2 NC cities named among the best places to retire in the US, report says. See the ranking

Two North Carolina cities have been named among the top 10 places to retire in the United States, according to a new report.

The U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Places to Retire ranking named Raleigh the sixth-best and Charlotte the ninth-best city to retire.

The ranking comes months after Charlotte and Raleigh were ranked in the top 10 most attractive places to live by real estate website Clever, The News & Observer reported. The website also rated both cities among the top 10 most underrated cities and friendliest cities.

Charlotte and Raleigh weren’t the only two cities in the Tar Heel State that made the list. Here’s where other North Carolina cities fell:

• Hickory: No. 39

• Greensboro: No. 60

• Winston-Salem: No. 64

• Asheville: No. 104

• Fayetteville: No. 119

How were the cities ranked?

U.S. News evaluated the most populated cities in the U.S. based on overall retirement scores calculated for each area.

Retirement scores were based on six weighted metrics:

• Happiness (27%) used crime rates, air quality index and well-being

• Affordability (25%) used the costs associated with owning a home and the costs of goods and services

• Health Care Quality (15%) used data from the U.S. News Best Hospitals ranking

• Retiree Taxes (13%) used state’s taxation of Social Security income

• Desirability (12%) used a desirability survey, weather temperateness and total number of attractions per 100,000 people

• Job Market (8%) used ease of finding employment and earning potential

Top 10 U.S. cities to retire

Here are the top 10 cities to retire, according to U.S. News:

1. Naples, Florida

2. Virginia Beach, Virginia

3. New York City, New York

4. Sarasota, Florida

5. Boise, Idaho

6. Raleigh, North Carolina

7. Jacksonville, Florida

8. Huntsville, Alabama

9. Charlotte, North Carolina

10. Fort Wayne, Indiana

Triangle named best spot for ‘baby boomers’

In 2022, the Research Triangle — including Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill — was named the best metropolitan area for hiring baby boomers, The N&O reported.

The analysis by LinkedIn’s Economic Graph team found that the Triangle’s economy favors seniors due the area’s tech and academic opportunities.

This story was originally published November 21, 2024 at 2:42 PM with the headline "2 NC cities named among the best places to retire in the US, report says. See the ranking."

Evan Moore

The Charlotte Observer

Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.