Key Points
The area has a more temperate climate than you might expect.
Recreational and cultural activities abound in this western state.
Denver's housing market has gotten a bit more buyer-friendly.
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As you think about and plan for your retirement, you might start daydreaming about appealing places to move to for your later years. There are many possible destinations, and your friends at The Motley Fool have prepared a report called "The 50 Best Places to Retire in the U.S. in 2026" to help you. It looks at information from 2,000 American retirees and ranks appealing counties.
Here's a look at its findings -- and especially at Denver County in Colorado, which did well in the rankings.
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The Motley Fool report
The Motley Fool used the survey results to identify factors important to retirees and weighted them according to how important they were. So the weightings were:
- Quality of life: 31%
- Healthcare access and quality: 15%
- Housing affordability: 13%
- Crime and safety: 12%
- Weather and climate: 12%
- State and local taxes: 11%
- Non-housing affordability: 6%
Smaller counties, with populations below 40,000, were not included, and counties with relatively low scores of quality of life or housing affordability were also excluded. The top 50 counties had overall scores ranging from 64 to 48. The top five counties were:
- Broward County, Florida
- St. Johns County, Florida
- Gadsden County, Florida
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio
- Pulaski County, Arkansas
A compelling county on the list: Denver
Denver County, in Colorado, was ranked in 20th place, with a total score of 55. Here are its sub-scores for the seven factors assessed:
- Quality of life: 61
- Healthcare: 31
- Cost of housing: 40
- Cost of living: 66
- Crime: 56
- Taxes: 62
- Climate: 72
If you pay attention to real estate trends, you might have mentally excluded Denver from your deliberations, assuming it would just be too expensive. Don't do that, though -- because rising average prices are just that -- averages. There are always less costly and more costly homes to be found. Meanwhile, the housing market has gotten more buyer-friendly recently, with homes staying on the market 22.5% longer than a year ago, as of October.
Upsides of Denver and surrounding areas
Housing costs aside, there's a lot to like about Denver (and Colorado) as a retirement destination. The climate is generally quite nice, and not as cold and snowy as you might think. There's a lot of sunshine, and many winter days hit 60 degrees or higher.
There are gobs of recreational activities, with many nearby hiking, fishing, biking, skiing, and walking opportunities. Cultural opportunities abound in and around Denver, as well, along with many excellent eateries.
Social Security benefits are not taxed for those 65 and older and not for those aged 55 to 64 who have lower incomes. Those 65 and older can also deduct up to $24,000 worth of certain retirement incomes (such as pensions and retirement-account withdrawals) each year.
Downsides of Denver and surrounding areas
On the other hand:
- Denver can have heavy traffic, especially around rush hour.
- It does get some winter storms and has some hot weeks in summer.
- Its cost of living, while not sky high, is still well above other costs you'll find elsewhere.
- While hurricanes are not a big concern, wildfires and flooding can be, and air quality can be poor at times.
When seeking a great place to relocate to in retirement, do give Colorado some consideration.
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