A new GOBankingRates report ranks cities where retirees can live well for less than $2,000 per month—without sacrificing sunshine. Fort Myers, Florida, and Raleigh, North Carolina, ranked in the list. Keep reading to see which destination was the named the best for good weather and low cost of living.
While factors like cost of living and access to healthcare are crucial for many retirees planning to relocate, another important consideration is weather.
Recently, GOBankingRates determined the top 25 communities with good weather, where retirees can live on a budget of $2,000 a month or less. The personal finance website analyzed U.S. cities for factors like population, age demographics, weather, and cost of living. All the data was collected as of July 14, 2025, and sorted to show the city with the highest overall livability score.
Coming out on top is Tallahassee, Florida, which scored 85 out of 100. The Florida state capital has a healthy mix of recreational activities and affordability, with a cost of living that is almost 10 percent lower than the national average for a person over 65.
Eleven percent of Tallahassee’s population is of retirement age. The monthly cost of living for a homeowner on Social Security is $1,248, while a retiree renting a home can expect to spend $995 in monthly expenses. Tallahassee boasts abundant parks, hiking trails, exciting nightlife, and a lively arts scene.
The city has a tropical climate with summer highs in the low 90s, while in the winter, average highs are in the mid-60s. According to ClimateCheck.com, the city has high heat and precipitation risk.
Florida also snagged the No. 2 spot on GOBankingRates’ ranking, with Fort Myers coming up behind Tallahassee. It also scored 85 points for livability, and has an even larger retiree population at 22.2 percent. However, the cost of living in Fort Myers is 4.2 percent higher than the national average. The Sunshine State offers many tax breaks for residents—most notably, no income and inheritance taxes—allowing retirees to maximize their income, while enjoying plenty of outdoor activities like golfing, fishing, and lying on the beach.
The top five is rounded out by Raleigh, North Carolina, at No. 3 (livability score: 84); Pensacola, Florida, at No.4 (livability score: 83); and Greenville, South Carolina, at No.5 (livability score: 82). The only city in the West to make it to the top 10 was Las Vegas at No. 7.
You can see the complete list on gobankingrates.com.
