The Best U.S. Cities for Seniors Looking to Start a New Chapter

Starting over isn't just for the young. For many older Americans, their golden years are an opportunity to find a place that better fits their lifestyle, budget, and priorities. Whether driven by retirement, a major life change, or the desire for something new, relocating can offer a fresh chapter with greater comfort, community, and financial peace of mind.

To find the best cities for older adults to start over, we analyzed key factors like affordability, housing, and livability, with an emphasis on metrics that matter most after 65, such as the share of older residents and the average annual income for people aged 65 and older. The result is a look at the cities across the U.S. where people can find a fresh start that allows them to truly flourish during this stage of life.

Key findings

• Cleveland, Ohio, is the best city in the U.S. for seniors looking to start over, followed by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York.
• The worst city for seniors looking to start over is San Jose, California. San Jose is one of five California cities in the bottom 20, with affordability being a consistent factor in those rankings.
• Pittsburgh is the city with the highest percentage of a 65+ population at 22.5%. The city with the lowest percentage of seniors is Salt Lake City, Utah, at just 12.3%.

How we determined the best cities for seniors to start over

To create our rankings, we identified metrics that would make a city more or less appealing to seniors looking for a fresh start. These metrics were weighted by overall importance and then summed to create an overall score for each broader category related to starting over. We then weighted and added the category scores together to create a final score for each city on a 0-100 scale.

The categories used are:

• Peer population: Starting over fresh can be lonely, as almost by definition it means going somewhere new, away from existing routines, support structures, and relationships. Those new connections tend to form more naturally among people at a similar stage of life. Metrics in this category include the percentage of the population age 65 and older and the percentage of seniors in each city who are single.
• Lifestyle: The kind of life someone can lead varies greatly across the country. Cities with higher costs of living make it harder to enjoy the relaxed lifestyle many people envision for retirement. Metrics in this category include cost of living, quality of life, and the income needed to make a living wage in each city.
• Employment and income: Not all seniors leave the workforce entirely in their golden years; many prefer to remain employed at least part-time to have something to do and earn a little extra to make their retirement years more financially comfortable. Metrics in this category include income data for seniors, job diversity, job growth, and the unemployment rate in each city.
• Social scene: Moving to a new city as a senior is a chance to meet new people at a similar stage in life, and going out and about is a key way to do that. Metrics in this category include per capita measures of popular social gathering spaces, such as bars, restaurants, and community centers.
• Housing: Finding a place to live should be step one for anyone looking for a fresh start in a new city, whether young or old. Metrics in this category include average rent costs, home sale prices, and more.

The best cities for seniors looking to start over

After accounting for factors such as the cost of living, socialization opportunities with peers, earnings for people 65 and older, and more, these are the best U.S. cities for seniors looking for a fresh start.

1. Cleveland, Ohio

21.1% of people living in Cleveland are 65 years old or older, making it one of just six cities across the country where at least one-fifth of people are seniors. Of Clevelanders in that age range, more than 47% are single – the 10th-highest rate of single seniors in the country. Additionally, housing in Cleveland is very affordable, especially for anyone looking to buy a home rather than rent.

2. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh has the highest overall percentage of people age 65 or older in the country, at 22.5%. Pittsburgh also has one of the most diverse job markets of any city, making it easier for retirees who want to keep working past 65 to find job opportunities or senior-friendly side hustles.

3. Buffalo, New York

Another city where more than 20% of the population is in their golden years, Buffalo's cost of living is around 8% lower than the national average. That, combined with a relatively affordable housing market, makes Buffalo an accessible place to begin the next chapter.

4. St. Louis, Missouri

Regardless of age, St. Louis is a city overflowing with socialization opportunities, boasting some of the highest per capita rates of bars, gyms, community centers, and sports and social clubs of any city in the country. The cost of living in St. Louis is also among the 10 lowest in the nation.

5. Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford's older population is fairly robust, as 19.5% of people living in the city are 65 or older, and 46.8% of seniors are single. Older foodies will find plenty to like in Hartford as well, as the city has the fifth-highest number of restaurants per 100,000 people among the cities we evaluated.

6. Albuquerque, New Mexico

Despite ranking lower for social scene amenities, Albuquerque's affordable housing and affordability in general, combined with high rates of people 65 and older (19.5%) and seniors who are single (47.7%), are enough to rank it in the top 10 places for seniors looking to start over.

7. Toledo, Ohio

Nowhere in the country is housing more affordable than in Toledo. Whether looking to rent or buy a home, costs in Toledo are the lowest in the country, which makes it much easier for someone to find the perfect place to live out their golden years in comfort.

8. Little Rock, Arkansas

A retiree's dollar goes farther in Little Rock than just about anywhere else in the country. The city has some of the most affordable housing in the country and the second-lowest cost of living of any city, while also ranking fifth overall for quality of life.

9. Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa's cost of living is roughly 15% lower than the national average, and costs to rent or buy a home in Tulsa are among the lowest in the country. Tulsa also has a relatively diverse workforce, which may make it easier for seniors to find work.

10. Cincinnati, Ohio

The top 10 is bookended by Ohio cities, with Cleveland ranking first overall and the Queen City of Cincinnati taking the 10th spot. Cincinnati has a much lower proportion of its population aged 65 and older than Cleveland, but it offers plenty of social opportunities for seniors while remaining relatively affordable overall.

Why choose one of the top cities for retirees looking to start over?

Finding the right place to live in retirement can make a big difference in the quality of life during your golden years, with cities that offer more opportunities to socialize with peers (and socialize in general) making it easier to create a community for the next step in life. Finding places where your dollar stretches further can also make retirement years more comfortable, which is why looking for top cities to move to once you leave the workforce can be a vital part of retirement planning.

