Want To Retire In One of America’s Safest Cities? $1 Million Might Not Get You Far
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Want To Retire In One of America’s Safest Cities? $1 Million Might Not Get You Far
Many people looking to retire have a clear focus on how much is enough money to save for retirement. But, often, they aren’t thinking about where they should retire — or, more specifically, the safest place to spend their golden years to ensure their nest egg will last as long as possible.
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The $1 million figure long has been the benchmark when saving for retirement. This seems like a considerable goal, but how much you need depends on where you plan to live out your golden years. And shouldn’t you pick a comfortable city where your savings have the potential to last a few decades more?
To find out how long $1 million would last you in retirement in a dependable city, GOBankingRates looked at the 50 safest cities in America as sourced from NeighborhoodScout’s 2021 Top 100 Safest Cities in America Report. Data was sourced from the midyear 2019-2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey as conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Sperling’s Best Places.
Multiple factors were used to determine how long $1 million would last during retirement in each of these safe cities, including data regarding annual expenditures, cost of living index, Social Security benefits and crime rates.
Find out how long $1 million will last you in 50 of America’s safest cities.
Last updated: July 15, 2021
Wellesley, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.5
- Total cost of living index: 256
- Total annual expenditures: $123,151.36
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $105,982.60
How long $1 million will last: 9 years, 5 months and 4 days
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Harrison, New York
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.6
- Total cost of living index: 232.8
- Total annual expenditures: $111,990.77
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $94,822.01
How long $1 million will last: 10 years, 6 months and 15 days
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Westport, Connecticut
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.9
- Total cost of living index: 230.4
- Total annual expenditures: $110,836.22
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $93,667.46
How long $1 million will last: 10 years, 7 months and 31 days
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Newton, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.6
- Total cost of living index: 215.5
- Total annual expenditures: $103,668.43
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $86,499.67
How long $1 million will last: 11 years, 6 months and 20 days
Lexington, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 3.0
- Total cost of living index: 213
- Total annual expenditures: $102,465.78
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $85,297.02
How long $1 million will last: 11 years, 8 months and 18 days
Belmont, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 7.2
- Total cost of living index: 207.7
- Total annual expenditures: $99,916.16
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $82,747.40
How long $1 million will last: 12 years, 0 months and 28 days
Needham, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.7
- Total cost of living index: 201.9
- Total annual expenditures: $97,126.01
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $79,957.25
How long $1 million will last: 12 years, 5 months and 29 days
Sammamish, Washington
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.5
- Total cost of living index: 199.6
- Total annual expenditures: $96,019.58
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $78,850.82
How long $1 million will last: 12 years, 8 months and 1 days
Ridgewood, New Jersey
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 76.3
- Total cost of living index: 176.3
- Total annual expenditures: $84,810.88
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $67,642.12
How long $1 million will last: 14 years, 9 months and 9 days
Westfield, New Jersey
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.3
- Total cost of living index: 176.3
- Total annual expenditures: $84,810.88
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $67,642.12
How long $1 million will last: 14 years, 9 months and 9 days
Arlington, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.5
- Total cost of living index: 174.1
- Total annual expenditures: $83,752.55
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $66,583.79
How long $1 million will last: 15 years, 0 months and 2 days
Milton, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 2.7
- Total cost of living index: 170.7
- Total annual expenditures: $82,116.94
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $64,948.18
How long $1 million will last: 15 years, 4 month and 20 days
Long Beach, New York
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 2.5
- Total cost of living index: 169.3
- Total annual expenditures: $81,443.46
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $64,274.70
How long $1 million will last: 15 years, 6 months and 18 days
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.9
- Total cost of living index: 162
- Total annual expenditures: $77,931.72
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $60,762.96
How long $1 million will last: 16 years, 5 month and 10 days
Moorpark, California
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 7.2
- Total cost of living index: 161.7
- Total annual expenditures: $77,787.40
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $60,618.64
How long $1 million will last: 16 years, 5 months and 25 days
Pictured: Glendale, California
Andover, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.1
- Total cost of living index: 156.8
- Total annual expenditures: $75,430.21
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $58,261.45
How long $1 million will last: 17 years, 1 months and 23 days
