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15 Cities Retirees Should Move to If They Love to Have Fun

Enjoy your retired life in these unique cities with plenty to do.

senior couple riding bicycles at park
Updated Dec. 2, 2024
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If you’re looking forward to having fun when you retire, you may want to start by looking at one of these cities.

The FinanceBuzz team studied cities based on factors that make them the most fun and laid back, scoring them on 25 different data points. Cities scored points for concert venues, comfort food, spas, golf courses, and plenty of other activities you might want to try when you’re retired.

So which cities scored the best on our list with activities that are popular with retirees who want a stress-free retirement? Here are the top 15 based on the Finance Buzz rankings. See if your prospective retired hometown made the list.

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Boston, Massachusetts

SeanPavonePhoto/Adobe Boston Massachusetts Downtown Skyline

Boston leads the pack when it comes to yoga options, which could be a great choice for retirees who want to stay in shape.

The city also has good performing arts and concert venues to see live music and plays when you have more leisure time.

Buffalo, New York

Neil/Adobe Buffalo NY skyline during day

Buffalo ranks high when it comes to golf courses for residents to enjoy during the summer months.

It’s also a good city to get out during the winter months with plenty of snow-based activities like skating or snowshoeing trails.

Richmond, Virginia

pabrady63/Adobe Richmond Virgina Night Skyline

Richmond earned a great score for its performing arts scene, which can be a wonderful way to enjoy your retired years.

The city has several theaters where you can enjoy productions and hosts a Shakespeare festival each year to honor works by the bard.

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Tampa, Florida

SeanPavonePhoto/Adobe Tampa Florida Skyline

Keep your golf clubs at the ready if you’re living in Tampa and want to have fun.

The Tampa Bay area boasts more than 100 courses, and those golf courses gave the city a boost in the overall ratings for cities where you can have some leisure time when you’re retired.

Cincinnati, Ohio

SeanPavonePhoto/Adobe Cincinnati Ohio skyline

Cincinnati’s rating was propelled by its access to comfort food, giving retirees plenty of options to enjoy when dining out.

Cincy is famous for its Skyline Chili and also includes plenty of local spots that are perfect for hearty food. You’ll never run out of new places to try.

St. Louis, Missouri

Matthew/Adobe Gateway Arch National Park

Hit the links to enjoy your leisurely days in St. Louis when you’re retired.

The city has a variety of public courses that make it easy to practice your golf game. Don’t miss Gateway National with its views of downtown St. Louis and the famous Gateway Arch.

Riverside, California

Matt Gush/Adobe downtown area Riverside California

One of the great things about living near the ocean is access to fresh fish, and Riverside has plenty of options if you enjoy it.

The city easily topped the competition when it comes to delicious Japanese restaurants. From sushi to Japanese BBQ to ramen, you will have plenty of choices if you crave Asian dishes.

Miami, Florida

littleny/Adobe Miami Florida skyline through palm trees

Want to spend your days relaxing in retirement? Then you should move to Miami.

The Florida city has plenty of ways to rest and relax, earning high marks for residents’ access to yoga, spas, and coffee shops to meet friends or enjoy an iced coffee and people-watch.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

f11photo/Adobe Minneapolis downtown skyline Minnesota

Music lovers will enjoy spending their retired days living in Minneapolis, which scored high in the survey for its access to concert venues.

The hometown of singer Prince has a variety of venues for music lovers to enjoy. Check out local calendars for big-name acts or to discover new music when you’re retired.

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

checubus/Adobe pittsburgh at twilight

Pittsburgh received one of the best scores in the survey for its golf courses.

Within the city limits are 11 courses and an additional 55 courses are within 20 miles of the city. The area offers a great mix of private, public, and municipal courses, depending on your preferences.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Leonid Andronov/Adobe Salt Lake Temple Salt Lake City

Spend some leisurely time at spas, yoga studios, or coffee shops when you’re living in Salt Lake City.

The mountain town earned high scores for all three leisure activities that you can enjoy in the summer or winter.

Orlando, Florida

lunamarina/Adobe Orlando skyline fom lake Eola Florida

Theme parks are the main reason Orlando scored high on the list of cities for retirees who want to have fun. As the home of Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort, you can enjoy all kinds of activities there.

As a resident, you might want to buy an annual pass to the parks, which comes with extra perks. And it will save you money when your children and grandchildren come to visit.

Atlanta, Georgia

Robert Hainer/Adobe downtown Atlanta skyline from Piedmont Park

Foodies will love retiring in Atlanta to enjoy plenty of delicious options in the city.

Atlanta scored high for its access to farmers markets and comfort food, so you’ll have some great choices if you want to cook at home more or dine out.

Providence, Rhode Island

Tupungato/Adobe Providence Rhode Island skyline from Riverside

Providence scored high marks for its performing arts and live music venues, which can give retirees a variety of choices to go out for the night.

Check out the city’s Performing Arts Center, for example, to see national tours of the top Broadway shows.

Hartford, Connecticut

Laura Stone/Adobe Hartford Connecticut skyline during autumn

Hartford tops the FinanceBuzz list of places to have fun with high scores for activities that could make the perfect date night for retirees.

The city scored high for comfort food and sushi as well as performing arts and live music. Retirees have plenty of options for date nights with dinner and a show.

Bottom line

Alessandro Biascioli/Adobe Senior couple toasting champagne on sailboat vacation

Leisure activities are a great way to enjoy your retired years. When you’re thinking about a new city for retirement, you may want to consider places with lots of fun activities.

While Arizona and Florida are the top retirement destinations primarily for their weather, you may want to spend your time and money in cities that offer more cultural and everyday activities.

If you are considering retiring early, you may want to picture the next 30 or so years of your life as a third act rather than retiring from life.

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Jenny Cohen

Jenny Cohen is a freelance writer who has covered a bit of everything, from finance to sports to her favorite TV shows. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and FoxSports.com.