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GOBankingRates

Heather Taylor

50 Best Small Towns for Your Retirement in 2025

GOBankingRates Pennsylvania DenisTangneyJr Kentucky Sean Pavone Florida Bellevue the Sunshine State

Four Florida communities ranked among the nation’s best small towns to retire in last year, but The Sunshine State was completely absent from GOBankingRates’ 2025 analysis.

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To find the best places to retire in 2025, GOBankingRates identified small towns with populations between 1,000 and 7,500 residents. As in 2024, we analyzed each town’s average monthly expenditures and rent, cost of living, livability and crime rates (including property and violent crime) to determine the 50 best small towns.

Key Findings

Bellevue, Kentucky, ranked as the best small town for retirement. The suburb boasts an impressive livability score of 92 and average monthly expenditures of $1,599. Maplewood, Missouri, held the first-place ranking in 2024.
The top five best small towns are based in the South, the Midwest and the East Coast. South Williamsport (#3) and Hollidaysburg (#5) are in Pennsylvania. Bellevue (#1) is in Kentucky, Nappanee (#2) is in Indiana and Northville (#4) is in Michigan.
Six Kentucky towns ranked in the top 50. Besides Bellevue, the other five towns are Fort Wright (#7); Southgate (#9), Ludlow (#13), Dayton (#39) and Cold Spring (#46). This is a substantial jump compared to 2024, when only one Kentucky town — Fort Mitchell — broke into the top 44 ranking.
16 Pennsylvania towns are among the 50 best small towns to retire in for 2025. This is a massive increase from 2024’s ranking, which featured just five Pennsylvania suburbs. Coraopolis and Sharpsburg are the only two Pennsylvania towns to rank as the best for retirement in 2024 and 2025.
No Florida cities broke into the 2025 ranking.

See which small towns are considered the best to retire in this year below — and don’t forget to check out 2024’s ranking for retirees.

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1. Bellevue, Kentucky

Average monthly rent: $1,599
Average monthly expenditure: $1,886
Livability: 92
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 10.152
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.875

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2. Nappanee, Indiana

Average monthly rent: $995
Average monthly expenditure: $1,735
Livability: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.574
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.045

3. South Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $900
Average monthly expenditure: $1,864
Livability: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.435
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.411

NicoleTaklaPhotography / Shutterstock.com

4. Northville, Michigan

Average monthly rent: $1,744
Average monthly expenditure: $1,879
Livability: 86
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.069
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.169

Csoldner187 / Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA 3

5. Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $963
Average monthly expenditure: $1,755
Livability: 78
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.491
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.915

6. Irwin, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,328
Average monthly expenditure: $1,802
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 0.869
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.435

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7. Fort Wright, Kentucky

Average monthly rent: $1,683
Average monthly expenditure: $1,891
Livability: 85
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.055
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.652

8. Jacksonville, Oregon

Average monthly rent: $1,548
Average monthly expenditure: $1,907
Livability: 85
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.809
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.031

9. Southgate, Kentucky

Average monthly rent: $1,570
Average monthly expenditure: $1,875
Livability: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.716
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.792

10. Steilacoom, Washington

Average monthly rent: $2,137
Average monthly expenditure: $1,808
Livability: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.765
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.914

11. Davison, Michigan

Average monthly rent: $1,679
Average monthly expenditure: $1,794
Livability: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.746
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.988

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12. Freeport, Maine

Average monthly rent: $2,775
Average monthly expenditure: $1,846
Livability: 88
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 10.574
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.569

13. Ludlow, Kentucky

Average monthly rent: $1,800
Average monthly expenditure: $1,885
Livability: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 10.897
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.927

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

14. Wake Village, Texas

Average monthly rent: $1,349
Average monthly expenditure: $1,829
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.845
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.561

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15. Malvern, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $2,146
Average monthly expenditure: $2,028
Livability: 89
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 2.043
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.292

16. King City, Oregon

Average monthly rent: $1,896
Average monthly expenditure: $1,904
Livability: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.549
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.408

17. Hiawatha, Iowa

Average monthly rent: $776
Average monthly expenditure: $1,802
Livability: 77
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 9.820
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 3.596

Melissa Kopka / Getty Images/iStockphoto

18. Philomath, Oregon

Average monthly rent: $2,132
Average monthly expenditure: $1,772
Livability: 81
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.040
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.855

19. Windsor Heights, Iowa

Average monthly rent: $1,563
Average monthly expenditure: $1,795
Livability: 83
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 46.099
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.195

20. Rigby, Idaho

Average monthly rent: $1,254
Average monthly expenditure: $1,828
Livability: 79
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 11.814
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.737

