Orlando is the best place in the United States to retire, according to WalletHub’s 2026 ranking of 182 cities.
The personal finance site scored each city on affordability, activities, quality of life and health care, using 45 metrics. Orlando finished first with 63.38 points. It ranked second for affordability and 11th for health care, with a strong recreation score.
Miami placed second at 59.40, followed by Tampa at 59.29. Scottsdale, Arizona, ranked fourth. Casper, Wyoming, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Fort Lauderdale, Charleston, South Carolina, and Pittsburgh completed the top 10.
At the other end of the list, Stockton, California, ranked last among the 182 cities. San Bernardino, California, and Newark, New Jersey, also finished near the bottom.
WalletHub said about 61 percent of workers are at least somewhat confident they will have enough money for a comfortable retirement, but only 21 percent are very confident. The median expected retirement age is 65, and nearly three-quarters of workers expect to work in some form after they retire.
Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst, said: “It’s important to choose wisely when picking where to retire, as many retirees are on a fixed income. As a result, the best cities for retired people are those that minimize taxes and expenses, as well as have good opportunities for retirees to continue paid work for extra income, if they choose to do so. In addition, the top cities provide high-quality health care and offer plenty of enjoyable activities for retirees.”
The ranking covers city proper, not full metro areas, and includes the 150 most populated cities plus at least two from each state. Data were collected as of Aug. 3, 2026, from Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, AARP and other sources. The full list is published on WalletHub.com.
