the golden years
Austin rests easy on U.S. News' 2027 list of best big cities to retire in
Austin and Round Rock offer retirees a good quality of life and affordability.
Austin and Round Rock are earning new acclaim on U.S. News and World Report's just-released list of the best U.S. cities for retirees in 2027.
The 2027 Best Places to Retire list evaluated over 850 U.S. cities based on six livability metrics that best serve American retirees: quality of life, affordability, health care, retiree taxes, job market, and population and migration. The top 250 finalist cities were then ranked nationally and by city size.
Midland, Michigan, topped the list for the second consecutive year and is followed by Homosassa Springs, Florida (No. 2), and Weirton, West Virginia (No. 3).
Austin ranked as the 14th best large U.S. city to retire for 2027, while neighboring Round Rock ranked 19th nationally among the smallest U.S. cities. In the overall list of best cities for retirees, Round Rock ranked 60th.
U.S. News said affordability is the "most considered factor" when it comes to picking the best place to live a low-stress retirement life, and that's what Austin and its neighbors delivers. Affordable cities give retirees "a sense of security and comfort as they live out their golden years," according to Megan Wood, U.S. News assistant managing editor of home services and real estate.
"It’s no secret that affordability is top of mind for Americans this year, which is why U.S. News updated its weighting criteria to better align with what retirees prioritize," Wood said. "The 2027 rankings reflect key metrics used to highlight the places that
best suit retiree needs."
According to the city's profile on U.S. News, Austin offers a lower cost of living compared to "similarly sized cities," but the city has a much higher median home value compared to the national average.
"The national average home value is $359,870, while the median home value in Austin is $581,402," the profile said.
Six more Central Texas cities ranked in the overall top 250:
- No. 59 – Leander
- No. 64 – Pflugerville
- No. 113 – Cedar Park
- No. 118 – Georgetown
- No. 193 – New Braunfels
- No. 214 – Temple
Elsewhere in Texas, Houston neighbors The Woodlands and Spring respectively maintained their standings as the No. 4 and No. 5 overall best cities for retirees for the second year in a row. The Woodlands topped the separate list of the best midsized U.S. cities to retire, while Spring landed 5th among the smallest U.S. cities.
These are the top 10 best U.S. cities to retire for 2027:
- No. 1 – Midland, Michigan
- No. 2 – Homosassa Springs, Florida
- No. 3 – Weirton, West Virginia
- No. 4 – The Woodlands
- No. 5 – Spring, Texas
- No. 6 – Rio Rancho, New Mexico
- No. 7 – Altoona, Pennsylvania
- No. 8 – Paducah, Kentucky
- No. 9 – Lynchburg, Virginia
- No. 10 – Palm Coast, Florida
