The cheapest places to retire in the United States are often hidden secrets that are little known. Since cost of living is an important factor in retirement planning, finding the cheapest places to retire is crucial to keeping retirement goals manageable. For some retirees, a simple change of location for retirement plans can accelerate retirement plans by several years. Generally speaking, the cheapest places to retire in the United States are in the Midwest and South. The most expensive locations are in the northeast and southwest.

Best Places to Retire in the Midwest

Although there are many inexpensive places to retire in the Midwest, you should consider accessing key resources like restaurants, entertainment, and airports in order to travel in retirement. Here are some places to consider:

1. Fort Wayne, IN. Fort Wayne is located in the I-69 corridor. FWA, Fort Wayne Airport, is one of the few airports in the Midwest with a 12,000-foot runway. Fort Wayne, a medium-sized city, has all the key resources you’ll need, including high-quality hospitals and healthcare, a variety of restaurants and entertainment, and a large population that makes networking easy. It also has a median home price of $ 93,900. That’s more than $ 50,000 below the national median housing cost and $ 38,000 below the Midwest median. Since it is in a conservative state, the taxes are also relatively low.

2. Louisville, KY. With a median home price of $ 96,000, Louisville KY is an incredibly cheap place to live for a city so large that it has a major international airport. Kentucky’s rolling hills provide an abundance of beautiful scenery including lakes for boating, natural state parks for hiking (like Red River Gorge), and a colorful history that’s fascinating to explore.

The best places to retire in the south

1. Macon Georgia has a low cost of housing of $ 95,300 with an equally low tax rate for retirees. Macon is not far from Atlanta in the 1-75 corridor and misses traffic and high housing costs. Since you can exclude $ 32,000 of retirement income from state taxes, property taxes for retirees age 65 and older are exempt up to $ 4000 per year. Those three factors make Macon Georgia a very cheap place to retire. However, it is close to several lakes in the area, as well as a wildlife refuge and preservation area for outdoor enthusiasts.

2. Westminster, South Carolina has an incredibly low median cost of housing of $ 73,400 and is just a few minutes’ drive from Seneca, South Carolina, known as the “City of Smiles” for its welcoming culture, vibrant community of retirees and a variety of indoor and outdoor entertainment. Flanked by two lakes and blessed with a very moderate climate, this area is located in the foothills of the Appalachians. It is harder to find a more beautiful and cheaper place to retire. Keep it quiet though, Seneca is well known, Westminster is still a hidden secret.