Reading, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.8
- Total cost of living index: 153.2
- Total annual expenditures: $73,698.39
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $56,529.63
How long $1 million will last: 17 years, 8 months and 3 days
Cliffside Park, New Jersey
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.7
- Total cost of living index: 148.9
- Total annual expenditures: $71,629.83
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $54,461.07
How long $1 million will last: 18 years, 4 months and 7 days
Colleyville, Texas
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.4
- Total cost of living index: 143.5
- Total annual expenditures: $69,032.11
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $51,863.35
How long $1 million will last: 19 years, 3 months and 7 days
North Andover, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.8
- Total cost of living index: 141.2
- Total annual expenditures: $67,925.67
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $50,756.91
How long $1 million will last: 19 years, 8 months and 8 days
Marshfield, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.0
- Total cost of living index: 139.6
- Total annual expenditures: $67,155.98
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $49,987.22
How long $1 million will last: 19 years, 11 months and 27 days
Franklin, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 1.9
- Total cost of living index: 136.9
- Total annual expenditures: $65,857.11
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $48,688.35
How long $1 million will last: 20 years, 6 months and 9 days
Weston, Florida
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 5.8
- Total cost of living index: 136.4
- Total annual expenditures: $65,616.58
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $48,447.82
How long $1 million will last: 20 years, 7 months and 15 days
Pictured: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Billerica, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.5
- Total cost of living index: 133.3
- Total annual expenditures: $64,125.30
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $46,956.54
How long $1 million will last: 21 years, 3 months and 12 days
Bergenfield, New Jersey
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 3.4
- Total cost of living index: 132.4
- Total annual expenditures: $63,692.34
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $46,523.58
How long $1 million will last: 21 years, 5months and 23 days
Beverly, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.4
- Total cost of living index: 131.7
- Total annual expenditures: $663,355.60
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $46,186.84
How long $1 million will last: 21 years, 7 months and 19 days
Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 3.3
- Total cost of living index: 128.6
- Total annual expenditures: $61,864.32
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $44,695.56
How long $1 million will last: 22 years, 4 months and 10 days
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.7
- Total cost of living index: 128.3
- Total annual expenditures: $61,720.00
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $44,551.24
How long $1 million will last: 22 years, 5 months and 5 days
Zionsville, Indiana
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 2.8
- Total cost of living index: 122.6
- Total annual expenditures: $58,977.96
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $41,809.20
How long $1 million will last: 23 years, 10 months and 25 days
Dracut, Massachusetts
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 5.6
- Total cost of living index: 119.9
- Total annual expenditures: $57,679.09
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $40,510.33
How long $1 million will last: 24 years, 7 months and 31 days
Pictured: Lowell, Massachusetts
Rahway, New Jersey
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.4
- Total cost of living index: 118.1
- Total annual expenditures: $56,813.19
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $39,644.43
How long $1 million will last: 25 years, 2 months and 15 days
Londonderry, New Hampshire
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 7.2
- Total cost of living index: 117.9
- Total annual expenditures: $56,716.97
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $39,548.21
How long $1 million will last: 245 years, 3 months and 7 days
Simsbury, Connecticut
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 5.8
- Total cost of living index: 117.8
- Total annual expenditures: $56,668.87
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $39,500.11
How long $1 million will last: 25 years, 3 months and 18 days
Rochester Hills, Michigan
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.8
- Total cost of living index: 116.5
- Total annual expenditures: $56,043.49
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $38,874.73
How long $1 million will last: 25 years, 8 months and 14 days
Syracuse, Utah
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 7.0
- Total cost of living index: 115.9
- Total annual expenditures: $55,754.85
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $38,586.09
How long $1 million will last: 25 years, 10 months and 23 days
Pictured: Salt Lake City, Utah
Bartlett, Illinois
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 5.3
- Total cost of living index: 115.3
- Total annual expenditures: $55,466.22
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $38,297.46
How long $1 million will last: 26 years, 1 month and 2 days
Muskego, Wisconsin
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 3.5
- Total cost of living index: 113.8
- Total annual expenditures: $54,744.63
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $37,575.87
How long $1 million will last: 26 years, 7 months and 4 days
Pictured: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Rosemount, Minnesota
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.6
- Total cost of living index: 111.7
- Total annual expenditures: $53,734.40
