2025’s Most Expensive Retirement Towns: 2 States Dominate List
New rankings from GOBankingRates feature plenty of ritzy, most expensive retirement towns retirement towns in one West Coast state and one Southeast state
Everyone knows California is not a cheap place to live—and it’s not a cheap place to retire, either.
In fact, according to a new GOBankingRates ranking released July 10 of the “30 Most Expensive Retirement Towns in America,” the five most expensive towns are all in the Golden State.
But interestingly, the most expensive city for retirement on this year’s list is a city that didn’t even crack the top 10 in the same rankings last year.
To determine the 30 most expensive retirement towns in the United States, GOBankingRates first isolated cities with populations over 25,000 and percentages of residents ages 65+ of at least 25%. Cost-of-living indexes were multiplied by average expenditure costs for retirees, and mortgage and rent costs were added to find the total cost of necessities for retired homeowners.
GOBankingRates used data from the US Census 2023 American Community Survey, Sperlings BestPlaces, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Home Value Index, Zillow Observed Rental Index, and the Federal Reserve Economic Data to analyze the cost of necessities for retired homeowners and retired renters. The cities were sorted to show the highest cost of necessities for homeowners first.
In addition to claiming the top five on the list, California accounted for nine of the top 30 overall. But that was second to Florida, which despite not having a city rank in the top eight claimed a whopping 14 of the 30 spots on the “most expensive” list—including 10 of the final 11 towns making the list. Massachusetts had two of the top 10 and Arizona two of the top 14.
What follows is a closer look at the 15 most expensive retirement towns in America for 2025 based on the GOBankingRates rankings.
15. Bonita Springs, Florida
Bonita Springs is a city of 56,229 (2023) in southwest Florida known for its Gulf Coast beaches and parks, including secluded Little Hickory Island Beach Park, Bonita Beach Park, and Lovers Key State Park.
• % of population 65+: 43%
• Avg. home value: $609,650
• Avg. cost of groceries (annual): $5,328
• Average cost of healthcare (annual): $9,456
• Homeowner cost of living (annual): $61,349
14. Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city of 47,757 in central Arizona with a rich history as a frontier gold and silver mining town. Downtown, historic Whiskey Row is known for its bars and live music venues.
• % of population 65+: 41%
• Avg. home value: $623,194
• Avg. cost of groceries (annual): $4,961
• Avg. cost of healthcare (annual): $10,273
• Homeowner cost of living (annual): $62,383
13. Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city of 51,951 in California’s Coachella Valley, near Palm Springs. It’s home to country clubs, golf courses and shops. In the center, The Shops on El Paseo feature designer boutiques, plus restaurants and art galleries.
• % of population 65+: 37%
• Avg. home value: $642,854
• Avg. cost of groceries (annual): $4,936
• Avg. cost of healthcare (annual): $6,926
• Homeowner cost of living (annual): $62,572
12. Lincoln, California
Lincoln is a city of 54,538 in Placer County, California, part of the Sacramento metropolitan area. Located 10 miles north of Roseville in an area of rapid suburban development, it grew 282% between 2000 and 2010, making it the fastest-growing city over 10,000 people in the U.S. according to Wikipedia.
• % of population 65+: 27%
• Avg. home value: $656,147
• Avg. cost of groceries (annual): $5,293
• Avg. cost of healthcare (annual): $8,139
• Homeowner cost of living (annual): $64,059
11. Aventura, Florida
Aventura is a planned suburban city of 38,741 in northeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida, 15 miles north of Miami and part of the Miami metropolitan area. It is primarily known for its upscale shopping at Aventura Mall, the largest in Florida, and its luxurious residential areas, including high-rise condos and golf courses.
• % of population 65+: 26%
• Avg. home value: $666,041
• Avg. cost of groceries (annual): $5,372
• Avg. cost of healthcare (annual): $8,250
• Homeowner cost of living (annual): $65,914
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