Best places to retire in 2026: winners and losers
Key points:
- • Orlando and Miami top one national retirement ranking, while a competing study places Florida at No. 44 overall.
- • Pennsylvania wins Choice Mutual’s 2026 state ranking outright, with Pittsburgh cited as an affordable standout.
- • Atlanta’s tax breaks and hospital systems clash with Georgia’s poor marks in the same study.
September 2026 — The best places to retire in 2026 depend entirely on which study a retiree consults, and nowhere does that gap show up more clearly than across caa’s core markets. Florida cities top one national ranking and sit near the bottom of another. Pennsylvania, not Florida, wins a separate contest outright.
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Florida’s split verdict
WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 45 measures of affordability, activities, quality of life and healthcare, ranking Orlando as the best city for retirees, followed by Miami and Tampa. Orlando stood out for its tax advantages, recreational opportunities, and access to senior healthcare, while Miami benefited from tax-friendly policies and numerous activities for retirees.
A separate survey from The Motley Fool backs the enthusiasm. Florida topped that index with the highest score of any state, posting near-perfect marks for climate and safety, plus solid healthcare access anchored by systems like Mayo Clinic Jacksonville and Tampa General Hospital. Fort Lauderdale ranked among the state’s top retirement destinations in that same study, alongside Miami and St. Augustine. A Quartz analysis of the index outlined the factors influencing the Top 7-ranked states.
“Florida has always attracted buyers from across the United States, particularly retirees and second-home buyers from states like New York, Michigan, and Minnesota. The absence of a state income tax, relatively manageable property taxes, and lifestyle advantages continue to be major draws,” said Rei Mesa, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty, in an interview with Invest: Miami.
Choice Mutual, however, tells a different story entirely. Its 2026 state ranking put Florida at No. 44 overall — a dramatic reversal from its usual reputation. The state’s low crime rate for seniors could not offset weaker healthcare and weather scores, according to the analysis.
Two sources, one state, two conclusions.
Pennsylvania’s quiet rise
Pennsylvania claimed the top overall spot in Choice Mutual‘s 2026 ranking, driven by a low crime rate for people 65 and older and high-quality healthcare access. The Motley Fool index placed Pennsylvania seventh nationally, citing UPMC’s hospital network and some of the cheapest home prices among the states it covered — with Pittsburgh named among the state’s most affordable retirement markets, alongside Philadelphia and Allentown.
Not every metric, however, favors the Keystone State. Property taxes climb fastest in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and long winters keep Pennsylvania’s climate score in the bottom half of that same Motley Fool index. Still, the state’s tax treatment of Social Security income — untaxed entirely — helps offset those costs for many retirees.
Minnesota and Georgia diverge
Minnesota ranked fifth among all states in WalletHub’s broader 2026 study and posted the top-ranked healthcare score, backed by strong outcomes and cultural draws like the Guthrie Theater and the Minnesota Orchestra. Wyoming topped the list, with Florida second and Colorado and South Dakota coming third and fourth, respectively. The westward shift has been driven by strong scores in affordability or healthcare. Harsh winters and a state tax on some Social Security benefits remain the trade-off.
Georgia fares worse. Choice Mutual‘s analysis grouped Georgia among the weakest states, citing hot Southern weather, poor health care access and scarce resources for elderly and disabled residents. Atlanta’s own tax code cuts against that finding — the state exempts Social Security and up to $65,000 per person in retirement income for residents 62 and older, and the metro area’s Emory and Piedmont hospital systems rank among the region’s strongest.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo summed up the tension behind all of these rankings: the best cities minimize taxes and expenses while offering good healthcare and paid-work options for retirees who want them.
For caa’s markets, the takeaway isn’t which single ranking wins — it’s that methodology drives outcome almost as much as geography does. A study weighted toward taxes and warm weather will always favor Florida. One weighted toward healthcare access and community integration just as reliably favors Pennsylvania and Minnesota, with Georgia caught between conflicting signals depending on which metric gets emphasized.
Overall, property tax relief, hospital system expansion, and senior-focused tax exemptions are shaping up as the real battlegrounds for retirement dollars across Florida, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Georgia.
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