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Top 13 Retirement-Friendly Cities To Live In if You Love To Dine Out

These foodie-friendly cities make it easy to spend your retirement enjoying the best in good eating.

fancy cappucino at restaurant
Updated Oct. 1, 2024
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Looking for a laid-back city where you can enjoy a stress-free retirement with plenty of opportunities for eating out?

FinanceBuzz recently assessed 50 of America’s biggest cities to determine the most laid-back based on well-being, economic factors, liveability, and leisure activities.

Here are 13 top cities for fine diners who love to spend their mornings at cozy coffee shops and end their nights with five-star sushi.

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Seattle, Washington

Tommy/Adobe Seattle Skyline with Space needle

Seattle nabbed the top spot on our list of the country’s most laid-back cities even though it doesn’t take top place in terms of either sushi shops or coffee shops per capita.

That’s because the city has hundreds of dine-out options for retirees who love fresh fish, locally grown fruits and vegetables, and coffee beans roasted in-house.

Riverside, California

jonbilous/Adobe twilight view of the city of Riverside

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that a major hub just an hour from the Pacific coast has the most sushi shops per capita of any city on our list.

Riverside falls in the middle of our list of laid-back US cities (it comes in 20th out of 50, just after Buffalo, New York) — but in terms of sushi shops, the city can’t be beat.

Miami, Florida

espiegle/Adobe Miami Florida Skyline from palm trees

Since it’s located right along the coast, Miami is able to serve up fresh fish daily.

From mahi-mahi to lobster and crabs to snapper, you’ll find plenty of sustainably harvested, local fish to savor at one of Miami’s hundreds of sushi restaurants.

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Hartford, Connecticut

SeanPavonePhoto/Adobe hartford connecticut usa

Thanks in part to its proximity to Yale, Hartford has a reputation as a stately, historic city. But don’t think Hartford’s charm lies in its past. The city has more sushi restaurants per capita than any city on our list, save Riverside.

Hartford also has more coffee shops per capita than any other city we examined — including cities famous for their coffee shops, like Portland and Seattle.

Orlando, Florida

Creative Studio 79 - stock.adobe.com Orlando Florida

Orlando’s mild winters and warm summers attract crowds of retirees eager to escape harsher weather for good.

If you decide to migrate to Central Florida, you can look forward to enjoying delicious food of all kinds alongside sunshine, theme parks, and plenty of golf courses.

Salt Lake City, Utah

SeanPavonePhoto/Adobe salt lake city in utah

Salt Lake City is known more for its high-altitude skiing and breathtaking national parks than its food scene, but the inland city has nearly as many sushi shops per capita as Orlando.

Plus, while Utah has a reputation as being relatively coffee-free, the data says otherwise: SLC takes third overall when it comes to the most coffee shops per capita.

Tampa, Florida

SeanPavonePhoto/Adobe Tampa Florida Skyline

This Gulf Coast city is an excellent location for retirees who love beautiful ocean views, dynamic cityscapes, and — of course — having a wide range of spectacular restaurants to choose from.

While Tampa is more closely associated with Cuban food than anything else, it has more than enough sushi to accommodate all types of tases.

Atlanta, Georgia

SeanPavonePhoto/Adobe atlanta skyline featuring skyscrapers and a ferris wheel.

According to our study, Atlanta is the sixth-most laid-back city in the US. With 65.8 sushi shops and 128.3 coffee shops per 100,000 people, Atlanta residents won’t struggle to find a restaurant that serves exactly what they’re hungry for.

Providence, Rhode Island

SeanPavonePhoto/Adobe providence rhode island

Don’t let its small size fool you. Rhode Island has more than enough leisure activities to keep its population endlessly entertained.

With an average of 152 coffee shops per 100,000 residents, the city should be a top spot for anyone who enjoys kicking off the day with a comforting cup of coffee.

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Minneapolis, Minnesota

f11photo/Adobe Minneapolis downtown skyline Minnesota

Compared to Florida, Minnesota is prone to cold, dark winters, which might keep the state from drawing crowds of seniors eager to enjoy their retirement.

But Minneapolis took second place in our ranking of the most laid-back cities—higher than any Florida city—and its plentiful sushi restaurants and coffee shops should also put it on your radar.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

mandritoiu/Adobe rachel carson bridge in pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is third on our list of most laid-back cities. It has much to offer anyone who values leisure time, quality of life, and a healthy variety of top-notch dining options.

While the city doesn’t have nearly as many sushi shops as other foodie-friendly cities, it has a high number of coffee shops per capita.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Kevin Ruck/Adobe new orleans skyline

New Orleans is a storied city with a vibrant cuisine and rich history. According to our data, it’s also a haven for coffee lovers. (Sushi? Not so much.)

From upscale espresso bars to homey local chains, the Big Easy ensures residents enjoy their daily coffee fix.

Portland, Oregon

Josemaria Toscano/Adobe Portland Oregon Waterfront

Thanks to Starbucks, Seattle is more closely associated with coffee fans than Portland, but Portland actually takes the (coffee) cake when it comes to coffee availability.

Portland has an average of 120.4 coffee shops per 100,000 people, whereas Seattle has just 108.6.

Bottom line

Dasha Petrenko/Adobe friends toasting wine at restaurant

If you were a frugal saver throughout your working years, you might have skipped eating out in favor of cooking cheaper meals at home.

But now that you’ve retired, it’s time to let yourself go out to eat more in a city that loves fine dining as much as you do, starting with the 15 we listed above.

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Author Details

Michelle Smith

Michelle Smith has spent a decade writing for and about small businesses. She specializes in all things finance and has written for publications like G2 and SmallBizDaily. When she's not writing for work at her desk, you can usually find her writing for pleasure near large bodies of water.