21 Affordable Small Cities To Retire on the East Coast
Some dream of spending their retirement in an adventurous big city, others hope to live on a beach, while some plan to spend their retirement traveling. Others, though, look forward to the quiet simplicity of spending their golden years in a small town. As your retirement approaches, you might find yourself daydreaming of that quiet, small-town life — low traffic, no loud noises, minimal crime rates, etc.
Also See: 50 Fastest-Growing Retirement Hot Spots
Learn More: 5 Subtly Genius Moves All Wealthy People Make With Their Money
GOBankingRates analyzed data concerning livability, median incomes and crime rates across America, specifically in the country’s small towns. That breakdown located the 44 best small towns to retire in across America and broke down that list further into the 21 best small towns on the East Coast for your retirement years.
Whether your dream is to settle down in New England, with its gorgeous winters, or spend your retirement years basking in the warmth of the Gulf Coast, the perfect small town for your East Coast retirement is on this list.
Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania
Monthly expenditures: $1,845
Average rent: $995
Livability: 80
Find Out: How Much a Comfortable Retirement Will Cost You in Each State
Check Out: How Far $750,000 in Retirement Savings Plus Social Security Goes in Every State
Trending Now: Suze Orman's Secret to a Wealthy Retirement--Have You Made This Money Move?
Brentwood, Pennsylvania
Monthly expenditures: $1,863
Average rent: $1,073
Livability: 81
Also See: How Long $1 Million in Retirement Will Last in Every State
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Monthly expenditures: $1,832
Average rent: $1,353
Livability: 80
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Monthly expenditures: $1,840
Average rent: $1,504
Livability: 81
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Monthly expenditures: $1,902
Average rent: $1,454
Livability: 92
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Monthly expenditures: $1,980
Average rent: $1,692
Livability: 80
Read More: 7 Things You’ll Regret Downsizing in Retirement
Newmarket, New Hampshire
Monthly expenditures: $1,865
Average rent: $1,850
Livability: 84
New Milford, Connecticut
Monthly expenditures: $2,033
Average rent: $1,833
Livability: 85
Hatboro, Pennsylvania
Monthly expenditures: $1,947
Average rent: $1,970
Livability: 87
Freeport, Maine
Monthly expenditures: $1,797
Average rent: $2,492
Livability: 88
Discover More: 7 Worst Places To Retire in South Carolina
Winooski, Vermont
Monthly expenditures: $2,303
Average rent: $2,046
Livability: 80
Andover, Massachusetts
Monthly expenditures: $1,925
Average rent: $2,483
Livability: 81
Plantation, Florida
Monthly expenditures: $1,990
Average rent: $2,464
Livability: 81
Raritan, New Jersey
Monthly expenditures: $2,079
Average rent: $2,448
Livability: 81
Learn More: Here’s the Cost of Living in Every State
Sharon, Massachusetts
Monthly expenditures: $2,072
Average rent: $2,538
Livability: 82
Dumfries, Virginia
Monthly expenditures: $2,002
Average rent: $2,617
Livability: 81
Neptune, Florida
Monthly expenditures: $1,902
Average rent: $2,921
Livability: 82
West Miami, Florida
Monthly expenditures: $2,065
Average rent: $2,856
Livability: 81
For You: Why Florida’s Retirees Are Fleeing — and Where They’re Going Instead
Bay Harbor Islands, Florida
Monthly expenditures: $2,096
Average rent: $2,870
Livability: 87
Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Monthly expenditures: $1,993
Average rent: $3,125
Livability: 80
Hingham, Massachusetts
Monthly expenditures: $2,065
Average rent: $3,320
Livability: 81
Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations.
Methodology: GOBankingRates found all towns with populations between 1,000 and 10,000 residents, as sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, along with the total households and median household income. The average rental cost was sourced from Zillow Observed Rental Index. The cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces. Using the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey for Retired Residents, the average expenditure cost was calculated for each city. The expenditure cost was added to the rental cost to find the monthly total cost of living. Using the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, the number of reported crimes for each city was found and the crime rate per 1,000 residents was calculated. The livability index was found from AreaVibes. All cities with data missing from any source were removed and the remaining 200 cities were scored. The household median income was scored and weighted at 1.00, the expenditure cost was scored and weighted at 1.25, the rent cost was scored and weighted at 1.25, the livability index was scored and weighted at 1.00, and the crime rate was scored and weighted at 1.00. All of the scores were summed and sorted to show the best small towns to retire in America. All data was collected on and is up to date as of April 8, 2024.
More From GOBankingRates
4 Low-Risk Accounts Financially Savvy People Trust for Reliable Returns (And How You Can Use Them)
4 Subtly Genius Moves All Wealthy People Make With Their Money
5 Money Moves Wealthy People Make Before the Start of Any New Year
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 21 Affordable Small Cities To Retire on the East Coast
