18 Best Retirement Towns for the Upper-Middle Class
You don’t have to age in place, if you don’t want to, as an upper-middle class retiree. Suitable towns for well-off retirees can be found in nearly every U.S. region, including popular locales on the East and West coasts. Out of 18 retirement towns identified in a new MoneyLion analysis as the best for upper-middle class retirees, six are in Florida, four are in California and Arizona, and Illinois and Massachusetts each offer up two ideal locales.
MoneyLion first used the Pew Research Center definition of middle-class (two-thirds to double the median household income of $53,583 to $160,748) and found the upper-middle class by breaking the middle-class income range into thirds. The upper third is the upper-middle class ($125,027 to $160,748).
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MoneyLion studied cities where over 25% of the population is age 65 or more and found the total cost of living using each city’s average mortgage and expenditure costs. Keeping the 50/30/20 finance rule in mind, we doubled the total cost of living for necessities to find the comfortable cost of living. Locations with a comfortable cost of living within the upper-middle class income range were kept.
Key Findings
Six Florida cities ranked among the best for upper-middle class retirees. Estero, Delray Beach, Bonita Springs and Palm City took first, second, third and fourth place, respectively. Aventura (#6) and Palm Beach Gardens (#14) are the others.
Prescott, Arizona, at No. 5, is the only non-Florida retirement town to break into the top five. It is one of two Arizona locales, with Fountain Hills at No. 10, to receive honors in the ranking.
Necessities cost more than $75,000 annually for retirees in five of the cities in this ranking. From least to most expensive, they are La Quinta, California ($75,865); Palm Beach Gardens ($76,476); Glenview, Illinois ($76,791); Gloucester, Massachusetts ($77,327); and Northbrook, Illinois ($79,686).
Let’s see what makes these 18 retirement towns ideal for the upper-middle class.
1. Estero, Florida
% of population 65+: 51.9%
Annual cost of necessities: $63,330
Livability: 79
2. Delray Beach, Florida
% of population 65+: 28%
Annual cost of necessities: $62,941
Livability: 77
3. Bonita Springs, Florida
% of population 65+: 44.2%
Annual cost of necessities: $63,546
Livability: 70
4. Palm City, Florida
% of population 65+: 28.9%
Annual cost of necessities: $66,932
Livability: 79
5. Prescott, Arizona
% of population 65+: 40.6%
Annual cost of necessities: $65,733
Livability: 73
6. Aventura, Florida
% of population 65+: 25.8%
Annual cost of necessities: $67,857
Livability: 80
7. Chesterfield, Missouri
% of population 65+: 25.5%
Annual cost of necessities: $63,117
Livability: 71
8. Mequon, Wisconsin
% of population 65+: 25.4%
Annual cost of necessities: $68,962
Livability: 70
9. Lincoln, California
% of population 65+: 27%
Annual cost of necessities: $67,686
Livability: 67
10. Fountain Hills, Arizona
% of population 65+: 40.7%
Annual cost of necessities: $73,985
Livability: 69
11. Glenview, Illinois
% of population 65+: 25.5%
Annual cost of necessities: $76,791
Livability: 78
12. Northbrook, Illinois
% of population 65+: 26.6%
Annual cost of necessities: $79,686
Livability: 81
13. Gloucester, Massachusetts
% of population 65+: 27.9%
Annual cost of necessities: $77,327
Livability: 72
14. Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
% of population 65+: 32.5%
Annual cost of necessities: $76,476
Livability: 69
15. Barnstable, Massachusetts
% of population 65+: 26.8%
Annual cost of necessities: $73,361
Livability: 66
16. Palm Desert, California
% of population 65+: 37.7%
Annual cost of necessities: $65,068
Livability: 51
17. Fair Oaks, California
% of population 65+: 25.1%
Annual cost of necessities: $67,169
Livability: 57
18. La Quinta, California
% of population 65+: 31.6%
Annual cost of necessities: $75,865
Livability: 58
Methodology: To be considered for this study, the city had to have a population between 20,000 and 250,000 and over 25% of that population had to be age 65+. The total population and population ages 65 and over were sourced from the U.S. Census 2024 5-Year American Community Survey. Middle-class is defined by Pew Research Center as two-thirds to double the median household income, ($53,583 to $160,748). The upper third is considered the upper-middle class ($125,027 to $160,748). With the cities identified, the cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling's BestPlaces. The national average expenditure costs for retirees were sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey for Retired Consumer Units, and the average expenditure cost for each location was calculated. The average house value was sourced from Zillow Home Value index from May 2026 data. Assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate of 6.47%, sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data on 06/18/26, the average mortgage cost was calculated for each location. Using the average mortgage and expenditure costs, the total cost of living was calculated. Using the 50/30/20 finance rule that says that needs should not exceed 50% of household income, the total cost of living for necessities was doubled to find the comfortable cost of living. The locations with a comfortable cost of living within the upper-middle class income range were kept. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes and used to determine the overall quality of life. Using the remaining retirement towns, the percent of the population ages 65 and over was scored and weighted at 0.50, the total cost of living for necessities was scored and weighed at 1.00, and the livability index was scored and weighted at 1.50. All the scores were summed and sorted to find the best retirement towns for the upper-middle class. All data was collected on and is up to date as of June 23, 2026.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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