Forbes‘ 2026 list of the best places to retire in the U.S. spans 21 states and four time zones, according to the May 8 list.
To create the list, Forbes compared nearly 1,000 locations with populations above 10,000 in each state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The publication weighed factors including median home prices, income tax rates, primary care physician availability and walkability.
Several places are the site of significant hospital investments, such as Pittsburgh-based UPMC’s $1.3 billion patient tower set to open to patients in January. Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth plans to build a new 80-bed hospital in The Villages, Fla., as part of Legacy Place, a planned 700-acre mixed-use development.
Some are the locations of major healthcare hubs, such as Rochester, Minn., where Mayo Clinic is based. Rochester’s inclusion mirrors a trend previously reported by Becker’s of a growing share of wealthy retirees choosing to live near their specialists, including near Rochester and in New York City.
Here are Forbes’ 25 best places to retire, listed in alphabetical order:
- Appleton, Wis.
- Athens, Ga.
- Bethlehem, Pa.
- College Station, Texas
- Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Columbia, Mo.
- Fargo, N.D.
- Green Valley, Ariz.
- Greenville, S.C.
- Harrisonburg, Va.
- Iowa City, Iowa
- Lawrence, Kan.
- Lexington, Ky.
- Lincoln, Neb.
- Midland, Mich.
- Pasco, Wash.
- Pittsburgh
- Raleigh, N.C.
- Rochester, Minn.
- San Antonio
- Savannah, Ga.
- Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Spokane, Wash.
- The Villages, Fla.
- Virginia Beach, Va.
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