These Southern Hidden Gem Cities Are Perfect for Retirees

Retirees seeking warm weather and a more relaxed pace of life might consider moving down South — a recent GOBankingRates survey found that nearly a third of Americans want to retire there. But choosing where to retire within the region can be tricky, and there are a number of factors retirees might want to consider before making the move.

GOBankingRates determined the 30 best Southern cities to retire by analyzing the safety, percentage of the population age 65 and older, livability and the average cost of living for seniors in 60 of the biggest Southern cities by population size. Some of the best cities are popular for younger adults entering the workforce, but soon-to-be retirees might be overlooking these hidden gems when searching for the most affordable cities to retire.

• Annual expenditures: $67,470.45
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 54.73
• Livability score: 79

Austin eked onto the list of best Southern cities for retirement into the 30^th and final spot, undoubtedly dragged down by the cost of living. The first of eight Texas cities in the study, Austin is 29.4% more expensive to live in than the national average.

• Annual expenditures: $67,470.45
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 54.73
• Livability score: 79

Austin eked onto the list of best Southern cities for retirement into the 30^th and final spot, undoubtedly dragged down by the cost of living. The first of eight Texas cities in the study, Austin is 29.4% more expensive to live in than the national average.

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• Annual expenditures: $53,183.82
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 37.41
• Livability score: 73

Irving, a suburb of Dallas, apparently isn’t too popular with retirees. In all, only 8.02% of the residents are 65 and older, the lowest percentage on the list.

• Annual expenditures: $51,984.58
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 42.79
• Livability score: 70

One of five North Carolina locales in the study, Charlotte can boast a cost of living that is just below the national average. Its livability score of 70, tied for the lowest on the list, keeps Charlotte near the bottom of the rankings, however.

• Annual expenditures: $73,153.82
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 19.5
• Livability score: 80

The cost of living varies throughout Virginia, which has five entries among the top places to retire in the South, and it’s big in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Alexandria. Annual expenditures total more than $73,000, and that’s good for 40.3% above the national average – and the costliest spot on the list.

• Annual expenditures: $53,861.65
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 50.51
• Livability score: 73

Chesapeake ranks better than Alexandria in cost of living, coming in almost $20,000 below the national average. More than 13% of the population is 65 and over.

• Annual expenditures: $47,239.75
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 49.37
• Livability score: 74

Tallahassee is the most affordable of the four Florida destinations on the list, with average annual expenditures of about $47,000. That’s almost 10% below the national average.

• Annual expenditures: $52,662.41
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 46.05
• Livability score: 77

The cost of living in Dallas lands a tick above the national average, and it also has one of the higher crime rates among the Texas cities in the study.

• Annual expenditures: $59,440.74
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 19.58
• Livability score: 74

The Raleigh suburb has a cost of living that’s 14% above the national average. The senior population is about 12.5%, perhaps drawn by its lower crime rate.

• Annual expenditures: $54,070.22
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 33.51
• Livability score: 74

Tampa’s annual expenditures of about $54,000 exceed the national average by 3.7%, making it considerably costlier to live there than in Tallahassee, its neighbor to the north.

• Annual expenditures: $62,829.91
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 16.63
• Livability score: 83

Frisco, another Dallas suburb, draws high marks for its favorable livability score and low crime rate. It is one of only three locations in the study – along with Texas cities Irvine and Austin – to have a senior population of less than 10%.

• Annual expenditures: $49,794.66
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 10.49
• Livability score: 72

Retirees who want big-city amenities can find them in Houston. While the livability score sits at just an average 72, the cost of living is 4.5% below the national average.

• Annual expenditures: $54,330.92
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 141.06
• Livability score: 79

Cape Coral is attracting people 65 and older in drives as nearly one-fourth of the population is 65 and older — the highest on the list. The favorable livability score helped Cape Coral to secure its place in the rankings.

• Annual expenditures: $47,604.73
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 27.56
• Livability score: 70

While Baltimore’s livability score ties for the lowest in the study, its cost of living is nearly 9% less than the national average. The 65-and-older population is high at 14.12%.

• Annual expenditures: $43,120.61
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 42.41
• Livability score: 72

Retirees looking to settle in North Carolina could consider Greensboro, where the cost of living is more than 17% below the national average. Some seniors already have figured that out; the 65-and-older population is 13.35%.

