50 Best Small Towns To Retire In
What comes to mind when you think about retiring in a small town? Odds are good you might imagine residing in a quiet, affordable area tucked away from the world. But while retiring in a small town does offer certain advantages, like a lower cost of living and overall safety compared to big cities, it doesn’t mean you need to reside in the middle of nowhere. A new MoneyLion study reveals the 50 best small towns to retire in coast to coast, whether you’re seeking adventure in the great outdoors in Washington state or dreaming of being by the beach in Florida.
To find these towns, MoneyLion isolated U.S. cities with a total population between 1,000 and 10,000 residents. All cities with a livability index of 80 or higher represent the “best” small towns. Additional factors sourced include each city’s average home value, annual cost of living (using monthly expenditure costs) and property and violent crime rates per 1,000 residents. We scored and weighted property and violent crime rates at 1.00 each along with the livability index (1.00), average monthly rent cost (1.25) and average monthly cost of expenditures (1.25) to sum and sort the scores and determine the best small towns for retirement.
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Key Findings
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, ranks first as the best small town for retirement. A total of 15 Pennsylvania cities appeared in the top 50 including Jenkintown (#2), Aspinwall (#8), South Williamsport (#14), Malvern (#15), Irwin (#16), Millvale (#22), Hatboro (#23), Carnegie (#25), Gettysburg (#27), Conshohocken (#28), Ingram (#30), Ambler (#44), Lititz (#45) and Clarks Summit (#47).
Michigan enjoyed a strong turnout with seven ranking small towns: Petoskey (#7), Northville (#13), Milford (#17), Davison (#31), Grande Ledge (#34), Zeeland (#36) and Grand Blanc (#38).
It costs less than $40,000 annually to reside in 13 ranking towns. The two most affordable towns are Davison, Michigan ($35,245), and Decorah, Iowa ($35,467).
Thanks to an impressive Pennsylvania turnout, the East Coast dominated the top 50 with 22 small towns. Besides the 15 Pennsylvania towns mentioned above, the remaining East Coast towns and their rankings are Freeport, Maine (#11); Indian Harbour Beach, Florida (#18); Winslow, Maine (#19); Lexington, Virginia (#24); Black Mountain, North Carolina (#33); Yarmouth, Maine (#37); and Newmarket, New Hampshire (#42).
Here are the 50 best small towns to retire in America.
1. Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $337,890
Annual cost of living: $43,794
Livability score out of 100: 92
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 10.39
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.73
2. Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $558,892
Annual cost of living: $45,821
Livability score out of 100: 94
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 10.01
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.28
3. Chardon, Ohio
Average home value: $388,691
Annual cost of living: $44,579
Livability score out of 100: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.58
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.00
4. Deer Park, Ohio
Average home value: $264,223
Annual cost of living: $40,793
Livability score out of 100: 86
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.53
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.13
5. Decorah, Iowa
Average home value: $312,445
Annual cost of living: $35,467
Livability score out of 100: 85
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 2.24
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.19
6. Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
Average home value: $432,679
Annual cost of living: $39,320
Livability score out of 100: 86
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.54
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.58
7. Petoskey, Michigan
Average home value: $462,337
Annual cost of living: $43,992
Livability score out of 100: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.65
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.20
8. Aspinwall, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $426,881
Annual cost of living: $43,016
Livability score out of 100: 88
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.49
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.72
9. College Place, Washington
Average home value: $410,675
Annual cost of living: $38,068
Livability score out of 100: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 18.13
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.93
10. Fort Wright, Kentucky
Average home value: $356,211
Annual cost of living: $42,952
Livability score out of 100: 85
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.06
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.65
11. Freeport, Maine
Average home value: $732,469
Annual cost of living: $55,652
Livability score out of 100: 88
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 10.57
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.57
12. Monona, Wisconsin
Average home value: $484,774
Annual cost of living: $44,207
Livability score out of 100: 88
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 31.37
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.35
13. Northville, Michigan
Average home value: $692,748
Annual cost of living: $47,261
Livability score out of 100: 86
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.07
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.17
14. South Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $203,926
Annual cost of living: $39,495
Livability score out of 100: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.43
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.41
15. Malvern, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $816,533
Annual cost of living: $55,565
Livability score out of 100: 89
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 2.04
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.29
16. Irwin, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $269,009
Annual cost of living: $41,513
Livability score out of 100: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 0.87
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.43
17. Milford, Michigan
Average home value: $497,638
Annual cost of living: $50,462
Livability score out of 100: 87
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 2.83
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.47
18. Indian Harbour Beach, Florida
Average home value: $475,798
Annual cost of living: $49,493
Livability score out of 100: 85
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.21
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.44
19. Winslow, Maine
Average home value: $305,186
Annual cost of living: $39,192
Livability score out of 100: 81
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 10.68
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.49
20. Steilacoom, Washington
Average home value: $659,764
Annual cost of living: $47,767
Livability score out of 100: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.76
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.91
21. Philomath, Oregon
Average home value: $532,797
Annual cost of living: $45,208
Livability score out of 100: 81
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.04
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.86
22. Millvale, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $127,943
Annual cost of living: $36,941
Livability score out of 100: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.92
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.87
23. Hatboro, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $460,054
Annual cost of living: $47,898
Livability score out of 100: 87
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.08
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.73
24. Lexington, Virginia
Average home value: $373,898
Annual cost of living: $42,285
Livability score out of 100: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.57