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $36,565.64
How long $1 million will last: 27 years, 3 months and 30 days
Pictured: St. Paul
Wallingford, Connecticut
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.9
- Total cost of living index: 110.1
- Total annual expenditures: $52,964.71
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $35,795.95
How long $1 million will last: 27 years, 10 months and 30 days
Pictured: Hartford, Connecticut
Friendswood, Texas
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 7.2
- Total cost of living index: 109
- Total annual expenditures: $52,435.54
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $35,266.78
How long $1 million will last: 28 years, 4 months and 1 day
Pictured: Houston, Texas
Palatine, Illinois
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 5.5
- Total cost of living index: 107.6
- Total annual expenditures: $51,762.06
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $34,593.30
How long $1 million will last: 28 years, 10 months and 19 days
Pictured: Chicago, Illinois
Lake in the Hills, Illinois
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.3
- Total cost of living index: 107
- Total annual expenditures: $51,473.42
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $34,304.66
How long $1 million will last: 29 years, 1 month and 15 days
Mason, Ohio
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.7
- Total cost of living index: 104.4
- Total annual expenditures: $50,222.66
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $33,053.90
How long $1 million will last: 30 years, 2 months and 25 days
Pictured: Cincinnati, Ohio
Plainfield, Illinois
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 6.9
- Total cost of living index: 101.3
- Total annual expenditures: $48,731.38
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $31,562.62
How long $1 million will last: 31 years, 7 months and 29 days
Florence, Arizona
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.3
- Total cost of living index: 95.9
- Total annual expenditures: $46,133.65
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $28,964.89
How long $1 million will last: 34 years, 6 months and 1 day
North Royalton, Ohio
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.6
- Total cost of living index: 94.5
- Total annual expenditures: $45,460.17
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $28,291.41
How long $1 million will last: 35 years 3 months and 27 days
Pictured: Columbus, Ohio
Caledonia, Wisconsin
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 5.8
- Total cost of living index: 92.9
- Total annual expenditures: $44,690.47
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $27,521.71
How long $1 million will last: 36 years, 3 months and 22 days
Pictured: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Independence, Kentucky
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.8
- Total cost of living index: 92
- Total annual expenditures: $44,257.52
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $27,088.76
How long $1 million will last: 36 years, 10 months and 20 days
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Rexburg, Idaho
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.3
- Total cost of living index: 91.6
- Total annual expenditures: $44,065.10
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $26,896.34
How long $1 million will last: 37 years, 1 month and 24 days
Brunswick, Ohio
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 5.9
- Total cost of living index: 90.4
- Total annual expenditures: $43,487.82
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $26,319.06
How long $1 million will last: 37 years, 11 months and 19 days
North Ridgeville
- Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 3.6
- Total cost of living index: 88.7
- Total annual expenditures: $42,670.02
- Annual expenditures after annual Social Security benefits are used: $25,501.26
How long $1 million will last: 39 years, 2 months and 9 days
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Alexandria Bova contributed to the reporting for this article.
Methodology: GOBankingRates looked at the 50 safest cities in America as sourced from NeighborhoodScout’s 2021 Top 100 Safest Cities in America Report, in order to find out how long $1 million will last you in retirement in America’s safest cities. GOBankingRates determined the amount of time that $1 million will last during retirement in each city by multiplying the annual expenditures for someone 65 and older, sourced from the midyear 2019-2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey as conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by each city’s overall cost of living index as sourced from Sperling’s Best Places. This Annual Expenditure figure was then reduced by the annual Social Security Benefits a retiree would receive based on the Social Security Administration’s Monthly Statistical Snapshot, May 2021. Once the final annual expenditure minus Social Security benefits total was found, GOBankingRates took this figure and divided it by 1,000,000 to get the years, months and days that a million would last in retirement for each city. Each city’s crime rate (per 1,000) residents was sourced from NeighborhoodScout. All data is up to date and compiled on June 30, 2021.
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About the Author
Jordan Rosenfeld
Jordan Rosenfeld is a freelance writer and author of nine books. She holds a B.A. from Sonoma State University and an MFA from Bennington College. Her articles and essays about finances and other topics has appeared in a wide range of publications and clients, including The Atlantic, The Billfold, Good Magazine, GoBanking Rates, Daily Worth, Quartz, Medical Economics, The New York Times, Ozy, Paypal, The Washington Post and for numerous business clients. As someone who had to learn many of her lessons about money the hard way, she enjoys writing about personal finance to empower and educate people on how to make the most of what they have and live a better quality of life.
