The Best Cities With Great Weather To Retire on $2,000 a Month

The average social security benefit for a person of retirement age is under $2,000, putting many retirees in the position of living on a fixed income in their golden years.

However, living on a tight budget doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your desire for a retirement location that has a good quality of life, a decent climate, and more. Some cities have the whole package.

To help you find a place to retire that fits your economic and lifestyle needs, GOBankingRates drew on data from Zillow, Sperling’s Best, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, AreaVibes,  and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to create a list of the best places to retire for $2,000 a month whose annual temperature is never too low.

• Total Monthly Expenditures:  $2,009.77 
• Average Annual Temperature: 56.4

Owensboro is a great option for retirees looking for a city with low costs and a steady annual temperature of 56.4. Though it is the most expensive of these 11 cities, residents only pay $719.99 in healthcare and $24,117.28 in total expenditures per year.

• Total Monthly Expenditures:  $1,863.28
• Average Annual Temperature: 56.4

Another Kentucky city for retirees, Richmond residents pay $894.82 in average monthly rent, and $363.88 in average monthly groceries. It also has a high livability of 76.

• Total Monthly Expenditures:  $1,704.97
• Average Annual Temperature: 56.4

In Frankfort, costs are low. Residents pay just $594.62 in healthcare each month, and $356.3 in groceries. It maintains an average annual temperature of 56.4 degrees.

• Total Monthly Expenditures:  $1,886.94
• Average Annual Temperature: 55.2

Bonner Springs has decently low overall expenditures, though rent is a bit on the higher side here, at $920.00.

• Total Monthly Expenditures:  $1,763.07
• Average Annual Temperature: 55.2

Retirees in Emporia can rent a one-bedroom apartment for an average cost of $785.16 per month. The grocery bill for this city falls in the middle at $348.14, with monthly healthcare costing $629.77. The average low here is only 55.2 F.

• Total Monthly Expenditures:  $1,625.41
• Average Annual Temperature: 55.2

In Hutchinson, Kansas, retirees can rent a one-bedroom apartment for an average of $678.17. The city’s temperate weather and livability index of 70 make it an ideal location to retire in, and the low grocery costs are also great, at $348.52 per month.

• Total Monthly Expenditures:  $1,945.40
• Average Annual Temperature: 52.0

In Ottawa, retirees can expect to save the most on groceries as the average monthly cost falls at $351.89– the cheapest out of the cities on this list. The rent for a one-bedroom apartment is not the cheapest on

• Total Monthly Expenditures:  $1,758.74
• Average Annual Temperature: 52.0

In Freeport, rent for a one-bedroom in this city falls at $773.81 on average, and monthly healthcare costs are higher on the list, falling at an average of $650.28.

• Total Monthly Expenditures:  $1,971.86
• Average Annual Temperature: 47.5

Coralville, Iowa has the highest livability of all the cities on this list, at 83. Rent in this city falls at an average of $995.34 for a one-bedroom, which is not the cheapest on this list, but overall monthly expenditures are still under $2,000. 

• Total Monthly Expenditures:  $1,932.29
• Average Annual Temperature: 47.5

Dubuque takes the No. 2 song because of its high livability score, at 79, and monthly expenditures under $2,000. Rent is $938.28 per month, not the cheapest, but groceries are on the low side, at $360.13 on average per month.

• Total Monthly Expenditures:  $1,806.68
• Average Annual Temperature: 47.5

Waterloo Iowa takes the No. 1 spot, with a livability score of 71. Average rent here is a reasonable $844.58 per month, average groceries are $348.14 and average healthcare costs are $613.95.

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Maddie Duley contributed to the reporting for this article.

Disclaimer: Images are for representational purposes only and may not reflect the exact city mentioned.

Methodology: To find the best cities with great weather to retire on a monthly budget of $2,000 or less, GOBankingRates first used Zillow’s data to find (1) average 2023 rent in cities below $1,000. GOBankingRates then used Sperling’s Best to find the cost of living index for each selected city, looking at (2) grocery and (3) healthcare index scores. Next, GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find the annual expenditure amount for both grocery (“food at home”) and healthcare costs for people aged 65 and older to determine how much a person 65 and over would spend on groceries and healthcare in each city monthly. GOBankingRates then added monthly housing, grocery, and healthcare costs together to find where a person 65 and older could survive on $2,000 or less. In order for a city to be qualified for the study, its population (4) had to be 10% or more over the age of 65, according to the Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey; (5) must have a livability score of 75 or above, as sourced from AreaVibes, and must be a comfortable average temperature as sourced from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. All data is up-to-date as-of May 18th, 2023.