With a new year comes a new age group of seniors ready to finally retire and enjoy their golden years. Before retiring in 2026, though, it pays to know the best places in America to settle down in terms of cost. Most retirees have to live off fixed incomes, and overspending on a too-high cost of living can greatly reduce the quality of your retirement.
That’s why GOBankingRates recently culled information from U.S. News & World Report and BestPlaces to determine the 20 best American cities for retirement in 2026. From U.S. News, GOBankingRates sourced the top 20 cities, as well as their overall ranking amongst other American cities (U.S. rank) and their median monthly rent. From BestPlaces, GOBankingRates found where each city fell on the cost-of-living index. Any city indexed below 100 has a cost of living less than the national average; any city indexed above 100 has a cost of living greater than the national average.
From that matrix of information, you can see the 20 best places to retire in 2026. The cities span the entirety of America, but there are a few hotspot states. Six of the cities are in Florida, five are in Texas and three are in Michigan.
Curious about which city would work best with your retirement budget? Keep reading to find the right place for you.