It’s that time of your life when you deserve an indefinite vacation — retirement. And while it might seem like a miracle, you’re ready to hang up your hat and stirrups. So the question becomes, where should you 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. You may not have luscious green grass in Texas, but you can make a decent cactus garden, ride horses, and eat delicious BBQ.
You might assume the best place to retire is a big city like Austin or Houston. But the reality is a little more nuanced. We dug into the recent 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.
$1,386 median rent · $64,534 median income · #126 cheapest rent in Texas
Located in
Gillespie County, TexasFredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 10,530.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,240 median rent · $99,190 median income · #99 cheapest rent in Texas
Located in
Galveston County, TexasSanta Fe is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States. It is named for the Santa Fe Railroad which runs through the town alongside State Highway 6. The population of Santa Fe at the 2010 census was 12,222. Locals refer to their town as “The Fe.”
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,086 median rent · $62,102 median income · #62 cheapest rent in Texas
Located in
Kerr County, TexasKerrville is a city in Kerr County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat of Kerr County. As of 2016, the population of Kerrville is 23,434. Kerrville is named after James Kerr, a major in the Texas Revolution, and friend of settler-founder Joshua Brown, who settled in the area to start a shingle-making camp.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$956 median rent · $34,436 median income · #26 cheapest rent in Texas
Located in
Nueces County, TexasData | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,141 median rent · $86,712 median income · #75 cheapest rent in Texas
Located in
Brazoria County, TexasAngleton is a city in and the county seat of Brazoria County, Texas, United States, within the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area. Angleton lies at the intersection of State Highway 288, State Highway 35, and the Union Pacific Railroad. The population was 18,862 at the 2010 census. Angleton is in the 14th congressional district, and is represented by Republican Congressman Randy Weber.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,152 median rent · $68,400 median income · #77 cheapest rent in Texas
Located in
Caldwell County, TexasLockhart is a city in Caldwell County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat of Caldwell County. According to the 2010 census the population of Lockhart was 12,698. Lockhart and Caldwell County are within the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$846 median rent · $58,000 median income · #8 cheapest rent in Texas
Located in
Hockley County, TexasData | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$3,501 median rent · $250,001 median income · #229 cheapest rent in Texas
Located in
Tarrant County, TexasSouthlake is a city located predominantly in Tarrant County with minor areas extending into Denton County in the U.S. state of Texas. Southlake is a suburb in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 26,575. Southlake is known for public schools, Southlake Town Square, its wealth, Gateway Church and Carroll High School’s 8-time state champion Football and Men’s Swim & Dive team.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$934 median rent · $48,676 median income · #22 cheapest rent in Texas
Located in
Jim Wells County, TexasAlice is a city in and the county seat of Jim Wells County, Texas, United States, in the South Texas region of the state. The population was 19,104 at the 2010 census. Alice was established in 1888. First it was called Bandana, then Kleberg and finally Alice after Alice Gertrudis King Kleberg, the daughter of Richard King, who established the King Ranch.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,298 median rent · $55,631 median income · #105 cheapest rent in Texas
Located in
Galveston County, TexasGalveston is a coastal resort city on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of 209.3 square miles, with an estimated population of 50,180 in 2015, is the county seat and second-largest municipality of Galveston County. It is within Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Texas’s statewide median.
