The 6 Best Midwest Cities To Live on Only a Social Security Check

Retirement can be as stressful as it is exciting. With a new kind of financial ballgame to get used to, finding somewhere with a good quality of life for retirees is an essential venture to make.

Whether you’re looking for fresh scenery with new things to do, a community that’s friendlier to older folks or an area with a lower cost of living, there’s something out there for everyone. GOBankingRates researched and found the six best Midwest cities to live on just a social security check.

• Average one-bedroom rent: $771.00
• Percentage of population 65 and older: 14%
• Monthly grocery cost: $395.36
• Monthly healthcare cost: $495.27

If you like city life, then you may want to consider Des Moines. As the state’s capital, the city boasts plenty of things to do from historical museums and parks to an array of restaurants and bars.

• Average one-bedroom rent: $808.71
• Percentage of population 65 and older: 12%
• Monthly grocery cost: $409.77
• Monthly healthcare cost: $368.86

That’s right, the city centered around the famous movie “Fargo” is actually a fine city to retire in. If you like arts and music, you’ll be happy to know about Fargo’s Fiber Arts Festival or the Fargo Blues Festival. College football fans may also love it in Fargo — it’s home of North Dakota State University’s stadium and their team, the NDSU Bison.

• Average one-bedroom rent: $799.57
• Percentage of population 65 and older: 15%
• Monthly grocery cost: $401.95
• Monthly healthcare cost: $368.43

Cincinnati boasts its historic architecture. It’s a city known for having beautifully designed architecture, like its Italianate buildings in the downtown area. As an old city, you can expect to see other popular architectural designs of the past throughout it. Some of the buildings in Cincinnati are even historical landmarks, like the Taft Museum of Art, which used to be owned by William Howard Taft’s half brother.

• Average one-bedroom rent: $795.29
• Percentage of population 65 and older: 16%
• Monthly grocery cost: $375.18
• Monthly healthcare cost: $360.66

Michigan’s capital city makes for a nice and comfy place to retire, especially if you like being outdoors! The Lansing River Trail is a 13-mile stretch of trail that runs along the Grand River and Red Cedar River, and is popular for hikers and kayakers alike. If you’d rather enjoy nightlife, though, you could check out music venue The Loft, which regularly hosts a variety of artists to see live.

• Average one-bedroom rent: $781.00
• Percentage of population 65 and older: 15%
• Monthly grocery cost: $399.48
• Monthly healthcare cost: $336.94

St. Cloud is a city known for its medical facilities. The health provider CentraCare was listed in the U.S. News & World Report “America’s Best Hospitals.” CentraCare specializes in diabetes and endocrinology, geriatrics and pulmonology, to name a few. There are plenty of ways to stay active in St. Cloud, from paddle boarding on the Mississippi River to enjoying the trail that runs parallel to it.

• Average one-bedroom rent: $668.83
• Percentage of population 65 and older: 14%
• Monthly grocery cost: $409.36
• Monthly healthcare cost: $415.45

Grand Forks is a city that claims to have something for everyone. As the third-largest city in North Dakota, Grand Forks’ urban areas are bordered by cozy suburbs with a small-town feel. From the Ralph Engelstad Arena to the 21-mile-long Greenway trail, there’s always something to do in Grand Forks.

_{Methodology:GOBankingRates determined where in the Midwest to live on only Social Security checks based on the (1) average monthly benefit for retired workers, sourced from the Social Security Administration; and ApartmentList data to find (2) average 2022 one-bedroom rent in Midwest cities. GOBankingRates then researched Sperling’s Best to find the cost of living index for each listed city, looking at (3) grocery and (4) healthcare index scores. GOBankingRates additionally used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find the annual expenditure amount for both grocery (“food at home”) and healthcare costs for people aged 65 and older in order to find how much a person 65 and over would spend on groceries and healthcare in each city on a monthly basis. GOBankingRates then added monthly housing, grocery, and healthcare costs together. In order for a city to be qualified for the study, its (5) population had to be 10% or more over the age of 65, according to the U.S. Census Bureau; and (6) have a livability score of 65 or above, sourced from AreaVibes. All data was collected on and up to date as of Sept. 9, 2022.}