America’s most livable cities don’t always come with the lowest price tags. But what if you didn’t have to worry about the cost of living when picking your retirement destination?
To determine the best U.S. cities for retirement when money isn’t an issue, GOBankingRates started with the most livable locales, based on AreaVibes rankings. To be considered, a city had to have an AreaVibes livability score of at least 88.
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We then layered in data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, filtering on cities within 5% of the national average for percentage of population age 65+. With this information, we ranked the 25 best retirement spots. (The full methodology is included at the end of this story.)
There are certainly more expensive places to retire. But based on how we’ve sliced the data, these cities offer the best blend of livability and a reasonable percentage of fellow retirees.
25. Beaverton, Oregon
- Livability score: 89
- % of population 65+: 14.5%
- Monthly cost of living: $5,226
Beaverton is located in Washington County in the Willamette Valley, about seven miles west of downtown Portland along Highway 217. As of 2025, the city’s population stands at 97,502 residents. The average single-family home is valued at $567,403.
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24. Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Livability score: 89
- % of population 65+: 12.7%
- Monthly cost of living: $5,156
Ann Arbor sits in Washtenaw County in southeastern Michigan, roughly 40 miles west of Detroit. The city is home to the University of Michigan and has a population of 121,179. The average value of a single-family home is $572,045.
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23. Wausau, Wisconsin
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 18.7%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,140
You’ll find Wausau along the Wisconsin River in Marathon County in north-central Wisconsin. With a 2025 population of 39,893, it serves as a regional hub for healthcare and manufacturing. The average single-family home value is $236,068.
22. Marquette, Michigan
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 16.5%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,835
Marquette occupies a scenic spot on Lake Superior’s southern shore in Marquette County, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The city’s population is 20,691. The average single-family home is valued at $319,546.
21. Edwardsville, Illinois
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 13%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,730
Edwardsville is the county seat of Madison County in southwestern Illinois, about 25 miles northeast of St. Louis. The city’s population totals 26,543. The average single-family home value is $321,926.
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20. Perrysburg, Ohio
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 15%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,743
Perrysburg sits on the west bank of the Maumee River in Wood County, about 12 miles south of Toledo. As of 2025, its population is 25,065. The average value of a single-family home is $343,081.
19. Urbandale, Iowa
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 14.4%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,980
Urbandale lies in Polk County just northwest of Des Moines, forming part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area. The city’s population is 46,026. The average single-family home is valued at $374,127.
18. Central Point, Oregon
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 16.9%
- Monthly cost of living: $4,286
Central Point sits at the northern edge of the Rogue Valley in Jackson County, immediately north of Medford. The city’s population is 19,183. The average value of a single-family home is $418,777.
17. Solon, Ohio
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 21%
- Monthly cost of living: $4,428
Solon is located in northeastern Ohio’s Cuyahoga County, about 20 miles southeast of Cleveland. The city’s population stands at 23,970. The average single-family home value is $458,224.
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16. Battle Ground, Washington
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 12.3%
- Monthly cost of living: $5,533
Battle Ground lies in Clark County in southwestern Washington, about 13 miles northeast of Vancouver. With a population of 21,293, it serves as a bedroom community to Portland, Oregon. The average single-family home is valued at $619,788.
15. Verona, Wisconsin
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 13.2%
- Monthly cost of living: $5,536
You’ll find Verona in Dane County on the southwest side of Madison, about 10 miles from the state capital. The city’s population is 14,499. The average single-family home value is $624,014.
14. Middleton, Wisconsin
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 17.5%
- Monthly cost of living: $5,660
Middleton lies just west of Madison in Dane County, within the Madison metropolitan area. As of 2025, the population is 22,235. The average value of a home is $650,180.
13. Upper Arlington, Ohio
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 18.9%
- Monthly cost of living: $5,819
Upper Arlington is a suburb immediately northwest of Columbus in Franklin County. The city’s population totals 36,319. The average home value is $685,500.
