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It's that time of your life when you deserve an indefinite vacation -- retirement. And while it might seem like a miracle, the reality is you're ready to hang up your hat and stirrups. So the question becomes where should your retire? The answer, of course, is one of these Texas towns.
If Florida is too beachy and California is too West Coast, then there is another state that many people consider for retirement living: Texas. That's right, this southern state is perfect for retirement. It is affordable, has amazing weather, and is a retirement hub for other like-minded older individuals. In Texas, you may not be surrounded by luscious green grass, but you can make a decent cactus garden, ride horses, and eat delicious BBQ.
But how you decide the best what's the best place to retire in the Longhorn State? Well, you might assume it would be a big city like Austin or Houston, but the reality is a little more nuanced. So we dug into the recent like the Census and FBI Crime data to determine the safest, most affordable places in Texas that still offer plenty to do on the weekends -- which is everyday for a retiree.
At the end of the day we answered that burning question that brought you here -- what are the best of the best when it comes to retirement cities in Texas? HomeSnacks has crunched the numbers for you to find the answers to this pressing question.
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Texas For 2022
Why did Fredericksburg take the top spot? And where are Houston and San Antonio?
We analyzed over 213 cities in Texas to determine which cities are worthy of your extended vacation. We used several factors to determine retirement "worthiness," which included good weather, average population age, and cost of living.
And the winner? Fredericksburg, Texas. This peculiar name of a city won first place for retirement because of its low cost of living and its proximity to bigger cities. You can have the big city experience when you want it, but have a quiet getaway at the end of the day.
Other notable cities include Fredericksburg and Southlake, a city that got 10/10 on our snackability scale. That is a rare find, folks.
Want to see how your favorite Texan city stacked up? Read on to find out and to learn more about how we determined the best of the best cities in Texas for retirement.
For more Texas state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Texas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Texas
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Texas
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Texas For 2022
/10
Population: 11,341
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Rent: $997
Distance to Closest Airport: 30 miles
More on Fredericksburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 10,231
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 10)
Median Rent: $1,008
Distance to Closest Airport: 20 miles
More on Elgin: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 31,684
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 3)
Median Rent: $1,337
Distance to Closest Airport: 7 miles
More on Southlake: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 13,782
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 2)
Median Rent: $1,005
Distance to Closest Airport: 21 miles
More on Lockhart: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 12,950
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 2)
Median Rent: $1,091
Distance to Closest Airport: 11 miles
More on Azle: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 13,326
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 2)
Median Rent: $890
Distance to Closest Airport: 16 miles
More on Santa Fe: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 12,015
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $649
Distance to Closest Airport: 79 miles
More on Port Lavaca: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 23,511
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 3)
Median Rent: $906
Distance to Closest Airport: 52 miles
More on Kerrville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 11,214
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $778
Distance to Closest Airport: 10 miles
More on Robstown: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 13,513
Rank Last Year: 16 (Up 6)
Median Rent: $756
Distance to Closest Airport: 86 miles
More on Gatesville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Lone Star State for 2022
To create our list of the best places in Texas to retire, we first used Census data to find all places in the Lone Star State -- 1687 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren't townships. This left us with 213 places from across the state.
For these 213, 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 criteria from one to 213, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Fredericksburg, with the lowest average rank was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second careers. You can download the data here.
Summary: Maybe You're Not Ready To Retire In Texas Yet...
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Texas goes to Fredericksburg.
If you're not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- South Houston
- College Station
- Rosenberg
For more Texas reading, check out:
Where Are The Best Places To Retire In Texas?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fredericksburg | 11,341 |
| 2 | Elgin | 10,231 |
| 3 | Southlake | 31,684 |
| 4 | Lockhart | 13,782 |
| 5 | Azle | 12,950 |
| 6 | Santa Fe | 13,326 |
| 7 | Port Lavaca | 12,015 |
| 8 | Kerrville | 23,511 |
| 9 | Robstown | 11,214 |
| 10 | Gatesville | 13,513 |
