We all have a fantasy of where we want to retire.
To some, it might be amid the golf courses of Palm Springs. Others might dream about the coast, whether it be the charm of La Jolla, the boating culture of Newport Beach or the celebrity glitz of Malibu. Wait — what about a mountain cabin for skiing, or sunsets amid the rolling hills and vineyards of wine country?
But harsh reality has forced many Californians to settle on far more modest retirement hopes — whether it is simply staying put or finding a place where their retirement income and savings go further.
These questions are complicated by some of the existential questions facing the state: affordability, climate change and healthcare.
People over 65 are California’s fastest-growing age group, which means more seniors in the state are thinking about where to spend their retirement years.
The Times set out to rank 367 California cities in terms of fitness for retirement. The rankings were modeled for middle-income Californians willing to relocate within the state.
The Rankings
### 1. Eureka, Humboldt County
The biggest city on California’s North Coast, with a population of about 30,000
* Climate: 0 annual days above 100 degrees expected, 2035-2064 (1st percentile of 367 cities)
* Health and wellness: Ranks around average (top 50% of all cities) in the health index
* Recreation: Above average (top 20%) in access to parks — over 90% of people live within half-mile of nearest park, beach or open space
* Affordability: Typical home value: $419,000; typical rent for a single-family residence: $1,516
PROS: Coastal location, cooler temperatures, relatively affordable housing, close to breathtaking nature and beaches.
CONS: Far from any big cities. A drive from Los Angeles would take nearly 11 hours, and that is without any traffic (good luck with that!).
### 1. Arcata, Humboldt County (tied with Eureka)
A college town a few miles from Eureka, home to Cal Poly Humboldt
* Climate: 0 annual days above 100 degrees expected
* Health and wellness: Above average (top 40% of all cities) in health index
* Recreation: Excellent (top 10%) in park access — over 95% of people live within half-mile of nearest park, beach or open space
* Affordability: Typical home value: $510,000; typical rent: $1,700
PROS: Coastal location, cooler temperatures, relatively affordable housing, close to breathtaking nature and beaches.
CONS: Far from any big cities. A drive from Los Angeles would take nearly 11 hours, and that is without any traffic (good luck with that!).
### 3. Benicia, Solano County
An exurb along the Carquinez Strait nestled in the outer Bay Area
* Climate: 11 annual days above 100 degrees expected
* Health and wellness: Excellent (top 10% of all cities) in health index
* Recreation: Excellent (top 10%) in park access — over 95% of people live within half-mile of nearest park, beach or open space
* Affordability: Typical home value: $820,000; typical rent: $2,406
PROS: Moderate climate, access to wilderness and the San Joaquin river, and relatively close to Bay Area population centers, wine country and Sacramento.
CONS: Traffic, adjacent to sky-high Bay Area housing and living costs. Still a hike to many destinations.
### 4. Big Bear Lake, San Bernardino County
A mountain resort town within a relatively short drive of Los Angeles
* Climate: 0 annual days above 100 degrees expected
* Health and wellness: Above average (top 40% of all cities) in health index
* Recreation: Average (top 50%) in park access — over two-thirds of people live within half-mile of nearest park, beach or open space
* Affordability: Typical home value: $587,000; typical rent: $2,000
PROS: Glorious mountain location, perfect for hikes, water sports and skiing. Alpine feel but less than an hour to suburbia and less than two hours from Los Angeles.
CONS: May be a bit isolated, especially for those who move to homes outside of downtown Big Bear. Snow storms, mudslides and wildfires are a constant danger.
### 5. Signal Hill, Los Angeles County
A hilly, 2.2 square mile town of 11,000 residents, surrounded by the city of Long Beach
* Climate: 4 annual days above 100 degrees expected
* Health and wellness: Above average (top 40% of all cities) in health index
* Recreation: Excellent (top 10%) in park access — over 95% of people live within half-mile of nearest park, beach or open space
* Affordability: Typical home value: $792,000; typical rent: $2,082
PROS: Central location, great views of the harbor and city, and close to beaches, marinas and attractions such as downtown Long Beach, Belmont Shores and Bixby Knolls.
