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Top 10 American Cities for Retirees in 2024

December 22, 2023

4 min Read

Written by David Nadelle

Edited by Daria Uhlig

A retired couple smiles and embraces while standing outside in front of palm trees.

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Florida cities like Naples, Sarasota and Fort Myers have long been popular among retirees for their warm climate, no state income tax and a variety of recreational activities. But for its 2024 Best Places to Retire in the U.S. study, U.S. News & World Report has included only Daytona Beach from the Sunshine State in its top 10.

When considering a retirement location, it’s crucial to assess a bunch of factors such as healthcare facilities, cost of living, proximity to family and friends and personal preferences for climate and lifestyle. U.S. News’ extensive methodology compared 150 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas on how well they meet Americans’ retirement needs and expectations, and the results are surprising.

When it published its Best Places to Retire list in May, Forbes named just two Pennsylvania cities — Bethlehem and Pittsburgh, selected for affordable housing and health care options. However, U.S. News & World Report’s list has no less than seven of the top 10 cities located in Pennsylvania, including Harrisburg, which it named the best place to retire in the U.S. for 2024.

So, what are Americans’ “retirement needs and expectations?” As the U.S. deals with record-high interest rates in the housing market and an ever-increasing cost of goods, more American retirees are placing the utmost importance on affordability, happiness and health, and Pennsylvania ticks those boxes.

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“As retirees consider where to spend their golden years, they want areas that not only give them the best bang for their buck, but places where they can live a happy, healthy life,” said U.S. News’ personal-finance expert Beverly Harzog in a statement. “This is why Pennsylvania dominated the Best Places to Retire ranking’s top positions.”

Florida is still a desirable place to retire, with six of its cities ranked in the top 25. However, Pennsylvania rules the listing. Aside from Harrisburg, Reading, Lancaster, Scranton, Allentown, York and Pittsburgh made the top 10, and Philadelphia sits just outside it, at number 13. Despite its high cost of living, New York City ranked high (#6), as did Youngstown, Ohio (#9).

With New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., all within driving distance, the Pennsylvania cities on the Best Places to Retire list are close to major cities but, as smaller cities, have more affordable homes and necessities like groceries and utilities.

“The areas that rank high on Best Places to Retire also tend to be more tax-friendly for seniors.” Harzog told Axios. Places that are cheaper to live in and levy lower taxes on seniors placed high on U.S. News’ list, and Pennsylvania doesn’t tax Social Security or pension income.

Here are U.S. News’ top 10 cities to retire, with population and affordability stats.