Worst Places to Retire
The 10 worst places to retire ranked consistently low on all four rankings. Seven out of the 10 worst cities are in California, and each had among the lowest scores for affordability.
Still, other cities outpaced California in terms of affordability. Bridgeport in Connecticut ranked as among the last for affordability—at 175 out of 182 cities. Newark, N.J. also placed 159th.
Other areas, like Wichita, KS, and Detroit, MI had higher affordability rankings than cities in California or on the East Coast, but had diminished scores in quality of life and healthcare services. Detroit specifically placed last in terms of quality of life.
The worst ranking city was San Bernardino, CA, which while only placing 126th in affordability, ranked a solid 172 across activities, quality of life, and healthcare.
Below is a full list of the top 10 worst cities for retirees.
- San Bernardino, CA
- Stockton, CA
- Rancho Cucamonga, CA
- Bakersfield, CA
- Newark, NJ
- Detroit, MI
- Fresno, CA
- Bridgeport, CA
- Wichita, KS
- Fontana, CA
To view the full report and your city’s rank, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-places-to-retire/6165.
SEE ALSO –
2025 Best and Worst Cities for Retirement Features Repeat Winner (and Loser)
Amanda Umpierrez is the Managing Editor of 401(k) Specialist magazine. She is a financial services reporter with nearly a decade of experience and a passion for telling stories and reporting news. She is originally from Queens, New York, but now resides in Denver, Colorado.