CONS: Small, compact location and not far from industry, including the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Still some oil fields nearby.
### 6. Fair Oaks, Sacramento County
A tony Sacramento suburb overlooking the American River and parkland
* Climate: 56 annual days above 100 degrees expected
* Health and wellness: Very good (top 15% of all cities) in health index
* Recreation: Good (top 40%) in park access — over 80% of people live within half-mile of nearest park, beach or open space
* Affordability: Typical home value: $616,000; typical rent: $1,992
PROS: Access to nature with nearby Sacramento River, plenty of open space and parks.
CONS: Exposure to extreme heat with changing climate, relatively expensive for the area.
### 7. Crescent City, Del Norte County
The last major California coastal city before hitting Oregon
* Climate: 0 annual days above 100 degrees expected
* Health and wellness: Poor (bottom 20% of all cities) in health index
* Recreation: Good (top 40%) in park access — over 75% of people live within half-mile of nearest park, beach or open space
* Affordability: Typical home value: $242,000; typical rent: $1,041
PROS: None listed.
CONS: Exposure to extreme heat with changing climate, poor health indices, and long distances to major cities.
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A highly personal choice
Though retirement preferences can vary greatly from person to person, those choosing a retirement locale would do well to accommodate change as they age, said Hal Hershfield, an associate professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Psychologically, “we don’t really know what our preferences are until we jump into something, and then they change,” he said. “Life is very different between 65 and 75 compared to 85 and 95,” so planning for retirement requires accommodation for flexibility.
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Price-conscious retirees
Giving more weight to home prices and rental rates in California cities adds new cities to the list. Eureka and Arcata are still at the top of the list, but they are joined by smaller towns such as Coalinga (Fresno County), Oroville (Butte County), Ridgecrest (Kern County), Anderson (Shasta County), and Ukiah (Mendocino County).
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Climate and health
Prioritizing the health performance of each city — a metric informed by factors like access to parks, educational attainment, housing and much more — also yields a different outlook. This approach adds more expensive cities to the list, including Albany (Alameda County), Sausalito (Marin County), Burlingame (San Mateo County), Walnut Creek (Contra Costa County), Larkspur (Marin County), San Carlos (San Mateo County), and Alameda.
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Paradise out of reach
As a final exercise, we used our data analysis to examine the most inaccessible places to retire.
It yielded some surprising results. Who would not want to spend their golden years with Oprah, Harry and Meghan in Montecito, or on the sand in Malibu, or a day of hiking and golf in Rancho Santa Fe?
But those places ranked very low on their list because of sky-high prices and issues around climate change (such as fire risk and coastal erosion).
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Glossary of metrics
The extreme heat data come from the California Healthy Places Index: Extreme Heat Edition. It relies on a projection of the state’s climate from 2035 to 2064. The percentile listed for health index is taken directly from the HPI, an index combining 23 variables for each city, including the park access metric, which was taken from the HPI data set. The typical home values come from Zillow’s Home Value Index for all residences and reflect the 35th to 65th percentile. The typical rent values come from Zillow’s Observed Rent Index, which estimates the average of all rental properties in an area, listed and rented.
### FAQs
Q: What are the most expensive cities to retire in California?
A: According to our analysis, the most expensive cities to retire in California are La Cañada Flintridge, Los Angeles County, and Palos Verdes Estates, Los Angeles County, both with typical home values exceeding $2 million and typical rents over $6,000.
Q: Which cities have the lowest prices for retirees in California?
A: Our analysis found that the cities with the lowest prices for retirees in California are Crescent City, Del Norte County, and Coalinga, Fresno County, both with typical home values under $300,000 and typical rents under $1,500.
Q: Which cities have the best combination of climate, health, and affordability for retirees?
A: According to our analysis, the cities that offer the best combination of climate, health, and affordability for retirees are Eureka, Humboldt County, and Arcata, Humboldt County, both with low temperatures, above-average health indices, and relatively affordable housing.
Note: This article does not provide a definitive ranking for retirement destinations in California. Instead, it presents various rankings based on different metrics and factors.
