The Best (and Worst) Housing Markets for Retirees in 2026

Travis Woods

Thu, January 8, 2026 astatine 6:09 AM CST 11 min read

An estimated 6.5 cardinal Americans volition discontinue successful 2026. Are you 1 of them? If so, you’ve apt already begun to see wherever you mightiness settee down and walk your aureate years. You mightiness adjacent beryllium considering buying a location conscionable for your retirement.

Before you marque that leap, it’s bully to cognize which lodging markets are expected to beryllium beardown successful 2026 and which are expected to beryllium unaffordable. To find the 20 champion and 20 worst lodging markets for retirees successful 2026, GOBankingRates sourced assorted markets from Zillow Research Data and cross-referenced that accusation with household values and status income levels from the U.S. Census. From that matrix, GOBankingRates was capable to find the 20 champion lodging markets for retirees successful 2026 — and the 20 lodging markets you should debar successful your 2026 retirement.

• The Midwest fills the apical 20: Cities successful Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin are location to 15 of the 20 champion lodging markets for retirees successful 2026.

• Ohio dominates the market: Ohio cities look much than immoderate different state’s cities successful the apical 20 with 5 entries (Michigan comes successful 2nd with 4 cities).

• Retirees are gathering successful Sandusky, Ohio: Approximately 32.9% of households successful Sandusky person status income — much than immoderate different metropolis successful the apical 20. That makes Sandusky a boomtown for retired homeowners.

Here are the 20 best lodging markets for retirees.