With more Americans delaying retirement because of financial insecurity and a fourth of workers having no money saved for their golden years, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2016’s Best & Worst Cities to Retire.
To help Americans plan for a comfortable retirement, WalletHub’s analysts compared the affordability, quality of life, health care and availability of recreational activities in the 150 largest U.S. cities. Our data set of 31 key metrics ranges from “cost of living” to “public-hospital rankings” to “percentage of the 65 and older population.”
| Best Cities to Retire | Worst Cities to Retire | ||||
| 1 | Orlando, FL | 141 | Fontana, CA | ||
| 2 | Tampa, FL | 142 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | ||
| 3 | Scottsdale, AZ | 143 | Bakersfield, CA | ||
| 4 | Miami, FL | 144 | Wichita, KS | ||
| 5 | Sioux Falls, SD | 145 | Detroit, MI | ||
| 6 | Las Vegas, NV | 146 | Aurora, IL | ||
| 7 | Cape Coral, FL | 147 | Chula Vista, CA | ||
| 8 | Atlanta, GA | 148 | Newark, NJ | ||
| 9 | Minneapolis, MN | 149 | Worcester, MA | ||
| 10 | Los Angeles, CA | 150 | Providence, RI | ||
Best vs. Worst
- Laredo, Texas, has the lowest adjusted cost-of-living index for retired persons, 76.84, which is 2.6 times lower than in New York, the city with the highest, 196.2.
- Laredo, Texas, has the lowest annual cost of in-home services, $20,592, which is 3.3 times lower than in San Francisco, the city with the highest, $68,640 per month.
- Anchorage, Alaska, has the highest percentage of employed people aged 65 and older, 24.0 percent, which is 2.8 times higher than in Detroit, the city with the lowest, 8.5 percent.
- Scottsdale, Ariz., has the highest percentage of the 65 and older population, 21.1 percent, which is 3.5 times higher than in Fontana, Calif., the city with the lowest, 6.1 percent.
- Yonkers, N.Y., has the lowest property-crime rate, 10.01 per 1,000 residents, which is 8.6 times lower than in Spokane, Wash., the city with the highest, 85.59 per 1,000 residents.
- Miami has the highest number of home-care facilities, 35.30 per 100,000 residents, which is 18.2 times higher than in Des Moines, Iowa, the city with the lowest, 1.94 per 100,000 residents.
