This Midwestern City Was Just Ranked One of the Best Places to Retire in the U.S.—and It’s Also the Happiest City in America

Planning for retirement often involves finding a place that is affordable, culturally engaging, safe, and has good healthcare. While Florida remains a retirement haven, many seniors are now considering spending their golden years in the Midwest, where certain communities offer a lower cost of living.

A recent WalletHub survey recommends Minneapolis as a top destination for retirees looking to relocate to the Midwest.

The report, which compared 182 different cities, took into account four key categories: affordability, activities, quality of life, and health care. Within those categories, WalletHub rated 45 metrics on a 100-point scale, with 100 being the best.

Minneapolis, which came in third place (bypassed only by Orlando, Florida, and Scottsdale, Arizona in the first and second spots, respectively), had an overall score of 59.01. The city has one of the highest rates of elderly-friendly jobs, which means there are labor opportunities available for older residents who wish to work to supplement their fixed income. Over 20 percent of the workers in Minneapolis are aged 65 or older, according to WalletHub. However, its overall affordability ranked pretty low—96th. (Minnesota taxes Social Security retirement benefits along with federal pensions and other types of retirement income.)

Minneapolis has a large number of senior centers and recreation centers, ranking eighth in the nation for the availability of those resources. The city also boasts a robust health care system with a high number of gerontologists and nursing homes. The city’s hospital system also ranked eighth overall, and Minneapolis was 34th in retiree-friendliness.

What’s more, The Institute for Quality of Life named Minneapolis the happiest place in the U.S. in 2024 and the city ranked sixth in Livability’s rankings of best places to live in 2022. It’s also an outdoor friendly spot. As its parks department notes, the city has 22 lakes, 12 gardens, 7 golf courses, and 180 parks with 55 miles of biking and walking paths. In early 2024, Walk Score, a company owned by Redfin, named Minneapolis the most bikeable city in America.

The other Midwestern cities in the top 10 are Cincinnati, Ohio (No. 8), and Madison, Wisconsin (No. 9). Cincinnati’s highest ranking was in the activities category, where it took third place, while Madison ranks sixth in quality of life and eighth in health care for retirees.

You can read the full report on wallethub.com.