Access to healthcare, recreation and low taxes lure retirees, new research says

Favorable taxes and access to quality healthcare helped push Orlando, Fla., to the top spot.

When it comes to places to retire, sometimes the tried and true also turns out to be the best.

At least that's the case with the latest WalletHub rankings of best cities to retire, which ranked Orlando, Fla., in the top spot for the second year in a row.

In fact, the top three spots were in Florida, with Orlando followed by Miami and Tampa. Fort Lauderdale ranked No. 8.

"There had been this idea of abandoning the conventional wisdom of moving south to Florida, but, in fact, people are still attracted to Florida. There's still a strong drive among retirees to be in Florida," said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst.

Orlanda ranked first, driven in part by the tax-friendly status of the city and the state, which does not have a state income tax, an estate tax or inheritance tax, Lupo said.

Other positives included access to quality healthcare. For example, Orlando ranked 21st when it came to gerontologists and eighth-highest for home-healthcare facilities per capita. It also had the fourth-best hospitals for geriatrics, according to WalletHub. Orlando also ranked as the 20th-cheapest for adult day-healthcare out of the more than 180 cities.

Orlando also ranked high in terms of recreational activities for retirees, coming in second for recreation overall with a high number of music venues, fishing facilities, art galleries and adult volunteer activities.

Those perks helped offset expensive housing, property taxes and hurricanes, Lupo said.

"Housing and property taxes are still an issue, but people are still flocking to Florida," Lupo said.

The ranking comes as roughly 18% of the U.S. population is now age 65 or older. An adult turning 65 today can expect to live nearly two more decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which puts increasing weight on where to retire, since retirement itself could last decades.

The WalletHub ranking differed from other recent listings, which have highlighted unique locales as the top retirement destinations, such as Wyoming, New Hampshire and Midland, Mich.

"It's important to choose wisely when picking where to retire, as many retirees are on a fixed income," Lupo said. "The best cities for retired people are those that minimize taxes and expenses, as well as have good opportunities for retirees to continue paid work for extra income, if they choose to do so. In addition, the top cities provide high-quality healthcare and offer plenty of enjoyable activities for retirees."

The worst cities to retire were concentrated in California, according to WalletHub. Six of the worst 10 cities were in California, with Stockton ranking dead last.

"The worst states all scored poorly because they're not affordable, there's high taxes and they're not big on activities. There's also more crime and healthcare was seen as expensive and less accessible," Lupo said.

Moving can happen as many as five times in retirement, for reasons including downsizing and potentially entering assisted-living or skilled-nursing facilities, according to Joseph Coughlin, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AgeLab and a MarketWatch contributor.

Meanwhile, more than one in three retirees have moved during retirement, according to 2025 research by the Transamerica Institute and the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. Among those who moved, the top reasons included moving closer to family and friends, downsizing into a smaller home, starting a new chapter in life, reducing expenses, moving to a better climate and no longer needing to live near work, Transamerica found.

If considering moving in retirement, Lupo suggested renting for a year to test the new location in all seasons - including the off-season and peak tourist season - to make sure you still love it.

"Don't retire one day and move the next. Consider renting to get a feel for a place. Take time to adjust. Maybe it's too hot and there's too much humidity? Find that out before you move outright. Take a gradual approach and rent a place first," Lupo said.

For those who don't want the Sunshine State, Lupo suggested looking at other cities in the WalletHub Top 10 ranking, such as Minneapolis, which ranked No. 7, and Pittsburgh, which came in as No. 10.

"The quality of life in those cities is high, and there's high access to healthcare," Lupo said.

-Jessica Hall