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12. Lafayette, Colorado
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 15.4%
- Monthly cost of living: $6,122
Lafayette sits at the eastern edge of Boulder County between Boulder and Denver, along U.S. Highway 287. The city’s population stands at 30,471. The average value of a single-family home is $733,947.
11. Melrose, Massachusetts
- Livability score: 90
- % of population 65+: 20.7%
- Monthly cost of living: $7,580
Melrose is located in Middlesex County just six miles north of downtown Boston. The city’s population is 29,488. The average single-family home is valued at $955,067.
10. Lynchburg, Virginia
- Livability score: 91
- % of population 65+: 14.2%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,356
Lynchburg occupies a bend on the James River in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Lynchburg city and Campbell County. With 79,255 residents, it serves as a regional medical and educational center. The average home is valued at $262,925.
9. Berkley, Michigan
- Livability score: 91
- % of population 65+: 14%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,688
Berkley is a suburb in Oakland County immediately north of Detroit, bordering Royal Oak. The city’s population is 15,084. The average value of a home is $316,313.
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8. Farmington, Michigan
- Livability score: 91
- % of population 65+: 18.6%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,847
Farmington lies in Oakland County about 25 miles northwest of downtown Detroit, adjacent to Farmington Hills. The city’s population totals 11,472. The average home value is $340,651.
7. Fort Thomas, Kentucky
- Livability score: 91
- % of population 65+: 16.1%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,955
Fort Thomas is found atop the south bank of the Ohio River in Campbell County, directly across from Cincinnati. Its population is 17,242. The average home is worth $354,299.
6. Milwaukie, Oregon
- Livability score: 91
- % of population 65+: 17.4%
- Monthly cost of living: $4,994
Milwaukie is in Clackamas County just south of Portland along the Willamette River, part of the Portland-Vancouver metro area. The city’s population is 21,256. The average home is valued at $524,620.
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5. Clawson, Michigan
- Livability score: 92
- % of population 65+: 19%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,528
Clawson is a small city in Oakland County about 18 miles northwest of downtown Detroit. The city’s population stands at 11,314. The average single-family home value is $293,164.
4. Rochester, Minnesota
- Livability score: 92
- % of population 65+: 16%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,780
Rochester sits on the Zumbro River in Olmsted County in southeastern Minnesota, about 80 miles southeast of Minneapolis. With a population of 121,638, it anchors a major medical and technology hub. The average value of a single-family home is $345,584.
3. Bexley, Ohio
- Livability score: 92
- % of population 65+: 14%
- Monthly cost of living: $5,198
Bexley is an eastern suburb of Columbus in Franklin County, nestled between Columbus and Whitehall. The city’s population is 13,324. The average single-family home value is $581,283.
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2. University Heights, Ohio
- Livability score: 93
- % of population 65+: 12.5%
- Monthly cost of living: $3,324
University Heights lies on the east side of Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, just south of Cleveland Heights. The city’s population totals 13,508. The average single-family home is valued at $275,353.
1. Worthington, Ohio
- Livability score: 94
- % of population 65+: 21.3%
- Monthly cost of living: $4,770
The top city on our list, Worthington boasts a sparking livability score of 94. It is a historic suburb immediately north of downtown Columbus in Franklin County. The city’s population is 14,754. The average value of a single-family home is $503,369.
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates used the U.S. Census American Community Survey to find the cities with the proportion of the population ages 65 and over within 5% of the national average of 16.84%. The livability indexes were sourced from AreaVibes, and only the locations with at least an 88 were kept for this study as they represent the cities with the highest quality of life. Cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces. Using the national average expenditure costs for retired households (sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey) for retired consumer units, the average expenditures for each city were calculated. The average home value was sourced from the Zillow Home Value Index. By assuming a 10% down payment and using the national 30-year-fixed mortgage rate (sourced from Federal Reserve Economic Data), the average mortgage cost was calculated. Using the average mortgage and expenditure costs, the total cost of living was calculated. The cities were sorted to show the highest livability first. This represents the highest quality of life without taking any costs into consideration. All data is up to date as of July 18, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 25 Best Places To Retire in the US If Money Isn’t an Obstacle
