirement
Next Page: 2025 Best Cities to Retire
2025 Best Cities to Retire
1. Orlando
Orlando retains its title in this year’s ranking, and the Florida playground hasn’t been outside the top four in the past four years.
“Orlando is the best place to retire, in part because it is one of the most tax-friendly cities and is located in a state without estate, inheritance or income taxes,” WalletHub’s Lupo said. “In addition, while Orlando doesn’t have a particularly low cost of living, it is relatively inexpensive when it comes to homemaker services and adult day health care. On top of that, Orlando ranks as the third-best city for recreation, and it provides good access to quality health care.”
It has an especially high number of music venues, fishing facilities, art galleries and adult volunteer activities.
Finally, Orlando ranks 19th when it comes to gerontologists and sixth highest for home health care facilities per capita. It also has the seventh-best hospitals for geriatrics, allowing elderly residents to receive quality care.
2. Scottsdale
The affluent Phoenix-area city rose from 6th place in 2024 up to the second spot in the 2025 rankings (it was also ranked second in 2023) in large part because it has an abundance of activities popular with retirees.
Scottsdale ranks at the top of the country when it comes to adult volunteer activities, art galleries and public and municipal golf courses per capita. Tax-friendliness is another good reason to retire in Scottsdale. As it’s located in Arizona, it has no estate or inheritance taxes and no income taxes.
The city ranks fourth in the nation for mild weather, and is second among the most caring cities.
3. Minneapolis
Despite frigid winters, Minneapolis remains a perennial staple in WalletHub’s top 10 cities for retirement.
Minneapolis has one of the most elderly-friendly labor markets in the country, meaning that it has a large percentage of jobs that are easy to perform even for elderly residents. Many retired people choose to continue to work for some extra income, or simply to have something to keep them occupied. There are plenty of opportunities to do that in Minneapolis, since over 22% of the working population is over age 65.
It has the eighth-best hospital system, along with a high number of nursing homes and gerontologists per capita. Minneapolis ranks eighth in the nation for the number of recreation and senior centers, offering retirees ample opportunities for community engagement and activity.
Rest of the Top 10
4. Miami
5. Tampa
6. Atlanta
7. Fort Lauderdale
8. Cincinnati
9. Madison, WI
10. Casper, WY
Next Page: 2025 Worst Cities to Retire
2025 Worst Cities to Retire
WalletHub also noted the worst cities for retirement based on which ones finished at the bottom of its ranking of 182 different cities. Thanks largely to low across-the-board rankings (and particularly being dinged on affordability and health care), six California cities landed in the bottom 10, including the bottom four.
Just as Orlando held on to its top overall ranking, so did San Bernadino, Calif., on the other end of the spectrum. It ranked 174th for health care, 171 for quality of life, 157 for activities and 128th for affordability.
Here are the bottom 10:
173. Bridgeport, CT
174. Salem, OR
175. Pearl City, HA
176. Fontana, CA
177. Fresno, CA
178. Newark, NJ
179. Bakersfield, CA
180. Rancho Cucamonga, CA
181. Stockton, CA
182. San Bernadino, CA
Check out the entire WalletHub 2025 report here.
SEE ALSO:
• Best and Worst U.S. Cities to Retire in 2024: WalletHub
• 2025’s 3 Best and Worst States for Retirement: WalletHub
• ‘Best Places to Retire in 2025’ Share Common Traits