Texas statewide median: $78,476
Texas statewide median: $300,957
On the map
Where to retire in Texas
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Lone Star State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Texas to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed 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 230 places from across the state.
For these 230, 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 230, 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 career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Texas.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Texas
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fredericksburg | 53.20 | 11,419 | $64,534 | $517,758 | $1,386 |
| 2 | Santa Fe | 57.40 | 12,901 | $99,190 | $330,156 | $1,240 |
| 3 | Kerrville | 58.30 | 24,755 | $62,102 | $351,636 | $1,086 |
| 4 | Robstown | 63.40 | 10,236 | $34,436 | $113,142 | $956 |
| 5 | Angleton | 66.00 | 19,972 | $86,712 | $249,418 | $1,141 |
| 6 | Lockhart | 67.90 | 15,326 | $68,400 | $277,443 | $1,152 |
| 7 | Levelland | 68.20 | 12,466 | $58,000 | $145,131 | $846 |
| 8 | Southlake | 71.30 | 31,137 | $250,001 | $1,301,365 | $3,501 |
| 9 | Alice | 71.40 | 17,707 | $48,676 | $132,639 | $934 |
| 10 | Galveston | 73.20 | 53,424 | $55,631 | $320,625 | $1,298 |
| 11 | Lumberton | 73.30 | 13,963 | $107,623 | $278,475 | $1,067 |
| 12 | Borger | 73.30 | 12,226 | $61,583 | $108,129 | $910 |
| 13 | Gatesville | 73.70 | 16,228 | $57,217 | $240,954 | $1,007 |
| 14 | Denison | 74.40 | 25,778 | $67,365 | $227,793 | $1,309 |
| 15 | Taylor | 75.70 | 17,136 | $75,508 | $285,633 | $1,074 |
| 16 | Burkburnett | 76.70 | 11,059 | $66,308 | $179,063 | $964 |
| 17 | Del Rio | 77.30 | 34,668 | $66,158 | $209,762 | $895 |
| 18 | Port Lavaca | 79.30 | 11,358 | $70,123 | $185,838 | $849 |
| 19 | Roanoke | 79.40 | 10,286 | $97,295 | $428,021 | $1,783 |
| 20 | Port Neches | 79.80 | 13,664 | $81,637 | $236,950 | $1,095 |
| 21 | Mission | 80.70 | 87,038 | $60,767 | $220,634 | $950 |
| 22 | Colleyville | 80.90 | 26,012 | $218,328 | $913,049 | $3,263 |
| 23 | Schertz | 81.20 | 44,050 | $99,948 | $314,686 | $1,659 |
| 24 | Hidalgo | 82.00 | 14,498 | $59,441 | $191,376 | $842 |
| 25 | Bonham | 82.40 | 10,697 | $57,681 | $226,435 | $1,073 |
| 26 | Palmview | 82.80 | 15,921 | $43,963 | $186,793 | $678 |
| 27 | Boerne | 83.20 | 20,518 | $84,541 | $554,313 | $1,589 |
| 28 | Sweetwater | 85.00 | 10,385 | $44,892 | $108,067 | $907 |
| 29 | Azle | 85.50 | 14,126 | $68,514 | $330,263 | $1,333 |
| 30 | Elgin | 86.20 | 11,563 | $91,114 | $275,342 | $1,440 |
| 31 | Saginaw | 86.40 | 24,970 | $97,276 | $299,871 | $1,776 |
| 32 | Gainesville | 87.00 | 17,883 | $58,809 | $250,182 | $1,038 |
| 33 | Portland | 87.20 | 20,543 | $83,865 | $267,661 | $1,577 |
| 34 | Friendswood | 87.70 | 41,030 | $126,508 | $457,135 | $1,688 |
| 35 | Rockport | 87.80 | 10,683 | $72,174 | $306,199 | $1,212 |
| 36 | El Paso | 89.10 | 680,130 | $59,745 | $234,775 | $1,073 |
| 37 | Coppell | 89.10 | 42,154 | $146,235 | $619,492 | $2,022 |
| 38 | Sachse | 90.60 | 30,491 | $131,808 | $433,037 | $1,798 |
| 39 | Benbrook | 90.80 | 24,557 | $86,292 | $316,645 | $1,566 |
| 40 | Keller | 91.50 | 45,976 | $174,950 | $652,144 | $2,144 |
| 41 | Dickinson | 91.90 | 21,753 | $91,779 | $267,231 | $1,231 |
| 42 | San Benito | 92.00 | 24,709 | $43,639 | $164,028 | $839 |
| 43 | Flower Mound | 93.20 | 78,389 | $161,235 | $609,719 | $2,231 |
| 44 | Groves | 93.30 | 16,976 | $73,710 | $177,711 | $1,286 |
| 45 | Seguin | 93.40 | 33,754 | $64,861 | $273,065 | $1,187 |
| 46 | Bedford | 93.60 | 49,085 | $83,971 | $374,676 | $1,502 |
| 47 | Leon Valley | 94.10 | 11,446 | $59,481 | $262,385 | $1,187 |
| 48 | Raymondville | 94.20 | 10,185 | $51,442 | $116,079 | $881 |
| 49 | Trophy Club | 95.30 | 13,733 | $201,054 | $701,041 | $1,992 |
| 50 | Carrollton | 95.90 | 133,740 | $101,396 | $406,040 | $1,735 |
| 51 | Mineral Wells | 97.20 | 15,244 | $55,929 | $202,109 | $1,077 |
| 52 | Cleburne | 97.70 | 34,344 | $70,656 | $272,448 | $1,322 |
| 53 | Watauga | 97.80 | 23,233 | $91,171 | $277,103 | $1,982 |
| 54 | Amarillo | 97.90 | 201,885 | $65,912 | $206,787 | $1,092 |
| 55 | Brownwood | 98.40 | 18,777 | $48,981 | $168,039 | $882 |
| 56 | Grapevine | 99.20 | 51,139 | $111,376 | $552,148 | $1,863 |
