These 25 Cities Are the Best Places to Retire in 2025, According to Forbes

By Karlee Van De Venter
The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Wash.)
(TNS)

Choosing where to live is a complicated decision with many factors to consider. Do you prioritize your ideal environment or walkability? Is cost of living or healthcare access more crucial?

For many people, the decision ultimately comes down to their job, whether that means choosing a city for its opportunity in their career, or choosing to live near their current company’s headquarters.

Once you retire, though, you can make this decision based on your own priorities. Where you choose to live in retirement can set the tone for that chapter of life.

The 2025 edition of an annual ranking provides some analysis and comparisons.

In May, Forbes released their analysis of the top 25 cities in America for retirees in 2025.

Best U.S. cities for retirees

Forbes listed the top 25 in alphabetical order, rather than a ranking. To determine these 25, more than 950 cities were compared. Forbes looked at the home prices, other housing costs, crime stats, environmental information, healthcare access, taxes and other aspects in each city.

Each city was listed with a brief description and some pros and cons.

The list includes big cities like Pittsburgh and San Antonio, and small cities like Winchester, Virginia, and Apache Junction, Arizona. Two of the locations are in eastern Washington.

The 25 cities listed are:

Apache Junction, Ariz.
Athens, Ga.
Bethlehem, Pa.
College Station, Texas
Columbia, Miss.
Fargo, N.D.
Greenville, S.C.
Iowa City, Iowa
Lawrence, Kan.
Lexington, Ky.
Lincoln, Neb.
Madison, Wis.
Newark, Del.
Pasco, Wash.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Raleigh, N.C.
Rochester, Minn.
San Antonio, Texas
Savannah, Ga.
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Spokane, Wash.
Tucson, Ariz.
The Villages, Fla.
Virginia Beach, Va.
Winchester, Va.

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