The worst cities for seniors looking to start over

When it comes to the worst places for seniors to start over, affordability is a major concern, as many people over the age of 65 have limited or fixed incomes.

1. San Jose, California

The first of three California cities ranked among the 10 worst places for seniors to start over, San Jose has the second-highest cost of living of any city in the country and the highest overall amount needed to make a living wage. It also has the highest median price for a single-family home, at more than $1.9 million.

2. Los Angeles, California

The City of Angels isn't so angelic for seniors. The cost of living in LA is more than 60% higher than the national average, while average rent costs exceed $2,000 per month and mortgage costs come in at over $3,000 per month on average.

3. New York, New York

The Big Apple is a fast-paced city that may be overwhelming for some seniors. It is also a difficult place to find housing, especially for anyone looking to live in the heart of the action. The cost of a 1-bedroom apartment in downtown NYC comes with a monthly price tag of $4,464, more than $1,000 higher than in any other city.

4. Austin, Texas

The capital of the Lone Star State has been steadily growing for years and has become a major tech hub and hip living destination for younger Americans. As a result, just 12.5% of Austin's population is 65 or older, the second-lowest rate in the country. Of the seniors who are living there, just 39% are single, the fourth-lowest rate in the country.

5. Riverside, California

Located near Los Angeles, Riverside presents many of the same issues for seniors, namely, high living and housing costs and a relatively low quality of life.

6. Colorado Springs, Colorado

Nowhere in the country are there fewer seniors who are single and looking to mingle than in Colorado Springs, where just 37.4% of people age 65 and older are single. Colorado Springs has a general dearth of seniors, regardless of marital status, with just 15.1% of the population in their golden years.

7. Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh has the sixth-lowest percentage of the population age 65 or older, at just 14%. Raleigh also scores low relative to peer cities in terms of socialization spaces for the seniors who live there, ranking near the bottom on the number of restaurants and bars per capita.

8. Denver, Colorado

A lack of affordable housing is a big reason Denver winds up on this list, as both rent and mortgage costs in the city are well above average compared to other cities across the country. Denver's cost of living is also nearly 28% higher than the national average.

9. Houston, Texas

Houston has the fourth-lowest percentage of the population 65 or older, as well as a lackluster social scene relative to its population size.

10. Salt Lake City, Utah

Nowhere in the country are there fewer seniors than in Salt Lake City. Just 12.3% of people living in SLC are 65 or older, and of the seniors that do live there, just 40.6% are single.

What to do if you've landed in one of the worst cities during your golden years

For retirees living in expensive or isolating cities, it's never too late to find somewhere else to get a fresh start. Avoiding costly retirement mistakes and doing things like cutting household expenses in retirement and other retirement cost-cutting measures can help build up finances to fund a late-in-life move to a city that better fits their vision of an ideal retirement.

Cities with the highest and lowest rates of seniors

Being able to relate to the people living around you is important for anyone looking to join or create a community in a new city, and it is easier to relate to people of a similar age with similar life experiences.

In that regard, Pittsburgh has the highest percentage of people 65 or older, at 22.5%. That just barely beats out Tucson, Arizona, which is second at 22.4%. Cleveland is third at 21.1%, the only other city over 21%.

On the flip side, Salt Lake City has the lowest proportion of seniors among major cities, at just 12.3%, a full 10 percentage points behind Pittsburgh. Three Texas cities—Austin, Dallas, and Houston—are the only other places where less than 13% of the population is 65 or older.

Cities where people 65 and older make the most and least money

No one knows how long their golden years may last, which can make it difficult to budget for life in retirement. Living in a place where seniors earn more money can help offset that uncertainty.

Seniors in Honolulu, Hawaii, earn more than their peers nationwide, with a median of $99,638. That is nearly $5,000 per year more than the second-place city, San Jose ($94,770). Washington, D.C. is third at $94,629, while in no other city does the median senior earn even $90,000 annually.

Greensboro, North Carolina, has the lowest median income for seniors, $46,737, less than half of what people 65 and older earn in Honolulu. It is also the only city in our analysis where seniors earn less than $50,000 annually.

Do you need a fresh start in retirement?

Retirees looking for a fresh start in their golden years should take a deep dive into their finances to make sure they know how much to save for retirement, especially for the retirement of their dreams. They should also find places across the country with the right mix of affordable rent for retirees, social opportunities, and amenities to meet their needs, then make the move when the time is right.

A city-by-city breakdown of America's best cities for seniors starting over

Top money tips for maximizing life after 65

Whether you're actively in your golden years and looking to make a move or are years away from retirement and looking ahead, here are some top tips to make life after 65 easier:

• Save up ahead of time. Learn how to save for retirement to make sure you have the financial footing to live your best life once you stop working.
• Supplement your income in retirement. There are plenty of ways to make money as a retiree without returning to work full-time, which can help make your retirement more comfortable.
• Start a 401(k) now. For younger people still years away from retirement age, setting up a 401(k) account is a worthwhile investment in the future, one that will allow them to retire with peace of mind when they turn 65.

Methodology

FinanceBuzz collected data on 75 of America's biggest cities.

Data for five major categories related to "starting over" as a senior (age 65 and older) were collected and weighted for each city. Those categories were peer population, employment and income, social scene, lifestyle, and housing. Each of those categories was created using individual data points, listed below. Each data point was indexed using a 0-5 scale. Those scores were then weighted and summed to create a 0-20 score for each category, and the scores were then summed to give each city an overall score on a 0-100 scale.

For both individual data points and overarching categories, a weight of 1.00 is standard; weights above 1.00 have a greater impact on a category's score, and those below 1.00 have a lesser impact. The weights and sources for the individual metrics used in each category are as follows:

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