WalletHub is once again out with its annual list of the “Best & Worst Places to Retire” (2026), featuring the same city now claiming the top spot for the third consecutive year, significantly outranking two other Florida cities that moved up to second and third overall.
To help Americans find the best cities to spend their golden years, WalletHub compared the retirement-friendliness of 182 cities—including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state—across four key dimensions: 1) Affordability, 2) Activities, 3) Quality of Life and 4) Healthcare.
“It’s important to choose wisely when picking where to retire, as many retirees are on a fixed income. As a result, the best cities for retired people are those that minimize taxes and expenses, as well as have good opportunities for retirees to continue paid work for extra income, if they choose to do so,” said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo. “In addition, the top cities provide high-quality health care and offer plenty of enjoyable activities for retirees.”
Best Places to Retire 2026
1. Orlando
Disney World in Orlando. Image credit: © Viavaltours | Dreamstime.com
Orlando landed in the top spot in WalletHub’s rankings for the third consecutive year with a total score of 63.68. That’s despite being ranked 77th for Quality of Life.
“While Orlando ranks 77th for Quality of Life, the city performs exceptionally well in the other three equally weighted dimensions. In particular, Orlando ranks No. 2 for Affordability, No. 17 for Activities and No. 11 for Healthcare. These strong performances more than offset its weaker Quality of Life ranking and help explain why Orlando retains the overall top spot,” a WalletHub spokesperson told 401(k) Specialist.
Orlando’s No. 2 ranking for Affordability reflects several factors. The city has the 21st-lowest adjusted cost of living among the 182 cities analyzed and ranks 20th in WalletHub’s Tax Rates report. Florida also has no estate or inheritance tax, which further contributes to its favorable tax environment. In addition, Orlando ranks 53rd for the cost of homemaker services and has the 24th-lowest median annual cost of adult day care, helping make long-term care and aging-related expenses relatively affordable.
“Orlando is the best place to retire, in part because it is one of the most tax-friendly cities and is located in a state without estate, inheritance or income taxes,” Lupo said. “In addition, while Orlando doesn’t have a particularly low cost of living, it is relatively inexpensive when it comes to homemaker services and adult day health care. On top of that, Orlando ranks as the second-best city for recreation, and it provides good access to quality health care.”
WalletHub noted Orlando has an especially high number of music venues, fishing facilities, art galleries and adult volunteer activities.
Finally, Orlando ranks 21st when it comes to gerontologists and eighth-highest for home health care facilities per capita. It also has the fourth-best hospitals for geriatrics, allowing elderly residents to receive quality care.
“More broadly, Orlando’s overall No. 1 ranking demonstrates that a city doesn’t necessarily need to rank near the top in every individual category to come out on top overall. Because the four dimensions are weighted equally, Orlando’s particularly strong scores in Affordability, Activities and Healthcare compensate for its lower Quality of Life performance,” WalletHub’s spokesperson added.
2. Miami
Miami Beach skyline. Image credit: © Giovanni Gagliardi | Dreamstime.com
Miami rose from No. 4 in last year’s ranking to the No. 2 spot for 2026 with a total score of 59.40. Ranking sixth for Aactivities helped due to an abundance of activities popular with retirees. Miami ranks at the top of the country when it comes to adult volunteer activities, art galleries and fishing facilities per capita, and it has the 17th-most museums and 11th-most recreation and senior centers.
While Miami was just 54th for Affordability, WalletHub pointed to Florida’s tax friendliness and that the city is among the cheapest cities for taxes in general.
On top of that, Miami is the sixth-most walkable city in the country, and the vast majority of residents have access to quality public transportation within walking distance of their homes.
The city ranked 29 for Healthcare and 91st for Quality of Life.
3. Tampa
Tampa. Image credit: © Sean Pavone | Dreamstime.com
Tampa jumped from fifth last year to the third-best place to retire in 2026 with a score of 59.29, mainly because it is one of the most tax-friendly cities in the country and does not have an estate or inheritance tax. Tampa also offers retirees a greater sense of security, sporting the 19th-lowest property crime rate, providing a safer environment for older adults to enjoy their retirement.
