7 Affordable Places To Retire That Feel Like You Are on Vacation

Many soon-to-be retirees seek retirement locations that can fulfill the majority of must-haves on their checklist. For many, this means retiring in a metro that is retiree-friendly and has good weather, plenty of activities to engage in and affordable cost-of-living expenses.

What if we told you several cities offer retirees all of the above? Whether you’re planning to retire this year or in the near future, read on to see which cities will make your retirement years feel like a vacation.

Naples is an ideal retirement location for active retirees, according to in-house data compiled by GOBankingRates. 

The popular Florida retirement destination is retiree-friendly with 52.91% of its population aged 65 and older. Monthly expenditures, including rent, amount to about $6,270. Retirees can swing by Third Street South for shopping and visit various botanical gardens, state parks and beachfront parks to sightsee, partake in fun activities and recharge.

While Southern California generally doesn’t have much by way of affordable retirement locales, the seniors-only community of Laguna Woods is the exception to this rule. 

Laguna Woods has a whopping 99% retiree-friendly home listings. According to Realtor.com, the median list price in 2023 for these homes was $405,000.

Nestled in Orange County, Laguna Woods also offers retirees proximity to various golf and country clubs, the beach and state parks. Other popular SoCal cities like Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Dana point are all short drives away.

Retirees seeking an inexpensive city where every day feels like a vacation have found it in Brownsville. 

Brownsville was ranked by U.S. News in fourth place in their 2024 Most Affordable Places To Retire list. The weather, according to U.S. News, is a year-round semitropical climate, and the median home price is about $276,671. Retirees who would prefer to rent instead can expect to pay a median monthly rent of $785. 

Overall, it’s a win-win spot for retirees who want to enjoy their favorite activities in great weather without breaking the bank or their retirement budgets.

Despite the state having no personal income tax, some cities in Florida are more expensive to live in than others. Sun City Center, however, offers retirees an inexpensive place to live without compromising on any of your Florida retirement dreams.

Realtor reported the median list price for a Sun City Center home goes for about $341,090. Flo Vachon, team leader of Flo Vachon Team at Keller Williams South Shore, told Realtor that retirees can even find one-bedroom condos priced at $110,000 within the age 55+ community.

Retirees who want to spend their retirement years in an area where everything is within reach may consider making the move to Sun City. 

The community of Sun City is seven miles long and three miles wide, according to the Sun City website. Throughout it, retirees will find plenty of parks, trails, golf courses, festivals, concerts, recreation centers and more nearby. If you decide to buy a home, you’re in luck. The median home list price, according to Realtor, is $309,000 in Sun City.

What if you want a wine country lifestyle in retirement, but lack the funds to move to a vineyard like Napa Valley? You’ve found the next best — possibly better — location in Winston-Salem.

Ranked by U.S. News at number seven of the most affordable places to retire in 2024, Winston-Salem offers residents a trifecta of goodness. There’s affordable housing (with median home prices of $327,063), plenty of walkability in the community and locally produced wines to enjoy.

Wrapping up our roundup is The Villages, which holds an impressive 95% of retiree-friendly listings according to Realtor.com. Described as a “mega-retirement community” spanning three Florida counties, The Villages is ideal for the retiree who wants to have their pick of things to do on a day-to-day basis.

Whether you plan to go golfing in the morning, shopping in the afternoon or visit Lake Sumter Landing in the evening, retirees can do it all. They can even drive a golf cart to get to their destination instead of a car with cart-legal streets. If you’re planning to put in a bid for a home, take note that the median list price is about $425,000.

Disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only. In many cases, the closest major city outside of the city/county mentioned in the article was used.