Find Your Best Retirement City

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose where to retire?

Start by identifying your top priorities — affordability, healthcare access, climate preference, tax burden, and lifestyle. Our quiz weighs these five factors based on your answers and matches you with cities that score highest for your personal priorities. You can also browse our full city directory and compare cities side by side.

What factors matter most when picking a retirement city?

Research shows the five most important factors are: Affordability (cost of living and home prices), Healthcare Access (hospital proximity, Medicare Advantage availability), Taxes (state income tax on retirement income, property tax, sales tax), Climate (temperature, sunshine, disaster risk), and Lifestyle (walkability, safety, recreation). Our scoring model weights these based on retiree relocation surveys.

Which states have no state income tax for retirees?

Nine states have no state income tax at all: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Several additional states exempt Social Security benefits or pension income from state taxes. Our quiz and city pages show the full tax picture for each location.

What is the best state to retire in 2026?

The best state depends on your priorities. Florida and Texas top the list for tax-friendliness, Arizona and the Carolinas score well on climate and affordability, and states like Virginia and Colorado offer strong healthcare access. Take our 5-question quiz to get personalized state and city recommendations based on what matters most to you.

How does RetireCityIQ score retirement cities?

Each city receives a composite score from 0–100 based on a weighted formula: 30% Affordability, 25% Healthcare Access, 20% Taxes, 15% Climate, and 10% Lifestyle. We use data from the U.S. Census Bureau, CMS, NOAA, Tax Foundation, and other public sources. Our quiz adjusts these weights based on your personal priorities.

Is the retirement city quiz free?

Yes, the quiz is completely free with no sign-up required. You get your personalized top city matches instantly after answering 5 questions.

Can I retake the quiz with different priorities?

Absolutely. You can retake the quiz as many times as you like with different answers to explore how changing your priorities affects the recommended cities. Many users take it multiple times to compare scenarios.