Florida, home of The Villages, long considered the gold standard for places to spend one’s golden years, no longer sits on that throne. Far from it, in fact.
GOBankingRates recently determined the safest and wealthiest cities for retirees by analyzing data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, Sperling’s BestPlaces and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. Only cities where at least 25% of the population was age 65 or older were included.
The final rankings were based on scores for five criteria: Violent crime per 1,000 residents, Property crime rate per 1,000 residents, Ages 65+ average retirement income, Single-family average home value (according to Zillow Home Value Index for September 2024) and a livability score (sourced from AreaVibes).
There were no Florida-based retirement towns in the top 30.
Oro Valley, Ariz., ranks as the safest and wealthiest U.S. retirement city, leading six other Arizona locations in the ranking, including Prescott, Lake Havasu City, Scottsdale, Prescott Valley, Apache Junction and Bullhead City.
California was the state with the most entries in the top 30, including Rancho Palos Verdes, Lincoln, Laguna Woods, Walnut Creek, Novato, La Quinta, Seal Beach, Rancho Mirage, Cerritos, Banning, Palm Desert and Palm Springs.
Here are the top 30 safest and wealthiest retirement towns.