Massachusetts may not have 365 days of sunshine a year or consistently warm temperatures, but it does have some great places to retire.
There are currently 1.2 million Massachusetts residents 65 and older enjoying all that the Bay State offers while trying to figure out where you should spend your golden years. We’ve created a list of the best places to retire in Massachusetts for 2026.
But what about Massachusetts makes people want to spend their golden years here? It is the Boston Baked Beans, Worcester’s world-famous chowder, and the fact that Massachusetts’ is one of the best states in America.
We consulted the latest Census data for places in Massachachusetts with at least 10,000 residents and this left us with 69 cities. We analyzed important factors like the cost of living, crime, and how close a place is to an international airport.
So, want to know where you, too, can be part of Massachusetts cool ‘silver’ crowd? Keep reading.
$2,081 median rent · $115,485 median income · #46 cheapest rent in Massachusetts
Hull is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, located on a peninsula at the southern edge of Boston Harbor. Its population was 10,293 at the 2010 census. Hull is the smallest town by land area in Plymouth County and the fourth smallest in the state. However, its population density is within the top thirty towns in the state.
$1,682 median rent · $149,601 median income · #27 cheapest rent in Massachusetts
Longmeadow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, in the United States. The population was 15,784 at the 2010 census.
$1,592 median rent · $139,625 median income · #22 cheapest rent in Massachusetts
Located in
Essex County, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal, scenic, and historic city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 17,416 at the 2010 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mooring, winter storage and maintenance of recreational boats, motor and sail, still contribute a large part of the city’s income. A Coast Guard station oversees boating activity, especially in the swift tidal currents of the Merrimack River.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,474 median rent · $188,529 median income · #19 cheapest rent in Massachusetts
Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States and a suburb of Boston. The population was 27,003 at the 2010 census. Milton is the birthplace of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and architect Buckminster Fuller. In 2007, 2009, and 2011, Money Magazine listed Milton 7th, 5th, and 2nd, respectively, on its annual list of the “Best Places to Live” in the United States.
$1,411 median rent · $83,883 median income · #17 cheapest rent in Massachusetts
Located in
Essex County, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts’ North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census. An important center of the fishing industry and a popular summer destination, Gloucester consists of an urban core on the north side of the harbor and the outlying neighborhoods of Annisquam, Bay View, Lanesville, Folly Cove, Magnolia, Riverdale, East Gloucester, and West Gloucester.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$2,082 median rent · $150,701 median income · #47 cheapest rent in Massachusetts
Arlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, six miles northwest of Boston. The population was 42,844 at the 2010 census.
$1,117 median rent · $87,753 median income · #5 cheapest rent in Massachusetts
Located in
Hampden County, Massachusetts
Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. Westfield was first settled in 1660. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 41,094 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,958 median rent · $134,306 median income · #38 cheapest rent in Massachusetts
$1,970 median rent · $133,953 median income · #39 cheapest rent in Massachusetts
Located in
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Melrose is a city located in the Greater Boston metropolitan area in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Its population as per the 2010 United States Census is 26,983. It is a suburb located approximately seven miles north of Boston and is situated in the center of the triangle created by Interstates 93, 95 and US Route 1.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,991 median rent · $165,912 median income · #40 cheapest rent in Massachusetts
Reading RED-ing) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, 16 miles north of central Boston. The population was 24,747 at the 2010 census.
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Massachusetts’s statewide median.
Massachusetts statewide median: $103,960
Massachusetts statewide median: $656,690
On the map
Where to retire in Massachusetts
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Bay State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Massachusetts to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Bay State — 245 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 69 places from across the state.
