27 Major Cities Where You Need More Than $1.5 Million To Retire

With the future of Social Security in question, retirement in America is beginning to seem more difficult and costly than ever before, especially in major metropolitan areas with high rents and cost of living. The amount needed for a comfortable retirement is higher than ever in America’s major cities.

Do you have enough to retire in a large American city? Do you even know how much you would need to do so? GOBankingRates has a few answers.

Recently, GOBankingRates studied the 100 most populous cities in America, using information culled from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. GOBankingRates then cross-referenced with Sperling’s BestPlaces and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey to determine the 27 cities that require at least $1.5 million or more to retire in. The list begins with the city in which $1.5 million would last the least amount of time.

Keep reading to find out cities that require at least $1.5 million to retire.

• $1.5 million will last: 12.8 years
• Annual cost of living: $117,470

• $1.5 million will last: 14.5 years
• Annual cost of living: $103,650

• $1.5 million will last: 14.6 years
• Annual cost of living: $103,049

• $1.5 million will last: 15.2 years
• Annual cost of living: $98,723

• $1.5 million will last: 15.4 years
• Annual cost of living: $97,161

• $1.5 million will last: 15.8 years
• Annual cost of living: $94,998

• $1.5 million will last: 16.6 years
• Annual cost of living: $90,611

• $1.5 million will last: 17.3 years
• Annual cost of living: $86,946

• $1.5 million will last: 17.4 years
• Annual cost of living: $86,285

• $1.5 million will last: 17.9 years
• Annual cost of living: $83,821

• $1.5 million will last: 18.5 years
• Annual cost of living: $81,117

• $1.5 million will last: 19.0 years
• Annual cost of living: $78,894

• $1.5 million will last: 19.3 years
• Annual cost of living: $77,572

• $1.5 million will last: 19.6 years
• Annual cost of living: $76,731

• $1.5 million will last: 19.6 years
• Annual cost of living: $76,671

• $1.5 million will last: 20.2 years
• Annual cost of living: $74,328

• $1.5 million will last: 20.7 years
• Annual cost of living: $72,585

• $1.5 million will last: 20.9 years
• Annual cost of living: $71,864

• $1.5 million will last: 21.0 years
• Annual cost of living: $71,443

• $1.5 million will last: 21.1 years
• Annual cost of living: $71,263

• $1.5 million will last: 21.6 years
• Annual cost of living: $69,400

• $1.5 million will last: 22.0 years
• Annual cost of living: $68,079

• $1.5 million will last: 22.4 years
• Annual cost of living: $67,117

• $1.5 million will last: 22.6 years
• Annual cost of living: $66,456

• $1.5 million will last: 22.6 years
• Annual cost of living: $66,456

• $1.5 million will last: 22.6 years
• Annual cost of living: $66,456

• $1.5 million will last: 22.4 years
• Annual cost of living: $66,276

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the 100 most populous cities according to the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and average expenditure costs for 65+ households were sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. All data was collected on and is up to date as of March 31, 2025.