Arizona is home to some of the most popular retirement destinations in the nation, but they are also among the most expensive retirement cities.

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In a new analysis, researchers at GOBankingRates examined the latest US Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics data to reveal the 30 Most Expensive Retirement Towns in America.

To qualify, each city on the list needed to have a population greater than 25,000, and needed to have at least 25% of the population aged 65 or over.

Key findings for Arizona:

  • Three Arizona cities made the list, including Scottsdale (#6), Prescott (#14) and Lake Havasu City (#18).
  • Scottsdale ranked as the most expensive in Arizona, with an annual cost of living of more than $81,000. In comparison, Prescott and Lake Havasu City have a cost of living of $62K and $53K, respectively.

The nation’s five most expensive retirement towns all have one thing in common: They’re in California.

How did we determine the 30 most expensive retirement towns in the United States? First, we isolated cities with populations over 25,000 and percentages of residents ages 65+ of at least 25%. Cost-of-living indexes were multiplied by average expenditure costs for retirees, and mortgage and rent costs were added to find the total cost of necessities for retired homeowners.

Key Findings

  • California is home to America’s five most expensive retirement towns. Ranked from first to fifth place, they are Saratoga, Rancho Palos Verdes, Walnut Creek, Cerritos and Palm Springs. 
  • High-priced towns in Massachusetts, Arizona and Florida also cracked the top 10. Among the 10 most expensive retirement towns are two Massachusetts towns (Gloucester at #8 and Barnstable Town at #10), along with Scottsdale, Arizona, (#6) and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (#9). 
  • 14 Florida towns ranked in the list of 30, accounting for nearly 50% of the nation’s priciest retirement towns: Palm Beach Gardens (#9), Aventura (#11), Bonita Springs (#15), Delray Beach (#16), Dunedin (#19), Tarpon Springs (#20), Sarasota (#21), New Smyrna Beach (#23), Venice (#24), Bradenton (#25), Tamarac (#26), Cape Coral (#28), Largo (#29) and Ormond Beach (#30).

Ranked from most to least expensive, here are the 30 most expensive retirement towns in America.