Happiness emerged as the most influential factor in U.S. News & World Report's latest analysis of America's top retirement destinations, resulting in a mix of beaches and large cities.
U.S. News & World Report analyzed 150 major cities to create retirement rankings based on factors like happiness, affordability, jobs, taxes, desirability and healthcare quality. The weightings were based on a survey of 3,500 Americans aged 45 and older about their retirement priorities, with happiness and affordability becoming the top considerations for the 2024 edition of the rankings.
Healthcare quality was the third top consideration, weighing the results by 15%. This is calculated by data from the U.S. News Best Hospitals rankings and measures the availability of top-rated healthcare in each city.
Florida dominates the list with eight cities in the top 25, while several large and mid-sized cities emerge as attractive alternatives to traditional retirement havens. Below are the top 20 cities from U.S. News' list, with the complete list in full available here.
1. Naples, Fla.
2. Virginia Beach, Va.
3. New York City
4. Sarasota, Fla.
5. Boise, Idaho
6. Raleigh, N.C.
7. Jacksonville, Fla.
8. Huntsville, Ala.
9. Charlotte, N.C.
10. Fort Wayne, Ind.
11. Green Bay, Wis.
12. Washington, D.C.
13. Charleston, S.C.
14. San Francisco
15. South Bend, Ind.
16. Lexington, Ky.
17. Pensacola, Fla.
18. Tampa, Fla.
19. Port St. Lucie, Fla.
20. Melbourne, Fla.