These Are the Top 10 Best Places to Retire According to The Motley Fool
Key Points
Rich with history, each of these cities has a story to tell.
One city was kept afloat during the Great Depression by a businessman who persuaded townspeople to buy Coca-Cola stock.
Only one major city in the U.S. is thought to have been founded by a female.
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Preparing for retirement includes making what feels like a ton of decisions -- including where you want to live. But how do you determine the "perfect" spot, the place that will fit you like a glove?
To come up with the list of the Best Places to Retire in 2026, The Motley Fool surveyed 2,000 retired Americans about what they look for in the ideal town. Based on that information, seven key factors were weighted by preference, and the search began. Here are the top 10 spots to retire, how they scored, and a fun fact about each.
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1. Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida
Quality of life: 78 | Healthcare: 33 | Housing: 45 | Cost of living: 64 | Crime: 61 | Tax: 62 | Climate: 88 | Total retirement score: 64
If you believe in such a thing, Fort Lauderdale sits on the western edge of the Bermuda Triangle.
2. St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida
Quality of life: 70 | Healthcare: 17 | Housing: 42 | Cost of living: 57 | Crime: 74 | Tax: 64 | Climate: 84 | Total retirement score: 59
Not only is St. Augustine the oldest continually occupied European settlement in the country, but Castillo de San Marcos is also the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S.
3. Quincy, Gadsden County, Florida
Quality of life: 41 | Healthcare: 61 | Housing: 63 | Cost of living: 80 | Crime: 61 | Tax: 65 | Climate: 80 | Total retirement score: 59
What would you think of relocating to a city that was once the richest town per capita in the country? The financial boon was due to a local banker who was savvy enough to convince town residents to purchase (and keep purchasing) Coca-Cola stock during the Great Depression.
4. Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Quality of life: 53 | Healthcare: 43 | Housing: 61 | Cost of living: 79 | Crime: 78 | Tax: 48 | Climate: 68 | Total retirement score: 58
In 1879, Cleveland became the first city with electric lighting. In addition, the Cuyahoga River, which runs through Cleveland, has caught fire on 13 different occasions.
5. Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas
Quality of life: 52 | Healthcare: 48 | Housing: 62 | Cost of living: 80 | Crime: 55 | Tax: 56 | Climate: 75 | Total retirement score: 58
In two pieces of food news, Brown-N-Serve rolls were invented in the 1930 at Meyer's Bakery in Little Rock, and the city is the birthplace of the original cheese dog -- a wiener filled with cheese.
6. Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Quality of life: 46 | Healthcare: 52 | Housing: 59 | Cost of living: 85 | Crime: 69 | Tax: 53 | Climate: 71 | Total retirement score: 57
Not only does Philadelphia have the most murals in the nation (with over 3,600), but the city hosted the first Thanksgiving parade in 1920.
7. Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Quality of life: 67 | Healthcare: 27 | Housing: 51 | Cost of living: 79 | Crime: 74 | Tax: 39 | Climate: 64 | Total retirement score: 57
The city of Saint Paul was originally called "Pig's Eye" in honor of a one-eyed fur trader who settled and opened the Pig's Eye Tavern.
8. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Quality of life: 54 | Healthcare: 45 | Housing: 55 | Cost of living: 87 | Crime: 72 | Tax: 42 | Climate: 66 | Total retirement score: 57
The Greater Milwaukee area represents more than 25% of the state's tourism economy, a fact that saves area taxpayers money.
9. Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida
Quality of life: 58 | Healthcare: 34 | Housing: 40 | Cost of living: 62 | Crime: 61 | Tax: 63 | Climate: 88 | Total retirement score: 57
Miami is the only major U.S. city founded by a woman, local businesswoman Julia Tuttle.
10. Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
Quality of life: 44 | Healthcare: 37 | Housing: 69 | Cost of living: 90 | Crime: 86 | Tax: 48 | Climate: 65 | Total retirement score: 57
For more than 300 years, the Allegheny River and its tributaries have served as Armstrong County's highway to the outside world.
While this list is impressive, you may have an entirely different picture of the "ideal" retirement. If you picture yourself somewhere out west instead, take a look at The Motley Fool's Best Places to Retire in the West in 2026 list.
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Dana George has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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