• Annual expenditures: $47,865.44
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 15.26
• Livability score: 73

Norfolk possesses two of the most desirable qualities for retirees: a lower cost of living that’s 8% below the national average and a low crime rate.

• Annual expenditures: $50,837.48
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 41.17
• Livability score: 78

Durham, the home of Duke University, has a livability score of 78, perhaps a product of the number of things to do in the city.

• Annual expenditures: $42,755.62
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 22.23
• Livability score: 71

Suppose you’re looking for a less expensive North Carolina destination than Durham. In that case, try Fayetteville to the west, where the cost of living is 18% under the national average and the crime rate is almost half of Durham’s.

• Annual expenditures: $39,470.74
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 55.93
• Livability score: 71

Birmingham has the lowest cost of living among the Southern cities in the study at about 75% of the national average. Its livability score and crime rate keep it from landing higher on the list.

• Annual expenditures: $43,224.89
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 49.17
• Livability score: 72

Mobile isn’t quite as inexpensive as Birmingham; annual expenditures cost almost $3,000 more annually than in Birmingham. However, the crime rate is lower and the livability score is higher.

• Annual expenditures: $52,505.99
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 32.3
• Livability score: 72

Residents aged 65 and older make up 20.36% of the population in Port St. Lucie. The Florida city has the second-highest percentage of seniors of all the places included in this list.

• Annual expenditures: $51,984.58
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 10.56
• Livability score: 80

Garland is the safest city included on this list, with a rate of 10.56 crimes per 1,000 residents. Plus, it’s right at the national average when it comes to the cost of living, a benefit for the senior population in the city.

• Annual expenditures: $47,604.73
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 60.01
• Livability score: 85

With a rate of about 60 crimes per 1,000 residents, Virginia Beach is among the least-safe cities on the list. About 13% of the city’s population is aged 65 and older.

• Annual expenditures: $41,295.67
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 15.26
• Livability score: 74

Augusta has three things to appeal to seniors: a cost of living 20% below the national average, a low crime rate and golf. Augusta is the home of the annual Masters Tournament.

• Annual expenditures: $57,355.10
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 10.9
• Livability score: 88

With just 10.9 crimes per 1,000 residents, McKinney is the second-safest place to live in the list. That contributes to its livability score of 88, tied for second on the list.

• Annual expenditures: $43,642.02
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 49.62
• Livability score: 83

With an average annual expenditure for seniors of less than $44,000, Corpus Christi is an affordable option for retirees. The population of ages 65 and older is 14%.

• Annual expenditures: $42,964.18
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 46.66
• Livability score: 83

Tulsa might be an even better option than Corpus Christi as a place for retirees to settle down. The cost of living is more than 17% below the national average with annual expenditures totaling less than $43,000, and the crime rate is lower than in Corpus Christi.

• Annual expenditures: $50,107.50
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 25.94
• Livability score: 88

Richmond’s livability score of 88 and a cost of living almost 4% less than the national average landed the city in the No. 3 spot on the list. It has a senior population of just over 13%.

• Annual expenditures: $52,714.55
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 11.85
• Livability score: 92

When it comes to livability, though, Grand Prairie tops the list with a score of 92. Its crime rate also is among the lowest at just under 12 crimes per 1,000 residents. Both of those negate worries about the costs of living in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area community, which is just 1.1% over the national average.

• Annual expenditures: $39,940.01
• Crimes per 1,000 residents: 73.31
• Livability score: 88

Shreveport has the second-lowest cost of living for seniors compared to all of the other cities on this list, with an average annual expenditure of $39,940.01. And while the livability score is a robust 88, Shreveport still has one of the highest crime rates on the list.

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Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the Southern city “gems” that could be perfect for retirees by compiling a list of the biggest Southern cities by population size, based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s definition of the South region of the United States. Each city was scored across multiple factors; [1] Safety scores (total crimes per 1,000 residents), sourced from NeighborhoodScout; [2] Percentage of seniors, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Consumer Survey, [3] Livability scores, sourced from AreaVibes; [4] Annual expenditures of a person 65 years and over, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey, which was multiplied by the cities overall cost of living, sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces. Each individual category is assigned a score, with a higher score indicating a better ranking, and once all the data is compiled, all category scores are added together to get a final score so the best Southern cities for retirement can be determined. All data compiled and is up to date as of June 13, 2023.