Retirees seem to be flocking to the Lone Star State to embark on the next chapter of their lives.
According to a recent study by USA Today Homefront, Texas cities dominated the list of the top 10 best places to retire in 2024, claiming half of the spots.
The study ranked 392 cities in the United States based on 13 key factors for retirees, such as housing costs, crime rate, traffic volume, severe weather events, leisure activities (such as museums, golf courses, parks, restaurants, and libraries), hospital admission rates, and typical home values.
The study also factored in senior-relevant healthcare providers, such as rheumatologists, urologists, geriatric psychiatrists, and hospice.
Cities’ tax policies were broken into “most friendly” if they had no taxes, “mostly friendly” if they taxed some but not all types of benefits, “less friendly” if there were no taxes on social security only, and “least friendly” if all types of income were taxed. All Texas cities on the list were considered “most tax-friendly” due to the lack of a state income tax.
McAllen ranked number 10 on the poll. The cost of living in McAllen is about 13.1% lower than the national average. The city has a typical home value of $223,991. There are 2.5 senior-relevant care providers per 1,000 residents, and the crime rate is 22.0 per 1,000 residents.
Ranked right above McAllen in ninth place is Abilene. The cost of living in Abilene is a bit more expensive than in McAllen, coming in at 8.3% lower than the national average. Home values are priced at $198,683. The crime rate is slightly higher than in McAllen at 24.4 per 1,000 residents. However, Abilene has significantly more senior-relevant care providers, at 3.6 per 1,000 residents.
In eighth place is Wichita Falls. The cost of living in Wichita Falls is 11.3% lower than the national average. Home values are priced at $168,928, and the city has the same number of senior-relevant care providers as McAllen: 2.5. However, Wichita Falls has a higher crime rate than the other two cities at 34.1 per 1,000 residents.
Jumping ahead, Sugar Land made the list in sixth place. The city’s cost of living is 1.2% lower than the national average, and the typical home value is $453,676. For every 1,000 residents in Sugar Land there are 10.1 senior-relevant care providers, the second highest of all cities ranked. Additionally, Sugar Land has a relatively low crime rate compared to other cities, at 17.1 per 1,000 residents.
Tyler takes first place nationwide. The cost of living in Tyler is 7.7% lower than the national average. A typical home value is $257,181, and there are 9.9 senior-relevant care providers per 1,000 residents. Tyler has a crime rate of 28.7 per 1,000 residents. Additionally, Tyler ranks as the city with the seventh-lowest traffic congestion in the study.
Closer to home, Fort Worth outranked Dallas at 161 on the list. The city’s cost of living is 3.5% higher than the national average, and a typical home is valued at $307,984. Per every 1,000 residents, Fort Worth has 1.9 senior-relevant care providers and a crime rate of 32.3.
Dallas placed as the 176th best city for retirees to move to in 2024. Dallas’ cost of living is also 3.5% higher than the national average. The typical home value is $315,154, just higher than Fort Worth. Per every 1,000 residents, Dallas has 3.0 senior-relevant care providers and a high crime rate of 46.1.
San Antonio ranked 122, Austin ranked 135, and Houston ranked 179. The lowest-placing Texas city was Mesquite, ranking 185.
The study’s results are consistent with Texas’ ongoing population boom. A report last October showed that Texas is projected to become the most populous state by 2100, with nearly 100 million people living in it, per The Dallas Express.
The North Texas region has also seen exponential growth in recent years. The DFW metro area broke 8.1 million residents last year, logging the largest numerical population increase in the country, according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Approximately 152,598 people relocated to North Texas between 2022 and 2023, which is about 418 new residents daily.
Transportation infrastructure in DFW has struggled to keep up. North Texas has looked for creative options, such as a high-speed rail line connecting Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston, as reported by The Dallas Express.
North Central Texas officials have also launched “Mobility 2050,” a long-range blueprint for “multimodal transportation improvements, policies, and programs” in the area.