If you’re like most people facing retirement, you’re working with a limited budget. Even so, that doesn’t mean you have to settle for living out your golden years in a less-than-desirable locale just to make ends meet.
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Retirement should be about enjoying your life with minimal stress and spending some time in an environment you find pleasing. To do that on a budget though, you’ll need to choose a retirement destination that’s not only affordable but also features a hospitable climate. To assist you in your relocation plans, GOBankingRates looked at hundreds of U.S. cities to find the cheapest places to retire that feature favorable weather.
More often than not, retirees will find the most affordable and sunniest retirement destinations in the southernmost state of the continental U.S. — Florida. In fact, one third of the 15 U.S. cities on this list are in Florida.
To rank in the study, each city had to meet the following requirements: More than 25% of the population had to be age 65 or older, the median home listing price must have ranked below the national average of $344,141 and the average annual temperature needed to fall in the moderate range. Check out these beautiful places to retire that won’t stretch your bank account.
Sebring, Florida
Median home value: $215,686
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 74
Total population: 10,454
Percentage of population 65 and older: 25.8%
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Mountain Home, Arkansas
Median home value: $178,079
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 69
Total population: 12,463
Percentage of population 65 and older: 29%
Tarboro, North Carolina
Median home value: $111,114
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 60.8
Total population: 10,806
Percentage of population 65 and older: 27.6%
Zephyrhills, Florida
Median home value: $244,653
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 72
Total population: 16,062
Percentage of population 65 and older: 35.7%
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
Median home value: $272,342
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 73
Total population: 15,562
Percentage of population 65 and older: 62.8%
Winter Haven, Florida
Median home value: $276,740
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 73.2
Total population: 42,933
Percentage of population 65 and older: 25.5%
Leesburg, Florida
Median home value: $278,534
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 72.2
Total population: 23,142
Percentage of population 65 and older: 25.5%
Bullhead City, Arizona
Median home value: $310,565
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 74.7
Total population: 40,808
Percentage of population 65 and older: 31%
Saint Albans, West Virginia
Median home value: $129,982
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 55.8
Total population: 10,078
Percentage of population 65 and older: 25.6%
Rockport, Texas
Median home value: $287,717
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 71.2
Total population: 10,815
Percentage of population 65 and older: 28%
North Fort Myers, Florida
Median home value: $328,368
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 73.8
Total population: 42,315
Percentage of population 65 and older: 47.1%
Mount Airy, North Carolina
Median home value: $153,561
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 55.2
Total population: 10,213
Percentage of population 65 and older: 26.7%
Aiken, South Carolina
Median home value: $247,935
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 63.5
Total population: 31,428
Percentage of population 65 and older: 26.1%
Kingsport, Tennessee
Median home value: $195,583
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 57.5
Total population: 53,699
Percentage of population 65 and older: 25%
Godfrey, Illinois
Median home value: $177,266
Average temperature (Fahrenheit): 55.3
Total population: 17,540
Percentage of population 65 and older: 27.6%
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Cynthia Measom and Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to the reporting for this article.Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates first (1) selected all U.S. cities with populations greater than 10,000 and at least 25 percent comprised of persons 65-years and older, as sourced from the Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey. GOBankingRates then (2) ranked cities whose median home value in April 2022, as sourced from Zillow, was below the national average; and whose average annual temperatures ranged between 50 and 80 degrees (F), as (3) sourced from WeatherBase. All data was compiled on June 8, 2022.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 15 Cheap, Beautiful Places To Retire
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