2015's Best Places to Retire in the US

When many people think about their retirement years, they imagine moving to a warmer climate or perhaps moving to be closer to their grandkids. However, the actual decision of where to move for retirement (if at all) is much more complex.

A recent survey from Bankrate found 60% of Americans would consider moving when they retire. That survey found city-dwellers and residents of the Midwest were the most likely to be pondering a post-retirement relocation.

The wisdom of such a move may have less to do with the weather and more to do with things such as the availability of healthcare, senior citizens’ centers, or affordable housing.

The consumer finance website WalletHub recently crunched the numbers on this topic to come up with a list of the best places to retire in the US. To do so, they looked at 24 metrics for the 150 largest cities in the US.

Among the factors WalletHub probed: Cost of living (Laredo, TX had the lowest); most recreation and senior centers per capita (Baton Rouge, LA had the most); and most fishing facilities per capita (Fort Lauderdale, FL won out).

What follows is a look at the 11 best cities to retire, according to WalletHub. Also listed is each cities aggregate rank in three categories: Affordability, Quality of Life, and Healthcare Accessibility.

Affordability Rank: 11 (tie)

Quality of Life Rank: 56

Healthcare Rank: 74

Image by Jamie Beverly/Creative Commons License

10. Peoria, AZ

Affordability Rank: 50

Quality of Life Rank: 6

Healthcare Rank: 71

Image by Brandon Hunt/Creative Commons License

9. Overland Park, KS

Affordability Rank: 103

Quality of Life Rank: 9

Healthcare Rank: 1

Image by City of Overland Park/Creative Commons License

8. Port St. Lucie, FL

Affordability Rank: 45

Quality of Life Rank: 11

Healthcare Rank: 57

Image by Mathew Ingram/Creative Commons License

7. Baton Rouge, LA

Affordability Rank: 28

Quality of Life Rank: 119

Healthcare Rank: 21

6. Sioux Falls, SD

Affordability Rank: 69

Quality of Life Rank: 47

Healthcare Rank: 3

5. Orlando, FL

Affordability Rank: 34

Quality of Life Rank: 104

Healthcare Rank: 15

4. Cape Coral, FL

Affordability Rank: 83

Quality of Life Rank: 3

Healthcare Rank: 17

Image by Pete Markham/Creative Commons License

3. Boise, ID

Affordability Rank: 21

Quality of Life Rank: 7

Healthcare Rank: 39

2. Scottsdale, AZ

Affordability Rank: 50

Quality of Life Rank: 2

Healthcare Rank: 33

1. Tampa, FL

Affordability Rank: 11 (tie)

Quality of Life Rank: 21

Healthcare Rank: 26

To read WalletHub’s full listing, click here.