Where is the best place to spend your golden years? According to U.S. News & World Report’s new study, 2025’s Best Places to Retire in the U.S., Naples, Florida takes the top spot. Florida’s Paradise Coast beat out 149 other top U.S. cities, with Virginia Beach, New York City, Sarasota, and Boise rounding out the top five best retirement locales.
Cities were ranked on how well they met American retirees’ expectations, with measurements including happiness of residents, affordability, health care, desirability, retiree taxes, and job market. Naples scored high on happiness, desirability, retiree taxes, and its job market.
U.S. News’ Top 10 Best Places to Retire in 2025
- Naples, Florida
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- New York City, New York
- Sarasota, Florida
- Boise, Idaho
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
“The 2025 Best Places to Retire rankings reflect top cities across the country that best meet retiree needs and desires,” said Dawn Bradbury, Assistant Managing Editor for Real Estate at U.S. News. “What we found this year is retirees seek a destination that will not only stretch their dollar, but is also a place for enjoyment. This is why the Midwest and South dominate the top 25.”
U.S. News changed two important elements in its methodology this year: weighting happiness the most heavily of all factors ranked, and using city-based data instead of Metro Statistical Area (MSA) data. This one-two punch really shook up the list, resulting in top 10 appearances from Virginia Beach (#2); Boise (#5); Raleigh, North Carolina (#6); Jacksonville (#7); Huntsville (#8); Charlotte, North Carolina (#9); and Fort Wayne, Indiana (#10).
“U.S. News’ rankings are consistently evolving to meet consumer needs,” Bradbury added. “This year’s shift from Metro Statistical Area data to city-based data enables the consumer to consider factors that will directly impact the livability and overall experiences associated with a city on a more local level.”
The six measures factored into this year’s rankings were weighted based on a public survey of individuals across the U.S. who are at or approaching retirement age (45 and older) to find out what matters most to people when they are considering where to retire. Data sources include the U.S. Census Bureau, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Risk Index, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sharecare and U.S. News’ Best Hospitals rankings.
Click here to view the full list of 2025’s Best Places to Retire.
