When you’re looking ahead to your golden years, choosing the perfect location for retirement can be tricky. New, unfamiliar locales and populous cities might appeal to your sense of adventure; however, at the same time, you should ensure your nest egg will last as long as it possibly can. And, you want to rest easy knowing that your money and well-being are safe.
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To help you with the retirement planning process, GOBankingRates scored the most secure cities on factors such as cost of living and population percentage of residents ages 65 and older. Keep reading to see some of the best places for retirees to enjoy a safe and affordable retirement.
25. Oxford, Mississippi
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.916
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.884
- Annual Cost of Living: $60,490
Although Oxford was ranked as the least safe city on this specific list, it’s still counted among the most affordable and safest places to retire. You can pay your bills and live off of about $60,500 which is important when you are on a fixed income or limited budget in retirement.
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24. Anacortes, Washington
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.971
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.833
- Annual Cost of Living: $85,882
Overall, Anacortes is fairly affordable for being in the Pacific Northwest and comes with a livability score of 80. Not only that, but 28.51% of the population is 65 years of age or older, making it one of the most highly dense cities for seniors or those in retirement.
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23. Jonesborough, Tennessee
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.973
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.925
- Annual Cost of Living: $61,730
Overall, the town of Jonesborough is not that big — only about 5,747 people reside there. However, the percentage of those who are 65 years or older is 27.13% which means you will be in good company with other retirees.
22. Ankeny, Iowa
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.933
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.944
- Annual Cost of Living: $63,189
Ankeny might not be the first town that pops into your mind when it comes to Iowa, but you should check it out if you are considering a place to retire with a high livability score. That’s because Ankeny’s is a stellar 92.
21. Brandon, Mississippi
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.963
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.978
- Annual Cost of Living: $64,576
Living in Brandon does not mean you will have a lot of neighbors, as the town only reports to have a little under 25,000 residents. However, 17.67% of them are 65-plus, meaning that a sizable portion of your fellow Brandon dwellers will likely be in your same age demographic.
20. Keene, New Hampshire
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.945
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.894
- Annual Cost of Living: $67,203
Keene scored a respectable 86 on the livability chart and with the cost of living coming to under $70,000 a year, you will feel safe and financially secure in several ways.
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19. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.939
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.878
- Annual Cost of Living: $64,211
If you end up moving to Wauwatosa, you will find that there is beautiful landscape on the Wisconsin border and of the town’s 48,000 or so residents, about 8,300 are 65 years or older.
18. Exeter, New Hampshire
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.959
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.956
- Annual Cost of Living: $86,758
Living in one of the New England states is never going to be cheap, so you will have to pay a bit more for calling Exeter home. However, the livability reported by residents there earns it a score of 87, which is nothing to sneer at.
17. Concord, New Hampshire
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.956
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.934
- Annual Cost of Living: $73,259
Much like its New Hampshire counterpart Exeter, Concord has about the same rates when it comes to violent crime and property crime, which are low. There are more people in Concord overall than Exeter and over 7,500 are 65-plus in age.
16. Dubuque, Iowa
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.853
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.914
- Annual Cost of Living: $61,949
Not only is it relatively cheap to live in Dubuque, but nearly a fifth of the residents are of retirement age. Out of nearly 60,000 residents, almost 11,200 are 65 years or older.
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15. Rochester, Minnesota
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.929
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.908
- Annual Cost of Living: $68,735
The Minnesota climate can be very cold during the winter months, but all year-round residents seem to enjoy living in Rochester due to its lower-than-average crime rates. The city earned a 91 when it came to livability, which is pretty high in the rankings.
14. Milford, Connecticut
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.973
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.881
- Annual Cost of Living: $79,680
Connecticut is not known for its lower cost of living, which is why residents of Milford pay almost $80,000 a year in expenses. However, if you are a senior looking to find other seniors in retirement, nearly 20% of the residents are 65 years of age or older.
13. Parma, Ohio
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.956
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.959
- Annual Cost of Living: $60,563
Parma is not the biggest city in Ohio by a longshot, but it’s one of the bigger cities on this list. With close to 81,000 residents, 19.48% of the population is 65 and older, making it a great place to meet people who are also likely retired.