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.31
25. Carnegie, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $227,293
Annual cost of living: $40,013
Livability score out of 100: 83
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 11.60
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.39
26. Jacksonville, Oregon
Average home value: $614,550
Annual cost of living: $50,554
Livability score out of 100: 85
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.81
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.03
27. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $378,353
Annual cost of living: $39,016
Livability score out of 100: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.33
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.44
28. Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $509,198
Annual cost of living: $55,054
Livability score out of 100: 89
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 12.42
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.32
29. Salida, Colorado
Average home value: $746,004
Annual cost of living: $51,086
Livability score out of 100: 83
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.03
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.84
30. Ingram, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $185,923
Annual cost of living: $36,893
Livability score out of 100: 81
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 10.87
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.31
31. Davison, Michigan
Average home value: $270,135
Annual cost of living: $35,245
Livability score out of 100: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.75
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.99
32. West Dundee, Illinois
Average home value: $443,377
Annual cost of living: $50,903
Livability score out of 100: 85
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 9.64
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.52
33. Black Mountain, North Carolina
Average home value: $468,275
Annual cost of living: $47,654
Livability score out of 100: 85
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 11.79
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.58
34. Grand Ledge, Michigan
Average home value: $307,100
Annual cost of living: $42,706
Livability score out of 100: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.24
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.83
35. Prosser, Washington
Average home value: $428,251
Annual cost of living: $39,747
Livability score out of 100: 81
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 16.29
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.33
36. Zeeland, Michigan
Average home value: $410,238
Annual cost of living: $49,587
Livability score out of 100: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.52
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.89
37. Yarmouth, Maine
Average home value: $843,280
Annual cost of living: $52,578
Livability score out of 100: 83
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.21
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.89
38. Grand Blanc, Michigan
Average home value: $302,673
Annual cost of living: $36,782
Livability score out of 100: 81
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.36
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.65
39. Seward, Nebraska
Average home value: $318,193
Annual cost of living: $38,187
Livability score out of 100: 83
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.52
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.78
40. King City, Oregon
Average home value: $492,036
Annual cost of living: $49,315
Livability score out of 100: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.55
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.41
41. Wolfforth, Texas
Average home value: $271,978
Annual cost of living: $41,936
Livability score out of 100: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.43
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.53
42. Newmarket, New Hampshire
Average home value: $621,073
Annual cost of living: $52,617
Livability score out of 100: 84
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 3.79
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.53
43. Whitefish, Montana
Average home value: $938,207
Annual cost of living: $56,546
Livability score out of 100: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 10.88
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.24
44. Ambler, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $719,048
Annual cost of living: $49,184
Livability score out of 100: 85
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.17
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.29
45. Lititz, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $465,691
Annual cost of living: $49,575
Livability score out of 100: 83
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.38
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.10
46. Bridgeport, West Virginia
Average home value: $307,131
Annual cost of living: $39,957
Livability score out of 100: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 14.58
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.38
47. Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania
Average home value: $347,982
Annual cost of living: $46,641
Livability score out of 100: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.72
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.46
48. Lake Bluff, Illinois
Average home value: $734,568
Annual cost of living: $49,939
Livability score out of 100: 82
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.35
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.36
49. Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Average home value: $542,074
Annual cost of living: $51,645
Livability score out of 100: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.62
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.73
50. Riverside, Illinois
Average home value: $607,211
Annual cost of living: $46,403
Livability score out of 100: 85
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.81
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.80
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
Methodology: For this study, MoneyLion analyzed the best small towns to retire across the United States. First, MoneyLion isolated cities with a total population between 1,000 and 10,000. Using AreaVibes.com, the livability index was sourced for each city and only the places with a livability index of 80 or higher were kept for this study as they represent the best places with the highest quality of life. With the highest livability small towns isolated several factors were sourced for each location from the U.S. Census 2024 5-Year ACS including total population, population ages 65 and over, total households, and median household income. The cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling's BestPlaces and using the national average expenditure costs for all households, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average monthly cost for expenditures were calculated for each place. The average monthly cost of rent was sourced from Zillow Observed Rental Index and using the monthly expenditure costs, the total cost of living for necessities was calculated for each small town. The property crimes reported and violent crimes reported were sourced from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Crimes Known to Law Enforcement. Using the total population for each city, the property crime rate per 1,000 and violent crime rate per 1,000 were calculated for each city. The property crime rate per 1,000, violent crime rate per 1,000, and livability index were all scored and weighted at 1.00. The average monthly cost of rent and the average monthly cost of expenditures were both scored and weighted at 1.25. The scores were summed and sorted to show the best places to retire. All data is up to date as of Aug. 19, 2026.
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