{"id":256988,"date":"2026-04-19T16:10:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T16:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/256988\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T16:10:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T16:10:13","slug":"michigan-west-virginia-florida-and-texas-have-the-best-cities-to-retire-in-and-none-of-them-are-the-typical-go-to-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/256988\/","title":{"rendered":"Michigan, West Virginia, Florida, and Texas Have the Best Cities To Retire In\u2014 And None of Them Are the Typical Go-To Spots"},"content":{"rendered":"

Almost every “best of” list about retirement destinations<\/a> for seniors looking to relocate has the same old places. And while there’s a reason that spots like Orlando, Florida<\/a> always end up near the top of those collections, there are a lot of other places out there worth exploring.<\/p>\n

A new list from U.S. World News and Reports seems to take aim at some of those less popular destinations<\/a>, offering new city suggestions in those states where retirees flock. And while some of these spots may ring a bell, I’m willing to bet that there will be at least one or two that you’re unfamiliar with.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfac SIGN UP for Parade\u2019s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox<\/a> \ud83c\udfac<\/p>\n

West Virginia<\/p>\n

Weirton, West Virginia, is near the top of the\u00a0U.S. World News and Reports\u00a0list of best places to retire (only beaten out by\u00a0Midland, Michigan). With a population of just 18,315, it will be a lot easier to meet other seniors once you move here. Plus, the median home value here is just $124,746, so retirees with plenty of equity in their current home could end up living mortgage-free when they move here and buy a new home.<\/p>\n

And the benefits don’t end there, either. According to Senior Site, the Mountain State offers a low cost of living and plenty of tax perks, including those for people looking to move somewhere with low taxes on retirement<\/a> income. That’s because the state began phasing out its taxes on Social Security benefits in 2024, which means that this income will be tax-free by 2026.<\/p>\n

Related: This City in Kansas Is Where the \u2018American Dream\u2019 Is Still Possible, and Retirees Should Take Advantage of It<\/a><\/p>\n

Florida<\/p>\n

Like I said, just about every retirement list includes Orlando towards the top. But what if I told you that U.S. World News and Reports named several other Florida cities among the best of the best, including Homosassa Springs, which ranked in third place on a list of 250 spots.<\/p>\n

The town has a lot going for it, especially if you’re a nature lover\u2014I personally used to visit this town as a kid, and we would always go out on the water in the hopes of spotting manatees and alligators\u2014and it comes along with the low income tax<\/a> burden that many retirees flock to the state for. In addition, you can find really affordable housing here, and the median home value is just $219,581.<\/p>\n

Not falling in love with Homosassa Springs? Several other Florida towns made the list, including but not limited to Spring Hill (7th out of 250), Palm Harbor (13th out of 250), Naples (18th out of 250), Pensacola (19th out of 250), and Cape Coral (21st out of 250).<\/p>\n

Related: These Are the 3 Worst Southern Cities for Retirement<\/a><\/p>\n

Texas<\/p>\n

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the perks for retirees who want to move somewhere like The Woodlands. This community is a big one, which may be why it earned fourth place on the list. And while it may be popular, there’s probably a good reason why so many people flock here.<\/p>\n

And while you’ll pay a little more than the national average to live here\u2014median home values hover right around $474,279, according to the report\u2014Edelman Financial Engines says that the following things will keep you happy<\/a> in your golden years:<\/p>\n

No taxes on retirement benefits<\/p>\n

Not feeling The Woodlands? There are several other Texas cities on the list, including Spring (5th out of 250), Victoria (12th out of 250), Pearland (17th out of 250), Conroe (20th out of 250), and League City (25th out of 250).<\/p>\n

Michigan<\/p>\n

As I said, Orlando, Florida, is often everyone’s go-to for the best places to retire. But the U.S. World News and Report actually listed Midland, Michigan, as the winner. Here, homes have a median value of around $206,142. Just like in Florida, there’s no tax on Social Security income. However, unlike Florida, Michigan has mild summers, a huge draw for anyone who wants to avoid the heat and humidity in retirement.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the state experiences all four seasons (heavy on the winter, naturally), so you won’t have to sacrifice diversity when you move here. Believe it or not, Midland wasn’t the only Michigan hot spot on the list, and a few other cities also ranked high, including Rochester Hills (14th out of 250), Troy (15th out of 250), and Farmington Hills (31st out of 250).<\/p>\n

Of course, where you decide to move in retirement is a deeply personal decision and one that should be made using a variety of criteria, not just where a city lands on a list. That said, there’s obviously something drawing folks to these top locations, especially if they are enticing enough to beat out some of the old standbys we’re so used to seeing in these roundups.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Parade<\/a> on Apr 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Life<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Almost every “best of” list about retirement destinations for seniors looking to relocate has the same old places.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":256989,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[3118,96683,96685,3116,2300,11722,96684,27,29,28,96682,9541,3317],"class_list":{"0":"post-256988","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-texas","8":"tag-florida","9":"tag-homosassa-springs","10":"tag-median-home-value","11":"tag-michigan","12":"tag-midland","13":"tag-orlando","14":"tag-retirement-benefits","15":"tag-texas","16":"tag-texas-headlines","17":"tag-texas-news","18":"tag-weirton","19":"tag-west-virginia","20":"tag-world-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=256988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256988\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/256989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=256988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=256988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}