12. Dover, New Hampshire
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.987
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.951
- Annual Cost of Living: $75,010
Dover is home to over 5,300 people who are 65 years of age or older. That’s only about 16% of the overall population — coming in at 32,600 — all of whom give Dover an 88 in terms of livability score.
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11. Brunswick, Maine
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.970
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.902
- Annual Cost of Living: $82,088
Almost in the center of this list comes Brunswick, which is a little bit higher in price when it comes to cost of living. Residents pay for what they get, with a high livability score of 87.
10. Kettering, Ohio
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.984
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.933
- Annual Cost of Living: $58,228
If the cost of living in retirement has you worried, look no further than Kettering, Ohio, one of the cheapest places to put down roots and not worry about high crime rates in your golden years.
9. Tonawanda, New York
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.948
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.937
- Annual Cost of Living: $67,203
The beauty of Niagara Falls can be right outside your door if you move to Tonawanda. The population is a little on the smaller side — only about 15,100 people live there — but 18.75% are 65-plus.
8. Beatrice, Nebraska
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.916
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.953
- Annual Cost of Living: $56,403
Out of all the cities on this list to retire, Beatrice is definitely one of the cheapest. That, plus a livability score of 78, places it in the top 10 safest and most affordable places to call home during your retirement.
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7. Lexington, Massachusetts
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.986
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.989
- Annual Cost of Living: $105,583
With a high livability score of 92, expect to pay top-dollar to feel safe and secure. The average cost of living for Lexington residents is over $100,000 each year and that makes it the most expensive city on our list.
6. Montpelier, Vermont
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.897
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.910
- Annual Cost of Living: $68,735
The capital of Vermont is one of the best places to retire in order to feel safe and secure — in your finances, property and overall well-being. This city, rich with history and lush scenery, scores an 84 for livability.
5. Fergus Falls, Minnesota
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.930
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.887
- Annual Cost of Living: $64,065
Looking for a place to retire where over a quarter of the population is the same age and has a similar lifestyle as you? Fergus Falls is your place, with 25.47% of residents are 65 years of age or older.
4. Urbandale, Iowa
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.966
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.968
- Annual Cost of Living: $63,189
Eighty-nine is what residents give Urbandale for livability, one of the highest scores on this list and enough to push this Iowa city into the top five safest and most affordable places to retire.
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3. Frankfort, Kentucky
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.927
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.906
- Annual Cost of Living: $58,228
With a cost of living that comes in under $60,000 annually, Frankfort is a great place to live affordably in your retirement years. Just ask the residents, who gave it a score of 91 for livability.
2. Rockport, Massachusetts
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.987
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.995
- Annual Cost of Living: $95,952
A bit of a paradox exists for Rockport: it has a high cost of living, a lower livability score of 70 and yet, it has some of the lowest crime rates — both violent and property — giving it the silver medal on this GOBankingRates list.
1. Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Violent Crime Rate Score: 0.989
- Property Crime Rate Score: 0.983
- Annual Cost of Living: $68,516
If you are looking for a place to call home in retirement, the No. 1 city to look into is Pinehurst, North Carolina. The cost of living is more than reasonable and the crime rates are good enough to crown it as the number one place to feel safe in your retirement. Plus, having nearly 40% of the population 65 years or older doesn’t hurt either.
Methodology: In order to find the safest and most affordable places to retire across America, GOBankingRates analyzed cities across America for a variety of factors including; [1] Violent Crimes Reported, [2] Property Crimes Reported both sourced from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer portal, [3] Overall Cost of Living Index as sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces, [4] Average expenditure costs as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, [5] Livability index as sourced from Areavibes, [6] total population, [7] population of 65 years and over both sourced from the US Census American Consumer Survey. The cost of living index and the average national costs for expenditure was used to calculate the average cost of living in each city. The FBI’s crimes reported data and the population data was used to calculate the violent crime rate and property crime rate per 100,000 people in order to accurately compare each city to another. The Livability index, property crime rate, violent crime rate, cost of living index, and percent population 65 yrs and over were all scored and combined to find the safest and most affordable places to retire across America. All data was collected and is up to date as of May 9, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 25 Safest and Most Affordable Places To Retire Across America
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