For these 69, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 69, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Hull, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Massachusetts.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Massachusetts
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull | 15.80 | 10,138 | $115,485 | $703,779 | $2,081 |
| 2 | Longmeadow | 15.90 | 15,696 | $149,601 | $527,666 | $1,682 |
| 3 | Newburyport | 17.60 | 18,652 | $139,625 | $923,543 | $1,592 |
| 4 | Milton | 19.60 | 28,587 | $188,529 | $1,073,620 | $1,474 |
| 5 | Gloucester | 21.60 | 30,075 | $83,883 | $760,558 | $1,411 |
| 6 | Arlington | 24.10 | 46,350 | $150,701 | $1,081,431 | $2,082 |
| 7 | Westfield | 24.50 | 40,378 | $87,753 | $378,738 | $1,117 |
| 8 | Wakefield | 24.50 | 27,793 | $134,306 | $814,875 | $1,958 |
| 9 | Melrose | 24.80 | 29,650 | $133,953 | $908,131 | $1,970 |
| 10 | Reading | 25.10 | 25,612 | $165,912 | $915,079 | $1,991 |
| 11 | Maynard | 25.20 | 10,712 | $124,067 | $606,495 | $1,800 |
| 12 | Gardner | 25.50 | 21,148 | $67,518 | $369,177 | $1,109 |
| 13 | Winchester | 26.00 | 23,406 | $230,198 | $1,553,771 | $2,279 |
| 14 | Marblehead | 26.40 | 20,413 | $182,132 | $1,026,799 | $1,764 |
| 15 | Peabody | 28.20 | 54,695 | $96,657 | $694,094 | $1,950 |
| 16 | Holbrook | 28.20 | 11,380 | $115,210 | $558,618 | $1,094 |
| 17 | Stoneham | 28.40 | 23,355 | $113,964 | $808,010 | $2,035 |
| 18 | Beverly | 28.90 | 42,665 | $106,044 | $755,767 | $1,771 |
| 19 | North Adams | 29.00 | 12,606 | $47,500 | $252,589 | $793 |
| 20 | Somerset | 29.40 | 18,298 | $112,677 | $500,986 | $1,271 |
| 21 | Pittsfield | 29.70 | 43,457 | $70,582 | $302,831 | $1,134 |
| 22 | Hudson | 30.00 | 15,719 | $90,524 | $610,958 | $1,397 |
| 23 | Needham | 30.70 | 32,459 | $214,308 | $1,540,160 | $2,409 |
| 24 | Dedham | 30.70 | 25,237 | $128,955 | $765,656 | $2,042 |
| 25 | Salem | 30.80 | 44,795 | $85,153 | $606,559 | $1,836 |
| 26 | Swampscott | 31.90 | 15,277 | $134,386 | $816,299 | $2,303 |
| 27 | Holyoke | 32.40 | 37,813 | $53,605 | $322,895 | $1,021 |
| 28 | Lexington | 32.40 | 34,295 | $238,444 | $1,584,588 | $2,891 |
| 29 | Saugus | 32.40 | 28,773 | $101,539 | $688,142 | $2,241 |
| 30 | Newton | 33.40 | 89,044 | $190,304 | $1,528,894 | $2,370 |
| 31 | Danvers | 33.50 | 28,098 | $125,395 | $728,113 | $2,076 |
| 32 | Wellesley | 34.10 | 30,347 | $250,001 | $2,023,292 | $2,886 |
| 33 | Northampton | 34.20 | 30,962 | $80,288 | $486,075 | $1,439 |
| 34 | Worcester | 35.60 | 207,055 | $70,102 | $430,112 | $1,487 |
| 35 | Brookline | 35.60 | 63,266 | $142,101 | $1,211,601 | $2,835 |
| 36 | Lynnfield | 36.00 | 13,064 | $175,265 | $1,089,938 | $2,676 |
| 37 | Belmont | 36.40 | 27,175 | $183,137 | $1,458,987 | $2,527 |
| 38 | Waltham | 37.90 | 64,902 | $120,216 | $826,437 | $2,268 |
| 39 | Attleboro | 38.60 | 46,762 | $98,954 | $532,570 | $1,590 |
| 40 | Nantucket | 39.10 | 10,017 | $148,017 | $3,048,174 | $2,228 |
| 41 | Webster | 39.60 | 12,228 | $63,837 | $436,669 | $1,198 |
| 42 | Chicopee | 39.70 | 55,295 | $62,615 | $311,123 | $1,157 |
| 43 | Haverhill | 39.80 | 67,698 | $88,326 | $543,992 | $1,668 |
| 44 | Boston | 39.90 | 666,442 | $97,344 | $798,217 | $2,147 |
