50 Safest Places To Retire in the US

There are many factors to consider when deciding where to enjoy retirement, from affordability to the scope of amenities available. 

Another issue often top of mind for retirees is finding a safe and secure place to call home in these golden years, while still living within your means.

To find the 50 safest places to retire in the U.S., GOBankingRates analyzed cities across the U.S. using crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Data Explorer. The data showed the number of property-crime-related reported crimes, the number of violent-crime-related reported crimes, and the population associated with the reporting area. Additionally, GOBankingRates also sourced cost of living data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

A large number of cities on this list were on the East Coast, with both New York and New Jersey well represented, plus Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as midwestern states like Indiana and Ohio.

Read on to find out which cities you can retire in with the greatest security.

• Population: 26,500 
• Violent crime rate: 0.264
• Property crime rate: 3.321
• Monthly cost of living: $2,093

• Population: 17,581 
• Violent crime rate: 0.114
• Property crime rate: 4.778
• Monthly cost of living: $2,173

• Population: 10,147 
• Violent crime rate: 0.394
• Property crime rate: 1.971
• Monthly cost of living: $1,919

Pictured: Providence, Rhode Island

• Population: 16,351 
• Violent crime rate: 0.245
• Property crime rate: 3.364
• Monthly cost of living: $1,794 

Pictured: Anderson, Indiana

• Population: 20,071 
• Violent crime rate: 0.249
• Property crime rate: 3.189
• Monthly cost of living: $1,858

Pictured: Georgetown, Texas

• Population: 17,119 
• Violent crime rate: 0.000
• Property crime rate: 5.491
• Monthly cost of living: $2,075

Pictured: Margate City, New Jersey

• Population: 15,432 
• Violent crime rate: 0.518
• Property crime rate: 0.324
• Monthly cost of living: $1,895

Pictured: Lynn, Massachusetts

• Population: 14,455 
• Violent crime rate: 0.208
• Property crime rate: 3.251
• Monthly cost of living: $1,815

Pictured: Park City, Utah

• Population: 25,765   
• Violent crime rate: 0.155
• Property crime rate: 3.726
• Monthly cost of living: $2,221

• Population: 17,716 
• Violent crime rate: 0.169
• Property crime rate: 3.5
• Monthly cost of living: $1,882

Pictured: Providence, Rhode Island

• Population: 32,575 
• Violent crime rate: 0.153
• Property crime rate: 3.592
• Monthly cost of living: $1,837

• Population: 10,055 
• Violent crime rate: 0.199
• Property crime rate: 3.083
• Monthly cost of living: $2,081

Pictured: Vorhees Township, New Jersey

• Population: 18,511 
• Violent crime rate: 0.162
• Property crime rate: 3.403
• Monthly cost of living: $1,993 

• Population: 13,548 
• Violent crime rate: 0.074
• Property crime rate: 4.207
• Monthly cost of living: $2,082

Pictured: Lambertville, New Jersey

• Population: 13,945 
• Violent crime rate: 0.287
• Property crime rate: 2.080
• Monthly cost of living: $1,827

Pictured: Naperville, Illinois

• Population: 11,011 
• Violent crime rate: 0.091
• Property crime rate: 3.996
• Monthly cost of living: $2,112

Pictured: Westport, Connecticut

• Population: 20,434 
• Violent crime rate: 0.294
• Property crime rate: 2.006
• Monthly cost of living: $1,811

• Population: 24,373 
• Violent crime rate: 0.205
• Property crime rate: 2.872
• Monthly cost of living: $2,098

Pictured: Moorestown, New Jersey

• Population: 17,777 
• Violent crime rate: 0.056
• Property crime rate: 4.275
• Monthly cost of living: $2,407

Pictured: Brooklyn, New York

• Population: 42,893 
• Violent crime rate: 0.140
• Property crime rate: 3.007
• Monthly cost of living: $2,105

Pictured: Avalon, New Jersey

• Population: 13,625 
• Violent crime rate: 0.073
• Property crime rate: 3.596
• Monthly cost of living: $1,965

Pictured: Newark, New Jersey

• Population: 10,011 
• Violent crime rate: 0.100
• Property crime rate: 3.296
• Monthly cost of living: $2,122

Pictured: Newark, New Jersey

• Population: 10,534 
• Violent crime rate: 0.190
• Property crime rate: 2.373
• Monthly cost of living: $2,181 

Pictured: Ithaca, New York

• Population: 16,897 
• Violent crime rate: 0.059
• Property crime rate: 3.492
• Monthly cost of living: $2,122

Pictured: Morristown, New Jersey

• Population: 20,498 
• Violent crime rate: 0.195
• Property crime rate: 1.854
• Monthly cost of living: $2,100 

