Florida Cities Dominate 2021 Best Places to Retire Rankings

Last updated: 2022/11/03 at 8:27 AM

By Stefan #TheListingBroker - Real Estate

3 Min Read

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A baker’s dozen of Florida cities rank among the Top 25 for retirees, according to U.S. News & World Report‘s Best Places to Retire in the U.S. in 2020-21 list.

U.S. News analyzed data for the nation’s 150 largest metropolitan areas to assess how well they meet Americans’ retirement needs and expectations.

**No. 25: Pensacola**
Overall Score: 6.9
Housing Affordability: 7.0
Health Care: 5.4

**No. 24: San Antonio**
Overall Score: 6.9
Housing Affordability: 6.7
Health Care: 5.5

**No. 23: Charlotte, North Carolina**
Overall Score: 6.9
Housing Affordability: 6.8
Health Care: 6.4

**No. 22: Houston**
Overall Score: 6.9
Housing Affordability: 6.1
Health Care: 6.4

**No. 21: Grand Rapids, Michigan**
Overall Score: 7.0
Housing Affordability: 7.2
Health Care: 7.0

**No. 20: Tampa**
Overall Score: 7.0
Housing Affordability: 6.6
Health Care: 6.6

**No. 19: Chattanooga, Tennessee**
Overall Score: 7.0
Housing Affordability: 7.5
Health Care: 6.1

**No. 18: Lakeland**
Overall Score: 7.0
Housing Affordability: 7.2
Health Care: 6.6

**No. 17: Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas**
Overall Score: 7.0
Housing Affordability: 6.1
Health Care: 6.6

**No. 16: Orlando**
Overall Score: 7.0
Housing Affordability: 6.4
Health Care: 6.4

**No. 15: Daytona Beach**
Overall Score: 7.0
Housing Affordability: 7.0
Health Care: 6.4

**No. 14: Manchester, New Hampshire**
Overall Score: 7.0
Housing Affordability: 5.0
Health Care: 7.5

**No. 13: Jacksonville**
Overall Score: 7.1
Housing Affordability: 6.6
Health Care: 6.1

**No. 12: Nashville, Tennessee**
Overall Score: 7.1
Housing Affordability: 6.6
Health Care: 6.1

U.S. News surveyed those nearing retirement age (45-59) and those who are of retirement age (60 or older) for guidance on what matters most to them.

Rankings are based on overall retirement scores calculated for each metro area. The overall score is a weighted average of six indexes: Happiness (22.7%); Housing Affordability (20.2%); Health Care Quality (18.1%); Retiree Taxes (14.6%); Desirability (13.5%); and Job Market (10.9%). The weighting for each index follows the answers from an August 2020 public survey in which people voted for what they believed was the most important factor to consider when choosing where to live.

Index sources include U.S. Census Bureau data, the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index, U.S. News Best Hospitals rankings, the Tax Foundation and Wolters Kluwer.