21. Wolfforth, Texas

Average monthly rent: $1,522
Average monthly expenditure: $1,878
Livability: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.427
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.530

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22. Lexington, Virginia

Average monthly rent: $1,733
Average monthly expenditure: $1,811
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.572
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.306

23. Salida, Colorado

Average monthly rent: $2,413
Average monthly expenditure: $1,776
Livability: 83
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.032
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.843

24. Crafton, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,098
Average monthly expenditure: $1,891
Livability: 81
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 20.827
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.243

25. Lindale, Texas

Average monthly rent: $1,525
Average monthly expenditure: $1,820
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 15.380
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.801

26. Oakmont, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,248
Average monthly expenditure: $1,918
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 10.334
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.152

27. DuBois, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,367
Average monthly expenditure: $1,855
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 14.044
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.065

28. Newmarket, New Hampshire

Average monthly rent: $2,150
Average monthly expenditure: $1,914
Livability: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 3.793
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.527

29. Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,267
Average monthly expenditure: $1,891
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.273
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.645

Alex Potemkin / Getty Images/iStockphoto

30. Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,791
Average monthly expenditure: $1,867
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.719
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.457

31. Ridley Park, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,300
Average monthly expenditure: $2,056
Livability: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.250
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.972

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Sarah Fields Photography / Shutterstock.com

32. Manitou Springs, Colorado

Average monthly rent: $1,339
Average monthly expenditure: $1,768
Livability: 76
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 16.520
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.322

33. Sunset, Utah

Average monthly rent: $1,350
Average monthly expenditure: $1,816
Livability: 79
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 11.462
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 3.758

34. North Wales, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,760
Average monthly expenditure: $1,978
Livability: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.497
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.879

35. Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Average monthly rent: $2,400
Average monthly expenditure: $1,774
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.621
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.733

36. Bridgeville, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,266
Average monthly expenditure: $1,877
Livability: 79
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.322
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.847

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37. Verona, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,436
Average monthly expenditure: $1,864
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 33.812
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.845

38. Roeland Park, Kansas

Average monthly rent: $2,080
Average monthly expenditure: $1,889
Livability: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 22.819
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.802

39. Dayton, Kentucky

Average monthly rent: $1,853
Average monthly expenditure: $1,868
Livability: 81
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.372
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.400

40. Tamaqua, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,025
Average monthly expenditure: $1,928
Livability: 78
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.960
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.590

41. Milton, Wisconsin

Average monthly rent: $1,750
Average monthly expenditure: $1,789
Livability: 76
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.258
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.355

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42. Lake Bluff, Illinois

Average monthly rent: $2,204
Average monthly expenditure: $1,889
Livability: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.350
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.363

43. Mount Healthy, Ohio

Average monthly rent: $1,180
Average monthly expenditure: $1,798
Livability: 78
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 24.233
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 4.700

44. Waupaca, Wisconsin

Average monthly rent: $1,300
Average monthly expenditure: $1,747
Livability: 75
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 13.696
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 3.621

45. Milford, Ohio

Average monthly rent: $1,588
Average monthly expenditure: $1,788
Livability: 75
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 9.369
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.468

46. Cold Spring, Kentucky

Average monthly rent: $1,375
Average monthly expenditure: $1,887
Livability: 78
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 19.142
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.617

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47. Bullard, Texas

Average monthly rent: $1,800
Average monthly expenditure: $1,863
Livability: 78
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 3.053
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.572

48. Coraopolis, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $1,524
Average monthly expenditure: $1,878
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 9.471
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 3.789

49. Woodlawn, Ohio

Average monthly rent: $1,486
Average monthly expenditure: $1,777
Livability: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 23.877
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 7.008

50. Ambler, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent: $2,336
Average monthly expenditure: $2,005
Livability: 85
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.170
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.292

Read more original studies and surveys in the GOBankingRates original research center.

Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed.

Methodology: GOBankingRates identified small towns with a total population between 1,000 and 7,500, U.S. Census 2023 American Community Survey. The average rental cost was sourced from Zillow Observed Rental Index for August 2025. The cost of living was determined using indexes from Sperling’s BestPlaces and the national average expenditure costs for retired households from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes and all the locations below 75 were removed as they represent less than ideal quality of life. Using 2024 data from the FBI, the property crime rate and the violent crime rate was calculated. The average expenditure cost was scored and weighted at 1.25, the average rental cost was scored and weighted at 1.25, the livability index was scored and weighted at 1.00, the property crime rate was scored and weighted at 1.00, and the violent crime rate was scored and weighted at 1.00. All the scores were summed and sorted to show the best small towns to retire. All data was up to date as of Oct. 15, 2025.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 50 Best Small Towns for Your Retirement in 2025

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