Advertisement U.S. News and World Report released its annual list of the best places to retire in America.
It scored 150 US cities on their happiness, affordability, taxes, healthcare, and more. Cities in the South and Midwest dominate, but some pricier metros residents love also made the list. In 2020, as Daniel Mehalek started to think about life after his career in sales for Fortune 500 companies in the Chicago area, he bought a home in Bonita Springs, Florida.
Mehalek said that while homeowners', flood, and car insurance costs are higher in his chosen corner of the Sunshine State — north of Naples on Florida's west coast — other expenses, including taxes and gas, are lower than in Illinois. Advertisement Most of all, he added, he and his wife are excited about the nice weather and laid-back lifestyle. "We thought that in retirement, one of the things that we, along with neighbors, do is go by the beach and watch the sunset," Mehalek told Business Insider earlier this year.
"We wanted to have an area that is calm, relaxing, and going to be safe." Mehalek made a popular choice. Naples, Florida, ranked No.
1 on U.S. News and World Report's new list of the best places to retire .
The publication scored 150 large cities based on six factors: affordability, happiness, desirability, retiree taxes, job market, and healthcare quality. Most of the top 25 spots — including Virginia Beach, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Huntsville, Alabama — are in the South , a region that ten.