Tampa also provides a welcoming environment for retirees, thanks to its abundance of recreational and social opportunities (ranked 10th overall for Activities). It ranks as the fifth-best city for recreation in the nation, along with having the ninth-most bingo halls per capita. In addition, Tampa has the 11th-highest rate of adult volunteer activities, giving retirees plenty of opportunities to stay active, social and engaged in their communities.
4. Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Ariz. fell from second in last year’s rankings to fourth overall in 2026 with a total score of 58.87.
Scottsdale, Ariz. Image credit: © Davepmorgan | Dreamstime.com
The warm-weather golf mecca (more than 50 golf courses within the city limits) and longtime retirement hotspot ranked first overall for Quality of Life, 18th for Activities, 35th for Healthcare and 114 for Affordability.
Arizona features no state tax on Social Security benefits, a low 2.5% flat individual income tax, and no estate or inheritance taxes. The city’s main drawback is that cost of living, which runs about 13% to 15% higher than the national average. Housing costs and average home values—hovering above $830,000—rank well above national norms, placing it lower on pure financial affordability metrics while scoring at the top for quality of life.
Scottsdale also had the second highest percentage of population aged 65 and older among the 182 cities ranked, trailing only Pearl City, Hawaii (which was also tied for highest overall adjusted cost of living along with New York, Honolulu, San Jose and Santa Rosa, Calif.).
5. Casper, Wyo.
Casper, Wyo. Image credit: © Wirestock | Dreamstime.com
The most surprising city to make the top five on WalletHub’s 2026 list of the Best Places to Retire is undoubtedly the small, relatively isolated outpost of Caper, Wyo. It rose to the fifth spot this year with a total score of 58.79 after ranking 10th in 2025, and the rise is mainly attributed to ranking third for Affordability.
The second-largest city in the state with a population near 60,000 is helped by the fact that Wyoming has no state income tax, which helps retirees keep more of their pension, retirement accounts, and Social Security earnings.
Casper ranked 23rd for Quality of Life, 63rd for activities and 65th for Healthcare.
Rest of the top 10
Rounding out the rest of the 2026 top 10 are Atlanta (58.73 total score; best rank being fourth in Activities); Minneapolis (57.92; best rank eighth in Activities); Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (57.92; best rank 13th in Activities); Charleston, S.C. (57.54; best rank 26th in Activities); and Pittsburgh (56.58; best rank seventh for Healthcare).
The rankings of some other large cities include 12. Las Vegas (total score 56.49); 19. Denver (55.24); 21. San Francisco (54.73); 23. Austin (54.56); 32. San Diego (52.48); 39. Los Angeles (51.81); 43. New Orleans (51.28); 50. Dallas (50.56); 60. Philadelphia (49.72); 76. Phoenix (48.95); and 82. Houston (48.46). Barely cracking the top 100 were 96. Kansas City; 97. Chicago; 98. Boston; and 99. Nashville.
Check out the full list of rankings here.
Graphic courtesy of WalletHub
2026 Worst Places to Retire
At the bottom of the rankings, you have cities WalletHub calls the “Worst Places to Retire” in 2026, and as usual, it’s heavy on California locations (five of the bottom six) largely due to affordability issues.
The same two cities that placed last in the rankings in 2025 are still there in 2026—but they switched spots.
Stockton, Calif. Image credit: © Wirestock | Dreamstime.com
Stockton, Calif., landed at the 182nd and last spot on the rankings with a score of 35.19. Stockton was ranked dead last for Activities, 153rd for Healthcare, 135th in Affordability and 133rd in Quality of Life.
San Bernadino, Calif., moved one spot out of the cellar into 181st with a total score of 36.83. It was 171st for Healthcare and 166th for Quality of Life. It fared only slightly better for Activities (140) and Affordability (126).
Newark, N.J. was third to last in the rankings with a total score of 37.89, dinged by finishing 168th in Quality of Life and 156th in Affordability. It was 127th in Healthcare and 86th in Activities.
Three more California cities were next worse in Fresno (38.30), Rancho Cucamonga (38.48) and Bakersfield (38.70).
SEE ALSO:
• 7 Most Affordable ‘Best Places to Retire’ in 2026: Forbes
• Midwest Tops Charts in U.S. News 2026 ‘Best Places to Retire’
• 2025 Best and Worst Cities for Retirement Features Repeat Winner (and Loser)
• The Best Countries for Retirement are Not the Richest