Settling Down
This is where Fort Worth lands on a new list of best places to retire
Retirement unlocks many opportunities to explore the outdoors in Fort Worth.
North Texans getting ready to give up the daily grind are already living in the right place for their next chapter in life. Fort Worth has just been named the No. 5 best city to retire in Texas, and it lands as the 78th best city in the U.S. for retirement living, according to a new WalletHub report.
The study examined 182 U.S. cities and ranked them based on 45 "retirement-friendly" livability metrics across four key dimensions: affordability, activities, quality of life, and health care.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Florida dominated the top 10, with Orlando, Miami, and Tampa locking in the top three spots and Fort Lauderdale ranking eighth on the list.
Fort Worth fared best in the "quality of life" and "affordability" categories, ranking 56th and 63rd nationally. The quality of life category considered the share of the city's population aged 65 and older, elderly-friendly labor markets, crime rates, and air and water quality; whereas the affordability category encompassed the local cost of living, taxpayer-friendliness, the costs for in-home services, and other factors.
Costs were a significant factor in the report, as many retirees live on a fixed income. A retiree's finances play a huge part in determining where to live once it's time to put up those work boots, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said.
"As a result, the best cities for retired people are those that minimize taxes and expenses, as well as have good opportunities for retirees to continue paid work for extra income, if they choose to do so," he said. "In addition, the top cities provide high-quality health care and offer plenty of enjoyable activities for retirees."
Cowtown also earned a respectable rank as No. 75 in the "activities" category, which analyzed attractions and entertainment venues for seniors, like the number of per capita museums, theaters, book clubs, senior centers, and bingo halls.
Fort Worth fell behind in the national "health care" ranking, appearing as No. 152, but it wasn't enough to tank the city's overall performance.
Seven more DFW neighbors earned spots on the list:
- No. 50 – Dallas
- No. 75 – Plano
- No. 78 – Fort Worth
- No. 91 – Grand Prairie
- No. 101 – Garland
- No. 107 – Irving
- No. 124 – Arlington
Elsewhere in Texas, Austin topped the list as the No. 1 best place to retire statewide, and it ranked No. 23 nationwide. San Antonio claimed the No. 2 spot statewide and was the only other Texas city to rank among the national top 50.
This is how other Texas cities ranked in the report:
- No. 82 – Houston
- No. 87 – Brownsville
- No. 123 – El Paso
- No. 134 – Corpus Christi
- No. 140 – Laredo
- No. 143 – Amarillo
- No. 155 – Lubbock

The Philoxenia estate is at 1112 Post Oak Pl., in the Vaquero enclave of Westlake. Photo courtesy of Ebby Halliday