Are you reading this article on a slow Monday morning, wondering how you will make it through another long work week? Well, you should take a look at these cities in North Carolina for retirement.
Retirement is a time in life when you can pursue your hobbies in greater depth. For example, you open a small bike shop in Boone as a hobby, or you can bike on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
North Carolina has the best of everything. Great weather, access to beaches and mountains, affordability, and great community involvement. But where in North Carolina is the best to retire?
We crunched the numbers to determine the places that offer retirees safety, affordability, and things to do. It’s the kind of criteria you can count on — this is the eleventh time we’ve ranked the best places to retire in the Tarheel State. And many of these places appear on our other lists of best places for families and safest cities in North Carolina.
So grab a biscuit and a good cup of coffee, and read on.
$658 median rent · $43,270 median income · #1 cheapest rent in North Carolina
Located in
Johnston County, North Carolina
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$843 median rent · $49,796 median income · #7 cheapest rent in North Carolina
Located in
Edgecombe County, North Carolina
Tarboro is a town located in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Rocky Mount Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 11,415. It is the county seat of Edgecombe County. Tarboro is located near the western edge of North Carolina’s coastal plain. It has many historical churches, some dating from the early 19th century.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$664 median rent · $49,910 median income · #2 cheapest rent in North Carolina
Located in
Caldwell County, North Carolina
Lenoir is a city in Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 18,228 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Caldwell County. Lenoir is located in the Blue Ridge foothills. To the northeast are the Brushy Mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hibriten Mountain, located just east of the city limits, marks the western end of the Brushy Mountains range.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,091 median rent · $62,015 median income · #31 cheapest rent in North Carolina
Located in
Catawba County, North Carolina
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$965 median rent · $46,320 median income · #17 cheapest rent in North Carolina
Located in
Lincoln County, North Carolina
Lincolnton is a small city in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States, within the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 10,683 at the 2010 census. Lincolnton is northwest of Charlotte, on the South Fork of the Catawba River. The junction of State Highway 27 and U.S. Route 321 is located nearby. The city is the county seat of Lincoln County, and is the only legally incorporated municipality wholly within the rural county.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,085 median rent · $149,565 median income · #29 cheapest rent in North Carolina
Located in
Wake County, North Carolina
Rolesville is a town and suburb in northeastern Wake County, North Carolina, United States, just outside the capital city of Raleigh. It is the second oldest town in Wake County and has been one of the fastest growing towns in the state of North Carolina for the past several years. The population was 6,074 in 2015.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,652 median rent · $166,556 median income · #60 cheapest rent in North Carolina
Located in
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Davidson is a lakeside town on Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 10,944 at the 2010 census. It is home to Davidson College. The town is centered on the college from which it takes its name.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,528 median rent · $100,860 median income · #52 cheapest rent in North Carolina
Located in
Union County, North Carolina
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$945 median rent · $48,376 median income · #14 cheapest rent in North Carolina
Located in
Cleveland County, North Carolina
Shelby is a city in and the county seat of Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. It lies near the western edge of the Charlotte combined statistical area. The population was 20,323 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,081 median rent · $61,031 median income · #27 cheapest rent in North Carolina
Located in
Craven County, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 30,242 as of 2013. It is the county seat of Craven County and the principal city of the New Bern Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is North Carolina’s statewide median.
North Carolina statewide median: $72,388
North Carolina statewide median: $336,408
On the map
Where to retire in North Carolina
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Tar Heel State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in North Carolina to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Tar Heel State — 736 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 73 places from across the state.
