Miami, Florida
Miami has long been a retirement hotspot (remember the show The Golden Girls?) but those times may be coming to an end now. The rising cost of living, vulnerability to hurricanes, and skyrocketing home insurance premiums have put a lot of people off.
New Orleans, Louisiana
There is a lot to love about New Orleans. It’s a hub of culture and color with endless things to do. But it poses risks to retirees because of its frequent hurricanes and floods, high crime rates, and aging infrastructure. Long-term healthcare is hard to come by as well. So it's not recommended to buy a house there.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit has a bad reputation and many would say it’s well deserved. Unfortunately, the crime levels are still high there, making it a risky prospect for older people. The housing there is admittedly affordable, but for a lot of people that’s just not enough of a draw.
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is another place popular with retirees that’s slowly been losing its popularity. It gets so hot in summer that it’s downright dangerous for older people, and that’s not even getting into the general poor air quality and dust storms.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is legendary thanks to its casinos and its reputation for fun, but it’s not actually that great of a place to live. The heat is way too much for some people, making it a very risky place to be if you have health problems. And the access to healthcare isn’t always great either.
Houston, Texas
Houston, we have a problem. While there are a lot of good things about Texas, Houston is considered a poor place to live due to flooding and hurricane threats, intense summer heat, and heavy traffic. Although there’s not much violent crime, luckily, there is a lot of property crime.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco does have one major thing going for it… it has excellent healthcare. But for some people that’s not enough to make up for all the cons: the increasingly expensive housing prices, the high taxes, and the growing homelessness crisis.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago has long been known for its high crime rate and unfortunately that’s an issue that’s never really gone away. Harsh winters are also a problem for retirees moving to the area, and finances wise, many are shocked by the high taxes.
Los Angeles, California
The media presents Los Angeles as the best place in the world, but it’s really not. It has all the problems of any other city, plus it has high housing costs, heavy traffic, and bad air pollution. Residents should also be aware that the area is at high risk of natural disasters such as wildfires.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta has infrastructure problems that have grown worse and worse as the city expands. It also suffers from significant traffic congestion, high crime in certain districts, and increasing housing costs. And if you can’t drive, you have absolutely no chance in the city.
Baltimore, Maryland
“Good morning, Baltimore,” goes the song from Hairspray. But it’s not always good mornings in the city. The infrastructure is aging, especially the water systems, and the crime rates are high. Obviously the city has its pros as well, but moving there is still a risk.
St Louis, Missouri
Unfortunately, St Louis has one of the highest crime rates in the country, especially violent crime. The economy is not considered great, and health care can be hard to access in some areas. Many people don’t recommend Missouri for retirement at all.
Bakersfield, California
California isn’t all supermodels and sunny beaches. Bakersfield suffers from poor air quality, extreme summer heat, and limited public health resources. Some people even report health issues from the bad environment, including respiratory problems.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
It’s a city that’s hard to spell the name of and also hard to live in. Albuquerque struggles with crime, especially property crime, and there’s an ever-present threat of wildfires. And if you don’t have a car, you’re in trouble, because public transport is bad.
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is another city where the high crime rate overshadows almost everything else. As if that wasn’t bad enough, many people in the state report that healthcare is difficult to access – and you need good healthcare in your later years.
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino has struggled with economic instability, high crime rates, and poor public services for a long time now. The affordable housing makes people want to move there, but sometimes they’re very disappointed about the lack of access to healthcare.
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is another one that’s slowly decreasing in popularity as the risks of the city become more well known. One big problem is the climate: the area is very prone to hurricanes and floods. Some neighborhoods also have high crime rates.
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is very popular, but its time as a beloved retirement destination may be running out. Currently it faces soaring housing prices, worrying water scarcity, and extreme desert heat that elderly people find it very hard to deal with.
Reno, Nevada
Many people go to Nevada without being prepared for the heat. But it’s in the desert, so there are a lot of environmental challenges, including the risk of wildfires. Housing costs have risen over the years and access to healthcare can be spotty depending on what area you’re in.
Stockton, California
In Stockton, the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor. Therefore there’s issues with homelessness and public services are stretched. The air quality in the area is also bad, which can lead to serious health problems for some.
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport struggles with high poverty and crime rates, along with limited health care access in some areas. The area is constantly at risk from flooding and storms, things that can destroy lives and houses in one terrible blow. Less serious of an issue, but still important, is the fact that there just isn’t a lot for older people to do in the city.
Cleveland, Ohio
People get interested in Cleveland because of the low housing costs, but then they end up disappointed in other areas. The infrastructure is aging now, and the crime rate is high. Some also find the cold winter months very difficult, especially if they have health issues.
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is prone to flooding and hurricane risk, insurance costs are rising rapidly, and the hot summers can be very hard on older folks. People move there because housing is cheap, but often find themselves disappointed further down the line.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is one of those places where it’s good for only some. There’s a lot of racial and economic inequality which puts a strain on life in the city. Taxes are high and there’s a lot of crime, plus very harsh winters which lead to isolation and accidents.
Fresno, California
Fresno has lower costs than the coastal California cities but struggles with poor air quality, extreme heat, and limited public health infrastructure. And then there’s the issue of the rising crime rate. All in all, it’s just not a good place to retire to.
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage has a lot of interesting history, but many consider it a bad place to live. The winters are harsh and the area is prone to earthquakes. Healthcare is often hard to access, and people sometimes find themselves very isolated.
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock has a high rate of poverty and unfortunately that always leads to crime. Housing costs in the area are cheap, so it has that going for it, but entertainment options for seniors are very limited and healthcare is considered less than ideal.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville has far more cons than pros for retirees looking to move areas. It has bad air pollution that can have a terrible effect on people, it has high crime rates, and chronic diseases are on the rise. All in all, it’s best avoided.
Pueblo, Colorado
While Pueblo is affordable, it’s very much a letdown in other areas. There aren’t many amenities for older people, it’s prone to wildfires, and healthcare is considered to be limited. For people who have health problems, it’s not a good option.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga has charm, but high crime rates and frequent severe weather, including tornadoes sometimes, are concerns. Health care access is improving for some, but remains limited in some neighborhoods, causing issues for people who have a lot of health problems.
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is another area that’s affordable, but that might be all it really has going for it. Health care quality varies depending on income, and public transportation is limited, making it very difficult for people without cars.
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta has a hot, humid climate that’s really not for everyone. Not only that, but the city has issues with underfunded services, high crime, and health care disparities. And the risk of hurricanes or bad storms hangs over everyone who lives there.
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christie is at risk of hurricanes and flooding, and thus insurance in the area is expensive. While the healthcare isn’t as bad in the city as it is in some of the other places on this list, it’s still not great, and lots of people suffer in the summer heat as well.
Gary, Indiana
Indiana is a place of great natural beauty, but the scenery doesn’t entirely make up for the issues people face in Gary. It had a long economic decline that has left it with high crime rates, population loss, and decaying infrastructure – not what you want when you’re ready to retire.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan in Puerto Rico is part of the US, but not many people want to retire there. It’s prone to hurricanes, the infrastructure is crumbling, and it’s even prone to power outages. The healthcare isn’t great either. Probably one you shouldn’t even consider.
