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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The difference between a comfortable retirement and a tight one often comes down to location. Across the country, we evaluated 286 cities on healthcare costs, tax burden, and cost of living. San Antonio is the top pick for 2026.
#1 Ranked: San Antonio, TX — cost index 93, rent $1,361/mo, income $62,917
South dominates with 7 of top 10
Retiree-weighted scoring: healthcare index 96, no state income tax, cost index 93 — protecting fixed retirement income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The difference between a comfortable retirement and a tight one often comes down to location. Across the country, we evaluated 286 cities on healthcare costs, tax burden, and cost of living. San Antonio is the top pick for 2026.
So, San Antonio. Cost index of 93, rent at $1,361/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $62,917, which is below the national median. Fairly typical for a city this size.
Retirement affordability is about protecting fixed income. Our model weights healthcare costs at 25 points (medical bills are the #1 financial risk in retirement), cost index at 25 points, and state tax burden at 15 points (taxes directly reduce pension and Social Security income). San Antonio leads with low healthcare costs, no state income tax, and a cost index of 93. Indianapolis offers competitive healthcare and cost metrics.
The broader context shifts things: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 112, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. That's a red flag worth investigating further.
Bottom line: San Antonio, TX leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
7 of the 10 top-ranked cities are in the South. Low taxes and lower housing costs give Southern cities a structural edge.
Rent ranges from $1,361/mo in San Antonio to $2,509/mo in Jurupa Valley — a monthly difference of $1,148, or $13,776 per year.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San AntonioTX | 93 | $1,361 | Details |
| 2 | IndianapolisIN | 92 | $1,356 | Details |
| 3 | OklahomaOK | 89 | $1,255 | Details |
| 4 | El PasoTX | 94 | $1,441 | Details |
| 5 | DetroitMI | 84 | $1,318 | Details |
| 6 | LouisvilleKY | 94 | $1,352 | Details |
| 7 | MemphisTN | 86 | $1,234 | Details |
| 8 | TulsaOK | 89 | $1,207 | Details |
| 9 | ClevelandOH | 87 | $1,344 | Details |
| 10 | Corpus ChristiTX | 93 | $1,433 | Details |
| 11 | CincinnatiOH | 94 | $1,425 | Details |
| 12 | GreensboroNC | 94 | $1,382 | Details |
| 13 | St LouisMO | 89 | $1,326 | Details |
| 14 | Fort WayneIN | 90 | $1,160 | Details |
| 15 | LubbockTX | 92 | $1,388 | Details |
| 16 | ToledoOH | 83 | $1,060 | Details |
| 17 | LaredoTX | 91 | $1,327 | Details |
| 18 | Baton RougeLA | 91 | $1,312 | Details |
| 19 | FayettevilleNC | 93 | $1,426 | Details |
| 20 | Little RockAR | 89 | $1,171 | Details |
| 21 | AmarilloTX | 89 | $1,245 | Details |
| 22 | ColumbusOH | 94 | $1,415 | Details |
| 23 | AkronOH | 84 | $1,134 | Details |
| 24 | ShreveportLA | 85 | $1,170 | Details |
| 25 | KilleenTX | 90 | $1,280 | Details |
1,495,295 residents · Texas
The numbers for San Antonio are straightforward: 93 on the cost index, $1,361/month rent, $62,917 income. And roughly speaking, not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That's a reasonable number (that's pre-tax, of course).
879,293 residents · Indiana
So, Indianapolis. Cost index of 92, rent at $1,356/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $62,995, which is below the national median. You get the picture.
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
Oklahoma earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 89 cost index sits 23 points below the national baseline, and the $66,702 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $203,329 — $264,041 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 73, while Healthcare trails at 92.
678,958 residents · Texas
Why El Paso ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. And generally speaking, at 94 on the cost index, residents save roughly 18% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,441/month while the median household pulls in $58,734/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 84, though Healthcare (96) lags behind. Home prices average $231,886 — $235,484 below the national median.
633,218 residents · Michigan
What does daily life actually cost in Detroit? Start with the 40% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Housing (index 61) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 87) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $39,575 and homes at $74,828 round out a profile that ranks #5 for clear reasons.
Our persona scoring model weights cost of living, income, rent, healthcare costs, tax burden, and population size differently based on what matters most to retirees. Each factor contributes 10-25 points to a 0-100 composite score. Cities with the highest composite rank first. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
San Antonio scores highest for retirees due to its below-average cost of living, median rent of $1,361/mo, and competitive median income of $62,917.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
San Antonio (ranked #1) has a cost index of 93 and rent of $1,361/mo, while Jurupa Valley (ranked #286) has a cost index of 131 and rent of $2,509/mo — a 38-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in San Antonio is $1,361/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $534 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in San Antonio is $247,132, which is 3.9× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.