The social security checks are finally rolling in. The 401(k) is paying out. After years of work, it’s finally time to retire. But where? According to personal finance company and prolific city ranker WalletHub, there are three Georgia cities worth considering for your retirement destination.
“It’s important to choose wisely when picking where to retire, as many retirees are on a fixed income,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. “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.”
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Atlanta, Augusta and Columbus make the list
Atlanta scored Georgia’s highest ranking on the list, earning 10th place just above Las Vegas. It scored in the top six for the activities category, which proved to be its biggest advantage. Atlanta ranked lower for quality of life, coming in 120th out of the 182 featured cities.
Coming in 70th for affordability, the city ranked within the category’s top 38%. In health care, Atlanta pulled away with the 43rd spot — the category’s top 24%. Museum lovers are also in luck, as the city tied for first place on the list for total museums per capita.
Ranked much lower, Augusta was Georgia’s next featured city, landing 138th on the list. While the Garden City ranked nearly dead last for health care at 176th and for activities at 170th, Augusta earned 25th for affordability. It also ranked 97th for quality of life. WalletHub’s honorable mention for Augusta was that, for adjusted cost of living, it’s the fifth cheapest city on their list.
Lastly, Columbus ranked 155th overall. At 180th, it only beat out two other cities in the health care category, anchoring it low on the final rankings. It also earned 167th for available activities. One the other hand, it came in 44th for affordability and 67th for quality of life.
The top U.S. cities to retire in for 2025
While three Georgia towns made the list, the top cities to retire in this year are almost all in Florida. Orlando, Miami, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale all made the top five, along with Minneapolis, Minnesota. In total, the Sunshine State had 11 featured cities — none of which scored below 64th place overall.
“Orlando, FL, is the best place to retire, living up to its reputation as a haven for seniors,” according to the WalletHub report. “One big reason for this is the lack of taxes, as Orlando is one of the most tax-friendly cities, and Florida does not have an estate or inheritance tax (or even income tax). In addition, while Orlando doesn’t have a particularly low cost of living, it is the 9th-cheapest city for homemaker services and the 20th-cheapest for adult day health care out of the more than 180 cities in our study.”
Finishing out the top 10 in the overall rankings were Scottsdale, Arizona; Cincinnati, Ohio; St. Petersburg, Florida; Casper, Wyoming, and finally Atlanta.
“Location during retirement is often based on an individual’s situation and desires,” University of Wisconsin-Madison financial capability specialist Jonathon Ferguson told WalletHub. “Many of the factors that should be considered will be specific to the person, couple, or family. Yet, all retirees or soon to be retirees can benefit from understanding the taxation implications of their retirement locations. State rules regarding taxation of pension benefits, social security benefits, long term capital gains, etc. can vary a lot. While choosing the most tax-efficient location during retirement should not be the guiding factor, in my opinion, it should be heavily considered.”
How WalletHub ranked America’s top retirement cities
WalletHub ranked 182 towns — the 150 most populated cities in the U.S., as well as the two largest cities in each state, regardless of whether they made the top 150 — to determine the best places to retire this year. Each city was then ranked based on four categories: affordability, activities, quality of life and health care.
To measure these categories, researchers quantified 45 relevant metrics, ranging from life expectancy to theaters per capita. That data was collected from a bevy of information sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more information on WalletHub’s research methodology, visit wallethub.com/edu/bes aret-places-to-retire/6165.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