| 57 | Forest Hill | 99.20 | 14,062 | $68,457 | $226,976 | $1,763 |
| 58 | Weatherford | 99.30 | 35,788 | $81,516 | $394,881 | $1,527 |
| 59 | Pampa | 99.80 | 16,659 | $56,626 | $102,177 | $934 |
| 60 | Lakeway | 99.90 | 19,307 | $190,060 | $741,100 | $2,981 |
| 61 | San Juan | 100.10 | 36,149 | $56,562 | $182,709 | $961 |
| 62 | Crowley | 100.30 | 19,532 | $95,030 | $314,947 | $1,725 |
| 63 | Granbury | 100.60 | 12,136 | $73,516 | $368,651 | $1,386 |
| 64 | Laredo | 101.00 | 257,619 | $63,915 | $220,331 | $1,030 |
| 65 | Canyon | 102.00 | 15,723 | $69,772 | $295,887 | $984 |
| 66 | Georgetown | 102.10 | 85,999 | $95,062 | $426,799 | $1,795 |
| 67 | Fair Oaks Ranch | 102.40 | 10,728 | $174,327 | $697,347 | $2,108 |
| 68 | Deer Park | 102.80 | 33,967 | $100,382 | $280,749 | $1,318 |
| 69 | Kingsville | 103.20 | 24,994 | $58,148 | $148,246 | $1,037 |
| 70 | White Settlement | 103.70 | 18,150 | $56,784 | $220,447 | $1,253 |
| 71 | Pharr | 103.80 | 80,333 | $52,814 | $164,025 | $1,037 |
| 72 | Corinth | 104.10 | 23,385 | $120,580 | $410,565 | $1,891 |
| 73 | Buda | 104.40 | 15,859 | $123,766 | $354,685 | $1,852 |
| 74 | Brownsville | 105.00 | 189,177 | $52,130 | $195,993 | $923 |
| 75 | New Braunfels | 105.70 | 104,643 | $86,021 | $350,104 | $1,654 |
| 76 | Edinburg | 105.90 | 104,550 | $59,466 | $217,345 | $996 |
| 77 | Plainview | 105.90 | 19,711 | $44,768 | $116,898 | $851 |
| 78 | Orange | 105.90 | 19,177 | $62,891 | $179,847 | $1,108 |
| 79 | Socorro | 106.20 | 37,123 | $54,744 | $208,216 | $1,032 |
| 80 | Uvalde | 106.30 | 15,417 | $51,141 | $179,928 | $994 |
| 81 | Dumas | 107.30 | 14,452 | $63,788 | $189,049 | $1,028 |
| 82 | Plano | 107.60 | 290,594 | $112,253 | $498,989 | $1,841 |
| 83 | Big Spring | 107.60 | 23,975 | $67,581 | $141,647 | $1,050 |
| 84 | Alamo | 107.70 | 20,255 | $57,096 | $173,085 | $811 |
| 85 | McAllen | 107.80 | 145,385 | $61,579 | $229,001 | $1,049 |
| 86 | Nederland | 107.80 | 18,381 | $77,570 | $214,465 | $1,400 |
| 87 | Seabrook | 107.90 | 13,768 | $102,726 | $348,376 | $1,476 |
| 88 | La Marque | 108.40 | 19,268 | $71,102 | $231,040 | $1,443 |
| 89 | Henderson | 108.80 | 13,385 | $61,285 | $204,042 | $1,007 |
| 90 | Athens | 109.10 | 13,200 | $67,984 | $254,164 | $1,112 |
| 91 | The Colony | 109.50 | 45,454 | $114,511 | $406,282 | $1,958 |
| 92 | Bastrop | 109.50 | 11,156 | $81,551 | $351,852 | $1,443 |
| 93 | Allen | 109.70 | 110,265 | $130,901 | $493,532 | $1,932 |
| 94 | Harlingen | 109.80 | 72,087 | $53,645 | $197,377 | $928 |
| 95 | Midland | 110.20 | 136,640 | $89,585 | $328,325 | $1,434 |
| 96 | Palestine | 110.40 | 19,136 | $44,981 | $195,281 | $1,062 |
| 97 | Hereford | 110.60 | 14,840 | $56,868 | $172,976 | $953 |
| 98 | Hurst | 110.70 | 39,861 | $72,210 | $337,204 | $1,358 |
| 99 | Fairview | 111.60 | 10,783 | $109,347 | $660,166 | $1,947 |
| 100 | Cedar Park | 112.30 | 78,301 | $129,545 | $471,699 | $1,846 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 230 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
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.
The best places to retire in Texas are Fredericksburg, Santa Fe, Kerrville, Robstown, Angleton, Lockhart, Levelland, Southlake, Alice, and Galveston.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley. Not sold on Texas? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places To Retire In Texas FAQs
What is the best place to retire in Texas?
Fredericksburg is the best place to retire in Texas for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Santa Fe and Kerrville are next.
What are the best places to retire in Texas?
The best places to retire in Texas are Fredericksburg, Santa Fe, Kerrville, Robstown, Angleton, Lockhart, Levelland, Southlake, Alice, and Galveston. We ranked all 230 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
How do you rank retirement spots?
We score every qualifying Texas city on rent, crime, things to do, weather, airport access, and median age. The city that balances all six best, Fredericksburg, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Fredericksburg?
The median home in Fredericksburg runs $517,758, against $300,957 across Texas as a whole. Across the full top ten, the median home costs $299,034.
Which Texas place came in last for retirees?
Humble lands at the bottom of the retirement ranking for Texas. Not ready to retire anyway? Then Humble might suit you fine.