For these 73, 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 73, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Smithfield, 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 North Carolina.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In North Carolina
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smithfield | 21.40 | 12,116 | $43,270 | $293,391 | $658 |
| 2 | Tarboro | 23.90 | 10,770 | $49,796 | $152,776 | $843 |
| 3 | Lenoir | 24.50 | 18,299 | $49,910 | $215,174 | $664 |
| 4 | Newton | 25.80 | 13,333 | $62,015 | $256,468 | $1,091 |
| 5 | Lincolnton | 26.30 | 11,783 | $46,320 | $296,022 | $965 |
| 6 | Rolesville | 26.70 | 10,766 | $149,565 | $497,996 | $1,085 |
| 7 | Davidson | 28.30 | 15,660 | $166,556 | $655,968 | $1,652 |
| 8 | Mint Hill | 29.30 | 27,556 | $100,860 | $513,193 | $1,528 |
| 9 | Shelby | 29.50 | 22,100 | $48,376 | $209,227 | $945 |
| 10 | New Bern | 29.60 | 32,734 | $61,031 | $281,328 | $1,081 |
| 11 | Leland | 29.70 | 29,607 | $91,977 | $376,599 | $1,735 |
| 12 | Kinston | 30.00 | 19,505 | $36,878 | $148,090 | $867 |
| 13 | Archdale | 30.50 | 12,087 | $64,757 | $248,494 | $1,034 |
| 14 | Mount Holly | 30.70 | 18,208 | $79,385 | $360,773 | $1,256 |
| 15 | Waynesville | 30.70 | 10,502 | $54,923 | $355,352 | $1,070 |
| 16 | Cary | 30.80 | 179,306 | $134,905 | $626,396 | $1,738 |
| 17 | Belmont | 30.80 | 15,546 | $94,883 | $432,565 | $1,365 |
| 18 | Eden | 31.20 | 15,356 | $47,260 | $149,286 | $799 |
| 19 | Kings Mountain | 31.40 | 12,039 | $49,564 | $238,720 | $959 |
| 20 | Pinehurst | 31.70 | 18,256 | $109,802 | $535,650 | $1,664 |
| 21 | Wilson | 31.90 | 48,370 | $52,485 | $218,942 | $971 |
| 22 | Hendersonville | 32.40 | 15,408 | $53,449 | $405,676 | $1,332 |
| 23 | Rocky Mount | 32.50 | 54,297 | $55,534 | $185,887 | $957 |
| 24 | Hickory | 32.60 | 44,258 | $64,576 | $293,999 | $1,063 |
| 25 | Henderson | 32.80 | 14,885 | $39,969 | $179,610 | $848 |
| 26 | Graham | 33.10 | 18,048 | $56,239 | $292,521 | $1,071 |
| 27 | Roanoke Rapids | 33.10 | 14,856 | $53,690 | $121,329 | $858 |
| 28 | Wake Forest | 33.50 | 52,844 | $123,802 | $512,161 | $1,596 |
| 29 | Cornelius | 33.70 | 32,783 | $113,767 | $527,117 | $1,722 |
| 30 | Wilmington | 33.80 | 120,805 | $66,738 | $416,159 | $1,395 |
| 31 | Lexington | 34.00 | 19,690 | $43,128 | $271,913 | $893 |
| 32 | Burlington | 34.10 | 59,610 | $56,880 | $256,022 | $1,051 |
| 33 | Reidsville | 34.30 | 14,585 | $42,921 | $210,647 | $822 |
| 34 | Stallings | 34.40 | 16,886 | $115,974 | $461,633 | $1,882 |
| 35 | Mount Airy | 34.50 | 10,633 | $40,275 | $210,209 | $725 |
| 36 | Southern Pines | 35.10 | 16,420 | $88,535 | $456,116 | $1,354 |
| 37 | Thomasville | 35.20 | 27,321 | $60,935 | $237,157 | $879 |
| 38 | Concord | 35.30 | 108,719 | $86,921 | $382,592 | $1,451 |
| 39 | Huntersville | 36.10 | 63,969 | $120,516 | $550,755 | $1,834 |
| 40 | Wendell | 37.30 | 13,064 | $95,787 | $369,603 | $1,457 |
| 41 | Gastonia | 37.60 | 82,884 | $64,059 | $277,331 | $1,204 |
| 42 | Salisbury | 37.90 | 35,825 | $53,716 | $280,646 | $1,071 |
| 43 | Chapel Hill | 38.70 | 61,607 | $85,989 | $631,167 | $1,613 |
| 44 | Laurinburg | 39.20 | 15,087 | $42,170 | $143,608 | $774 |
| 45 | Raleigh | 39.30 | 481,031 | $85,395 | $433,996 | $1,572 |
| 46 | Matthews | 39.70 | 30,577 | $108,611 | $501,848 | $1,764 |
| 47 | Fuquay-Varina | 39.90 | 40,485 | $115,497 | $525,746 | $1,720 |
| 48 | Kannapolis | 40.00 | 57,890 | $73,836 | $279,708 | $1,319 |
| 49 | Lumberton | 40.50 | 18,859 | $42,877 | $149,733 | $866 |
| 50 | High Point | 40.60 | 116,245 | $64,561 | $249,821 | $1,116 |
| 51 | Goldsboro | 41.10 | 34,383 | $48,540 | $194,177 | $971 |
| 52 | Mooresville | 41.60 | 52,381 | $89,647 | $482,315 | $1,626 |
| 53 | Asheville | 42.90 | 94,535 | $71,102 | $460,994 | $1,402 |
| 54 | Waxhaw | 42.90 | 22,275 | $131,894 | $628,812 | $1,840 |
| 55 | Winterville | 43.10 | 10,725 | $83,193 | $278,291 | $1,534 |
| 56 | Durham | 43.20 | 291,467 | $81,619 | $396,395 | $1,508 |
| 57 | Carrboro | 43.50 | 21,204 | $85,743 | $429,675 | $1,470 |
| 58 | Mebane | 43.80 | 19,538 | $83,174 | $353,221 | $1,283 |
| 59 | Morrisville | 44.10 | 31,422 | $125,396 | $480,926 | $1,858 |
| 60 | Greenville | 44.60 | 92,857 | $49,748 | $235,821 | $1,007 |
| 61 | Boone | 44.80 | 20,032 | $30,065 | $483,789 | $1,111 |
| 62 | Elon | 45.20 | 11,032 | $84,773 | $350,880 | $2,080 |
| 63 | Kernersville | 45.40 | 27,830 | $71,918 | $322,447 | $1,082 |
| 64 | Winston-Salem | 46.10 | 252,037 | $59,268 | $264,333 | $1,087 |
| 65 | Fayetteville | 46.20 | 210,815 | $58,407 | $225,534 | $1,250 |
| 66 | Garner | 46.80 | 34,473 | $78,756 | $384,100 | $1,549 |
| 67 | Clayton | 47.20 | 29,320 | $78,822 | $364,742 | $1,661 |
| 68 | Greensboro | 47.50 | 301,198 | $61,515 | $264,428 | $1,172 |
| 69 | Knightdale | 48.80 | 20,214 | $103,220 | $370,204 | $1,674 |
| 70 | Havelock | 50.10 | 17,691 | $58,408 | $233,896 | $1,280 |
| 71 | Monroe | 50.20 | 36,759 | $72,540 | $356,520 | $1,246 |
| 72 | Pineville | 52.00 | 11,055 | $69,354 | $403,663 | $1,552 |
| 73 | Spring Lake | 54.00 | 11,573 | $51,958 | $261,167 | $1,351 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 73 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In North Carolina Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in North Carolina goes to Smithfield.
The best places to retire in North Carolina are Smithfield, Tarboro, Lenoir, Newton, Lincolnton, Rolesville, Davidson, Mint Hill, Shelby, and New Bern.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley.