| 45 | Springfield | 39.90 | 154,749 | $52,656 | $294,613 | $1,144 |
| 46 | Medford | 40.20 | 59,354 | $129,540 | $842,298 | $2,509 |
| 47 | New Bedford | 40.40 | 100,998 | $56,981 | $434,262 | $1,137 |
| 48 | Woburn | 40.80 | 41,939 | $111,185 | $758,603 | $2,221 |
| 49 | Abington | 40.90 | 17,053 | $125,400 | $593,559 | $1,724 |
| 50 | Quincy | 41.90 | 102,114 | $98,882 | $675,959 | $2,118 |
| 51 | Burlington | 42.10 | 26,274 | $146,436 | $877,243 | $2,718 |
| 52 | Cambridge | 42.20 | 118,796 | $130,748 | $1,041,569 | $2,787 |
| 53 | Leominster | 42.60 | 43,909 | $83,816 | $463,494 | $1,354 |
| 54 | Lynn | 42.70 | 101,709 | $75,043 | $580,316 | $1,722 |
| 55 | Revere | 42.70 | 60,012 | $86,969 | $612,971 | $2,076 |
| 56 | Norwood | 43.10 | 31,542 | $107,030 | $731,791 | $2,116 |
| 57 | Wilmington | 43.20 | 23,336 | $168,152 | $777,834 | $2,394 |
| 58 | Taunton | 43.80 | 60,433 | $79,283 | $513,322 | $1,324 |
| 59 | Fall River | 43.90 | 94,082 | $56,673 | $445,781 | $1,155 |
| 60 | Everett | 44.20 | 50,045 | $85,218 | $639,070 | $2,076 |
| 61 | Fitchburg | 44.50 | 41,798 | $73,040 | $396,820 | $1,222 |
| 62 | Malden | 44.80 | 65,906 | $100,606 | $684,055 | $2,204 |
| 63 | Lowell | 45.00 | 118,368 | $78,658 | $480,319 | $1,625 |
| 64 | Chelsea | 45.20 | 39,908 | $72,179 | $526,190 | $1,956 |
| 65 | Marlborough | 45.80 | 41,647 | $91,968 | $578,934 | $1,871 |
| 66 | Milford | 46.60 | 27,731 | $93,310 | $557,090 | $1,889 |
| 67 | Brockton | 48.20 | 105,386 | $80,115 | $503,833 | $1,641 |
| 68 | Somerville | 48.20 | 81,036 | $132,572 | $940,239 | $2,517 |
| 69 | Lawrence | 49.00 | 88,736 | $60,433 | $504,150 | $1,662 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 69 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Massachusetts Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Massachusetts goes to Hull.
The best places to retire in Massachusetts are Hull, Longmeadow, Newburyport, Milton, Gloucester, Arlington, Westfield, Wakefield, Melrose, and Reading.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley. Not sold on Massachusetts? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places To Retire In Massachusetts FAQs
What is the best place to retire in Massachusetts?
Hull is the best place to retire in Massachusetts for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Longmeadow and Newburyport are next.
What are the best places to retire in Massachusetts?
The best places to retire in Massachusetts are Hull, Longmeadow, Newburyport, Milton, Gloucester, Arlington, Westfield, Wakefield, Melrose, and Reading. We ranked all 69 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
How do you rank retirement spots?
We score every qualifying Massachusetts city on rent, crime, things to do, weather, airport access, and median age. The city that balances all six best, Hull, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Hull?
The median home in Hull runs $703,779, against $656,690 across Massachusetts as a whole. Across the full top ten, the median home costs $861,503.
Which Massachusetts place came in last for retirees?
Lawrence lands at the bottom of the retirement ranking for Massachusetts. Not ready to retire anyway? Then Lawrence might suit you fine.
