The wealthiest and safest places to retire in the US

Although one in five US adults is 50 or older no retirement savingsthose who have amassed a comfortable nest egg – which most American workers believe to be at least $1.8 million — have some flexibility when it comes to where they spend it golden years.

More than 338,000 US residents retired for a new home in 2023, a 44% increase compared to 2022, according to a report from the online moving services market Hire an Assistant.

Most of retirees moving out of state chose Florida (11%) and South Carolina (10%), according to the data. Florida and other southern states often attract retirees with year-round warm weather and affordable living costs.

However, Americans with greater than average retirement accounts they may gravitate towards places where wealth and security are defining factors.

GoBankingRates set out to determine the wealthiest and safest cities for retirees analyzing data from the US Census' American Community Survey, Sperling's Best Places, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Survey of Consumer Expenditures.

GoBankingRates only included cities where at least 25% of the population was 65 or older in its analysis. Each city's livability score was calculated by AreaVibes and the average of a single household the value of the house from the Zillow Home Value Index for September 2024.

The study found that Oro Valley, Arizona, ranks as the wealthiest and safest city for retirees and that six other Arizona cities rank in the top 30: Prescott, Lake Havasu City, Scottsdale, Prescott Valley, Apache Junction and Bullhead City.

Additionally, 12 of the wealthiest and safest retirement cities are in California: Rancho Palos Verdes, Lincoln, Laguna Woods, Walnut Creek, Novato, La Quinta, Seal Beach, Rancho Mirage, Cerritos, Banning, Palm Desert, and Palm Springs.

^{Image Credit: Davel5957 | Getty Images. Walnut Creek, California.}

Read on to see GoBankingRate's 30 safest and wealthiest retirement cities in the US:

1. Oro Valley, Arizona

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 0.57
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 11.41
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $52,098
Average home value for a family: $525,380
Vitality score: 81

2. Pinehurst, North Carolina

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 0.43
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 3.40
Ages 65+ average retirement income: $50,351
Average home value for a family: $542,557
Vitality score: 73

3. Bella Vista, Arkansas

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 1.48
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 3.81
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $32,209
Average home value for a family: $336,590
Vitality score: 65

4. Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 1.18
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 8.48
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $72,238
Average home value for a family: $1,913,039
Vitality score: 58

5. Georgetown, Texas

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 1.59
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 11.71
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: 46 886 dollars
Average home value for a family: $442,904
Vitality score: 83

6. Centerville, Ohio

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 0.47
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 14.01
Ages 65+ average retirement income: $36,275
Average home value for a family: $329,817
Vitality score: 84

7. Mesquite, Nevada

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 1.89
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 11.97
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $39,396
Average home value for a family: $406,306
Vitality score: 76

8. Lincoln, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 1.43
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 6.91
Ages 65+ average retirement income: $47,966
Average home value for a family: 646 552 dollars
Vitality score: 67

9. Prescott, Arizona

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 3.51
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 14.42
Ages 65+ average retirement income: $40,660
Average home value for a family: $614,569
Vitality score: 72

10. Huntley, Illinois

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 0.42
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 5.19
Ages 65+ average retirement income: $30,962
Average home value for a family: $400,135
Vitality score: 73

11. Aiken, South Carolina

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 3.22
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 34.40
Ages 65+ average retirement income: $40,311
Average home value for a family: $259,767
Vitality score: 68

12. Fort Lee, New Jersey

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 1.06
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 13.95
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $47,944
Average home value for a family: $939,775
Vitality score: 88

13. Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 2.88
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 12.32
Ages 65+ average retirement income: 32 852 dollars
Average home value for a family: $488,313
Vitality score: 63

14. Scottsdale, Arizona

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 1.66
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 22.09
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $45,771
Average home value for a family: $922,559
Vitality score: 82

15. Laguna Woods, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 0.53
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 5.42
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $42,241
Average home value for a family: $481,924
Vitality score: 73

16. Walnut Creek, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 2.94
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 27.64
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $52,918
Average home value for a family: 1 441 223 dollars
Vitality score: 77

17. Prescott Valley, Arizona

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 2.61
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 9.31
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $30,927
Average home value for a family: $461,185
Vitality score: 62

18. Novato, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 3.17
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 16.78
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $47,540
Average home value for a family: $1,190,655
Vitality score: 71

19. La Quinta, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 1.83
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 24.34
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $50,039
Average home value for a family: $769,008
Vitality score: 57

20. Seal Beach, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 3.94
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 27.02
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $42,229
Average home value for a family: $1,491,445
Vitality score: 61

21. Apache Junction, Arizona

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 5.06
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 16.50
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $30,211
Average home value for a family: $386,845
Vitality score: 67

22. Rancho Mirage, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 2.73
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 35.41
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: 61 573 dollars
Average home value for a family: $1,085,436
Vitality score: 49

23. North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 4.48
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 40.11
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $40,259
Average home value for a family: $506,656
Vitality score: 69

24. Cerritos, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 3.12
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 48.15
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: 44 823 dollars
Average home value for a family: $1,086,655
Vitality score: THAT

25. Niles, Illinois

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 0.48
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 18.42
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $24,710
Average home value for a family: $390,387
Vitality score: 80

26. Bullhead City, Arizona

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 4.33
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 20.62
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $25,343
Average home value for a family: $319,536
Vitality score: 64

27. Gloucester, Massachusetts

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 2.57
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 5.10
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $41,304
Average home value for a family: $763,752
Vitality score: 71

28. Banning, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 4.99
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 16.94
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $37,920
Average home value for a family: $414,314
Vitality score: THAT

29. Palm Desert, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 2.78
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 36,27
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $48,118
Average home value for a family: $627,545
Vitality score: 51

30. Palm Springs, California

Violent crime per 1000 inhabitants: 5.75
Property crime rate per 1000 inhabitants: 36,86
Ages 65+ Average Retirement Income: $46,012
Average home value for a family: $1,015,431
Vitality score: 65

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