25 Cities Where You Can Retire in Great Weather for $2,000 a Month

Livability: 77

Population 65+: 21.8%

Monthly cost of living with Social Security for homeowner: $1,294

Monthly cost of living with Social Security for renter: $1,208

Lakeland has a small-town feel with nice neighborhoods and an inexpensive cost of living. It’s 8.4% cheaper than the national average — housing is about 24% cheaper.

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed U.S. cities to find the best places where you can retire in great weather for $2,000 a month. GOBankingRates found cities with the best weather, sourced from 24/7 Wall St.’s “U.S. Cities with Absolute Best Weather,” FarmersAlmanac.com’s “The 10 Best U.S. Weather Cities,” Cutter.com’s “U.S. Cities with Best Weather,” RealEstate.USNews.com’s “Best Places to Live in the U.S. for the Weather” and Grillio.com’s “Top U.S. Cities for Weather.” Other data was sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, Sperling’s BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Observed Value Index, Zillow Home Value Index for May 2025, the Federal Reserve Economic Data and the Social Security Administration’s Monthly Statistical Snapshot. Livability index was sourced from AreaVibes. The cities were sorted to show the highest livability location. All data was collected on and is up to date as of July 14, 2025.