Pictured: Edison, New Jersey

• Population: 13,175
• Violent crime rate: 0
• Property crime rate: 3.719
• Monthly cost of living: $1,930

Pictured: Galena, Illinois

• Population: 10,040 
• Violent crime rate: 0.100
• Property crime rate: 2.689
• Monthly cost of living: $2,095

Pictured: Trenton, New Jersey

• Population: 24,202 
• Violent crime rate: 0.165
• Property crime rate: 1.735
• Monthly cost of living: $2,079

• Population: 17,508 
• Violent crime rate: 0.228
• Property crime rate: 1.085
• Monthly cost of living: $1,738

Pictured: Cleveland

• Population: 15,699 
• Violent crime rate: 0.318
• Property crime rate: 0.127
• Monthly cost of living: $1,908

Pictured: Williamstown, Massachusetts

• Population: 23,441 
• Violent crime rate: 0.043
• Property crime rate: 2.816
• Monthly cost of living: $2,155

Pictured: Elizabeth, New Jersey

• Population: 11,204 
• Violent crime rate: 0.000
• Property crime rate: 2.856
• Monthly cost of living: $1,834

• Population: 27,682 
• Violent crime rate: 0.036
• Property crime rate: 2.384
• Monthly cost of living: $2,111

Pictured: Flemington, New Jersey

• Population: 10,385 
• Violent crime rate: 0.096
• Property crime rate: 1.637
• Monthly cost of living: $1,922 

• Population: 13,680 
• Violent crime rate: 0.073
• Property crime rate: 1.827
• Monthly cost of living: $2,229

• Population: 19,490 
• Violent crime rate: 0.103
• Property crime rate: 1.437
• Monthly cost of living: $1,715 

Pictured: Bronx, New York

• Population: 13,601 
• Violent crime rate: 0.074
• Property crime rate: 1.691
• Monthly cost of living: $2,004

• Population: 10,897 
• Violent crime rate: 0.0
• Property crime rate: 2.386
• Monthly cost of living: $2,172

• Population: 10,350 
• Violent crime rate: 0.0
• Property crime rate: 2.126 
• Monthly cost of living: $2,364

• Population: 16,948 
• Violent crime rate: 0.059
• Property crime rate: 1.357
• Monthly cost of living: $1,748

Pictured: Fitchburg, Wisconsin

• Population: 11,456 
• Violent crime rate: 0.0
• Property crime rate: 1.833
• Monthly cost of living: $2,067

Pictured: Red Bank, New Jersey

• Population: 14,067 
• Violent crime rate: 0.0
• Property crime rate: 1.635
• Monthly cost of living: $1,575

Pictured: St. Paul, Minnesota

• Population: 22,623 
• Violent crime rate: 0.0
• Property crime rate: 1.547
• Monthly cost of living: $2,099

• Population: 16,243 
• Violent crime rate: 0.0
• Property crime rate: 1.539
• Monthly cost of living: $2,417

• Population: 25,048 
• Violent crime rate: 0.0
• Property crime rate: 1.397
• Monthly cost of living: $2,325

Pictured: Manchester, Connecticut

• Population: 10,484 
• Violent crime rate: 0.000
• Property crime rate: 1.145
• Monthly cost of living: $1,757

Pictured: North Royalton, Ohio

• Population: 16,989 
• Violent crime rate: 0.0
• Property crime rate: 0.942
• Monthly cost of living: $2,373

Pictured: Binghampton, New York

• Population: 11,912 
• Violent crime rate: 0.0
• Property crime rate: 0.168
• Monthly cost of living: $2,227

• Population: 10,802 
• Violent crime rate: 0.0
• Property crime rate: 0.093
• Monthly cost of living: $1,840

• Population: 12,088 
• Violent crime rate: 0.0
• Property crime rate: 0.083
• Monthly cost of living: $2,274

Pictured: Upstate New York

Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to the writing for this article.

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities across the United States to find the safest places to retire. GOBankingRates used the crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Data Explorer. The data from the FBI showed the number of property-crime related reported crimes, the number of violent-crime related reported crimes, and the population assosiated with the reporting area. Using the FBI’s data the property crime rate per 1,000 residents and the violent crime rate per 1,000 residents can be calculated. The violent crime rate per 1,000 residents and the property crime rate per 1,000 residents can both be scored and summed to show the safest places in the US. To find the best places, all the cities with a population below 10,000 residents was removed. For each of the safest cities on the list, the cost of living indexes were sourced from Sperlings BestPlaces. Using the Consumer Expenditure Survey for Retired Residents, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average overall monthly cost of living can be found. This includes all the average expenditure costs including; grocery, healthcare, utilities, transportation, housing, and misc and is only provided for supplemental information. Only the property crime rate and violent crime rate were scored for this study. All the data was collected and is up to date as of April 2, 2024.