Retirement is a special moment in everyone’s life because it represents the beginning of a new chapter that you look forward to. You’ve worked hard your entire life to be able to afford the retirement lifestyle you deserve and to finally relax, enjoy your freedom, travel, and spend quality time with your loved ones. And knowing the best places to retire can help you make the right choice and keep more of your hard-earned money in your pocket. But, what makes a good retirement city?
Some of the most important factors you should take into consideration include quality of life, quality of healthcare, cost of living, tax rates, housing costs, as well as overall happiness of the residents. With those factors in mind, take a look at the best places to retire in the United States!
Orlando, Florida
Thanks to the reasonable cost of living, affordable housing, pleasant weather, and the abundance of tourist attractions and theme parks, Orlando in Florida has become one of the best retirement places in the U.S. Orlando is a warm and magical city with a lot of things to offer, so you will never be bored. The Orlando area is home to the world’s best theme parks including Disney World, Universal Studios Florida, SeaWorld Orlando, and Jurassic Park Discovery Center, so your grandchildren will have even more reasons to visit you.
The chances of seeing snow in this city are minimal, so if you enjoy the sun and the warm weather, Orlando is probably the best retirement destination for you. If you’re into hiking and you love the outdoors, there’s a lot of lakes, rivers, and other natural attractions in this city that are waiting to be explored. Orlando also has plenty of museums for the art lovers, such as the Orlando Museum of Art, Wells’ Built Museum of African American History & Culture, The Mennello Museum of American Art, etc.
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is another Florida city that is appealing to many retirees mostly due to its low cost of living, gorgeous weather, and the variety of entertainment and attractions. Nestled along the Caloosahatchee River, this city became very famous after Thomas Edison and Henry Ford built their winter homes there and is now a huge tourist destination within the Florida area. It is sunny almost all the time and the temperature rarely falls below 60 degrees during the winter months, which makes Fort Myers an ideal retirement place. There are also a variety of outdoor activities for seniors like golf, fishing, camping, and hiking. And if you’re a foodie, you’re going to love this place because it has a variety of great restaurants that make delicious food.
Another good reason why Fort Myers is the best U.S. city to retire is the number of cultural and artistic events that take place in the area, like the Alliance for the Arts or the Art Walk Downtown Fort Myers which takes place on the first Friday of the month. Galleries and shops stay open until the late hours, so you can meet the artists and see new exhibitions. Music Walk is also an interesting event that takes place every third Friday of the month, so you can listen to local musicians in restaurants, bars, or outdoor stages.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Located in southeastern Pennsylvania, Lancaster is a rural town with beautiful landscapes and picturesque farms. Lancaster County has small-town vibes and is full of art and music festivals, galleries, art museums, theaters, boutiques, and restaurants. The city is full of things you can do – you can explore the outdoors or visit the local Amish communities where people still live without public electricity.
The city also has a winter mountain resort and is filled with shops full of antique treasures, which makes it one of the most popular antique destinations in the United States. Lancaster’s slower and simple pace appeals to many retired people and its closeness to some big cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh provides a great opportunity for weekend travels. But some of the most important reasons why Lancaster is one of the best U.S. cities to retire is definitely its affordable housing, high-quality medical care, and retirement-friendly tax structure. Pennsylvania does not tax social security income, retirement benefits, or pensions, which means that you will get to keep more of your hard-earned money in your pocket.
Sarasota, Florida
Located on the West Coast of Florida, Sarasota is the retirement destination from dreams! With its warm climate, beautiful beaches, amazing restaurants, shops, and plenty of outdoor fun activities like fishing, boating, and golf, Sarasota is probably the best place to retire in the U.S. The city is also a cultural hub, full of art museums like The John and Marble Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota Classic Car Museum, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy, etc. It is also the home to Florida West Coast Symphony and the famous Sarasota Music Festival. Sarasota is a growing community with all kinds of people living there and a popular tourist destination due to the hot summers.
This city also has high-quality healthcare and top-notch hospitals and assisted living facilities. Even though Sarasota is amazing if you want to head somewhere else for the weekends, you can totally do that because the city is close to some major vacation places like Miami, The Florida Keys, and Orlando.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, also known as the “Music City” is the capital of Tennessee and the home of country music. In addition to the vibrant music scene, the most populated city in Tennessee is known for its quality healthcare, reasonable housing, cultural attractions, and the two major sports teams NHL’s Nashville Predators and the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. All of this as well as the tax-friendly environment makes this friendly city very attractive to many retired people who chose to enjoy their days in retirement there. Nashville also offers a ton of fun activities for retirees to enjoy – you can hike, bike, visit a whiskey distillery, some of the countless wineries and vineyards, or visit a famous landmark like the Grand Ole Opry, the County Music Hall of Fame, or the Johny Cash Museum.
Asheville, North Carolina
Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Smoky Mountains, Asheville is also one of the best places to retire in the United States. Thanks to its world-class healthcare, excellent climate, good air quality, and lively cultural scene, Asheville is able to attract many retirees every year. Filled with museums, art galleries, historical architecture, national parks, and forests, this city offers many opportunities for outdoor activities such as mountain biking, hiking, fishing, kayaking, camping, or simply enjoying the fresh mountain air and the beautiful scenery.
If you love art, you can visit one of the most popular attractions here, the River Arts District where you can visit galleries and get to know artists. The downtown is known as the “Paris of the South” and is full of cozy cafes, old-fashioned architecture, charming bistros, antique stores, breweries, and art galleries.
