Key Takeaways
Some U.S. cities offer far better healthcare access and quality for retirees than others, even under the same Medicare system.
Illinois, Wisconsin, and Texas cities rank highly, with some excelling in quality and others in sheer access to care.
Medicare coverage is standardized, but where you live can still affect wait times, provider access, and quality of care.
When people plan for retirement, the cost of living, climate, proximity to family, and recreational activities tend to dominate conversations. Healthcare is rarely the first consideration—despite being one of the most consequential concerns for many retirees.
But where you live can shape your healthcare experience more than many realize. As you age, medical care becomes a bigger part of daily life—and location plays a major role in how easy it is to access care, how long you wait, and how good that care will be.
How We Narrowed 100 Retirement Spots Down to the Best for Healthcare
To identify the best places for retiree healthcare, we analyzed the same dataset used for Investopedia’s 100 Best U.S. Cities for Retirees in 2026—this time focusing specifically on healthcare access and quality.
We evaluated cities across four key factors that shape the retiree experience:
The number of ambulatory care establishments in the county
The number of hospitals in the county
The average hospital star rating, based on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) quality scores
Each state’s Medicare performance ranking, reflecting how well patients are served overall
We combined these into a composite score from 0 to 100. Access carried slightly more weight, with the number of ambulatory care establishments accounting for 28% of the score and the remaining three factors contributing 24% each.
Why This Matters
As healthcare needs grow in retirement, choosing a city with strong medical infrastructure can mean shorter waits, more options, and better care.
15 Places Where Retirees Have the Best Access to Top Healthcare
The highest-scoring cities span a mix of large metro areas and smaller communities, with different paths to strong healthcare—some stand out for sheer volume, while others excel in quality.
Elgin, Ill. (Score: 100) – The top-ranked city overall, Elgin’s 61 hospitals and more than 10,000 ambulatory care establishments across Kane and Cook counties (Elgin is located in both) offset Illinois’ low Medicare performance ranking.
Waukesha, Wis. (Score: 97) – Though Waukesha County has just eight hospitals and about 1,100 ambulatory care establishments, they are highly rated for quality, and backed by strong statewide Medicare performance.
Lebanon, Pa. (Score: 96) – A high hospital star rating drives Lebanon’s No. 3 ranking, helping compensate for its smaller number of facilities.
Carrollton, Texas (Score: 95) – The highest-ranked of seven Texas cities, Carrollton benefits from 53 hospitals and over 10,700 ambulatory care sites.
Chicago, Ill. (Score: 95) – The Windy City combines scale with variation: 55 hospitals—including some of the country’s most highly regarded hospitals— and extensive outpatient care, though quality ranges widely across facilities.
Katy, Texas (Score: 94) – Spanning Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller counties, Katy offers access to 55 hospitals and over 10,700 ambulatory care sites, with a solid average star rating.
La Crosse, Wis. (Score: 92) – Like Waukesha, La Crosse ranks highly thanks to strong quality and Wisconsin’s above-average Medicare performance.
Grand Prairie, Texas (Score: 91) – Sitting across four counties in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, Grand Prairie residents have access to 60 hospitals and more than 7,000 ambulatory care facilities, with its hospitals averaging 3.33 stars.
Wilmington, Del. (Score: 90) – Delaware’s ninth-place Medicare ranking and a respectable hospital score of 3.67 stars help Wilmington offset a smaller number of facilities.
Houston, Pasadena, and Spring, Texas (Score: 89) – All three share Harris County’s infrastructure: 46 hospitals and 10,710 ambulatory care facilities, including No. 1-ranked MD Anderson Cancer Center. Spring offers the quietest suburban setting of the three, while Houston is the most urban.
Vancouver, Wash. (Score: 89) – Vancouver has just three hospitals, but they have a 4-star average rating, supported by strong statewide Medicare performance and the Portland metro adding options just across the river.
Baytown, Texas (Score: 89) – Access to 48 hospitals and more than 10,700 ambulatory care sites keeps Baytown competitive, despite slightly lower average hospital ratings than in the Houston-Pasadena-Spring cluster.
Pittsburgh, Pa. (Score: 89) – Allegheny County’s 16 hospitals include major systems like UPMC, with solid average ratings and midtier Medicare performance.
As you can see, Texas dominates the list, despite ranking relatively low for Medicare performance, driven by the sheer number of hospitals and care facilities. Meanwhile, smaller cities in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania rank highly by delivering fewer—but often higher-quality—options.
For a full breakdown of each city’s scores across all four metrics, see our table with complete results below.
Why Where You Retire Still Shapes Your Healthcare—Even With Medicare
Medicare follows you wherever you retire, but that doesn’t mean all locations offer the same experience.
Costs and coverage are largely standardized nationwide, but access to care can vary widely. The number of physicians, specialists, and hospitals that accept Medicare differs by region, and in areas with fewer providers, retirees may face longer wait times or fewer options.
Quality isn’t uniform, either. Hospitals are rated on a scale of one to five stars by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services based on patient outcomes, safety, and experience—and those scores can differ significantly from one place to another.
Recent data underscores that divide. The Commonwealth Fund’s 2025 State Scorecard on Medicare Performance found that some states deliver faster access, more effective care, and lower costs, while others struggle with delays, administrative hurdles, and less consistent support.
Full Results: How Each City Scored Across Healthcare Metrics
Place
Investopedia Score
Ambulatory Care Establishments in County
Hospitals in County
Hospital Avg. Star Rating
State Medicare Performance Ranking
Elgin, Ill.
100
10,663
61
2.74
37
Waukesha, Wis.
97
1,081
8
4.50
13
Lebanon, Pa.
96
172
3
5.00
16
Carrollton, Texas
95
13,005
53
3.49
46
Chicago, Ill.
95
10,663
55
2.65
37
Katy, Texas
94
10,710
55
3.33
46
La Crosse, Wis.
92
198
2
4.50
13
Grand Prairie, Texas
91
7,181
60
3.33
46
Wilmington, Del.
90
1,438
6
3.67
9
Houston, Texas
89
10,710
46
3.39
46
Pasadena, Texas
89
10,710
46
3.39
46
Spring, Texas
89
10,710
46
3.39
46
Vancouver, Wash.
89
867
3
4.00
11
Baytown, Texas
89
10,710
48
3.25
46
Pittsburgh, Pa.
89
3,235
16
3.44
16
Read the original article on Investopedia