HIGHLIGHTS
- Most retirees stay in their pre-retirement home, and only about a third move.
- Sun Belt states lead: Florida, the Carolinas, Arizona, Texas, and Tennessee.
- Family and cost of living outrank weather as reasons to relocate.
- Florida still draws the most movers, but its net gain has nearly flattened.
- Where you should move depends on lifestyle, budget, and community fit.
Most people don’t move when they retire. Among those who do relocate, the majority head to warm, affordable Sun Belt states rather than scattering evenly across the country. But the more useful question isn’t just where other people go. It’s where you should go, based on your own budget, family, and lifestyle.
Where Do Most People Move When They Retire?
Most people don’t move when they retire. The majority stay in the home they already own. Among those who do relocate, the top destinations are warm, affordable Sun Belt states like Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arizona, and Texas. Popular metro destinations include Mesa, the Las Vegas suburbs, the greater Charleston area, and Durham.
Here’s what the data actually shows once you get past the general “everyone moves to Florida” assumption.
Most Retirees Don’t Move at All
Roughly 63% of retirees still live in the home they had before retiring, meaning only about 37% have moved, according to a 2025 Transamerica Institute report. That tracks with annual mobility data too. About 2.1 million adults 65 and older relocated in 2025, or roughly 3.4% of that age group, according to moving-industry data from HireAHelper. An earlier 2020 study from the Center for Retirement Research similarly found that most homeowners never leave the home they were in during their early 50s.
If you’re weighing a move, that puts you in the minority, which means the decision deserves real thought rather than just following the crowd.
The States Retirees Move to Most
Two different datasets tell slightly different versions of this story, and it’s worth understanding why before picking a number to trust.
Looking at 2023 Census data on net migration for people 60 and older, SmartAsset found Florida gained the most, with a net of +44,504, followed by North Carolina (+20,369), Arizona (+20,203), South Carolina (+14,676), Georgia (+13,789), and Texas (+10,050).
A separate look at actual 2025 moves among people 65 and older, from moving-industry data firm HireAHelper, tells a somewhat different story. South Carolina led with a net gain of +5,427, followed by Texas (+5,156), North Carolina (+3,202), Tennessee (+3,191), and Arizona (+2,512). The two lists differ because they use different years, age cutoffs, and methods, so it’s worth not blending them into a single ranking.
What both agree on: California, New York, and Illinois are among the biggest net losers of retirees.
| State | Net Gain (Ages 60+, SmartAsset/2023 Census) | Net Gain (Ages 65+, HireAHelper/2025 Moves) |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | +44,504 | +815 |
| South Carolina | +14,676 | +5,427 |
| North Carolina | +20,369 | +3,202 |
| Arizona | +20,203 | +2,512 |
| Texas | +10,050 | +5,156 |
| Tennessee | +1,866 | +3,191 |
The Cities and Metros Retirees Are Choosing
Zooming into specific metros (again using 2023 Census data on people 60 and older via SmartAsset), the top destinations cluster in a handful of states: Mesa, Arizona; North Las Vegas, Paradise, and Henderson, Nevada; Durham, North Carolina; St. Petersburg, Florida; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Oklahoma City.
Grouped by state, the pattern is clear: Arizona, Nevada, and the Carolinas show up repeatedly. These metros tend to pair warm weather and comparatively lower costs with well-established active adult community options, which is a big part of why they keep showing up on these lists.
Related Article: The Best Places to Retire for Low Costs and Top Medical Care
Why Retirees Move and Why Many Stay
Weather gets a lot of credit in the popular imagination, but it’s not actually the top reason people move. According to Transamerica’s 2025 research, the top criteria retirees use to choose a location are proximity to family and friends (62%), affordable cost of living (60%), health care access (51%), low crime (46%), and weather (43%). Among people who’ve actually moved, the top reasons cited were family (36%), downsizing (28%), wanting a new chapter (26%), reducing expenses (25%), and climate (20%).
Florida’s story is a good illustration of how nuanced this actually is. It’s still the top state for raw inbound retiree volume, since more people move there than anywhere else, but its 2025 net gain was just +815, compared to South Carolina’s +5,427. That reflects more retirees spreading out across the broader Carolinas region. It’s a shift in where the growth is concentrated, not evidence that people are leaving Florida in large numbers.
Taxes and insurance play a real role too. Eight states, including Florida, Texas, Nevada, and Tennessee, have no state income tax, according to the Tax Foundation, and that’s a meaningful factor for retirees living on a fixed income. On the other hand, insurance costs have climbed sharply in some of these same states. Florida is currently the most expensive state for homeowners insurance, measured against a 2024 national average of $3,303 a year, according to the Consumer Federation of America.
How to Decide Where You Should Move
The states and cities other retirees choose aren’t necessarily your answer. The better approach starts from your own priorities: family, budget, health care access, climate, and the lifestyle you actually want day to day.
A few practical steps: Rank your must-haves before you start touring, visit in person before committing to anything, and weigh the total cost of a location, including taxes, insurance, and homeowners association (HOA) fees together, not just the sticker price of a home. For many buyers, an active adult community adds built-in social connection and low-maintenance living that’s hard to replicate on your own, wherever you land.
Related Article: How to Relocate for Retirement: A Step-by-Step Guide
This is where 55places can help directly, with nationwide active adult community listings across all of the top destination states above, plus Partner Agents who know individual communities and local markets firsthand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do most retirees move when they retire?
Most retirees don’t move at all, and about 63% stay in their pre-retirement home. Among those who do relocate, warm, lower-tax Sun Belt states like Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arizona, and Texas lead the way.
What state are most retirees moving to?
It depends on the dataset. Florida leads in total retiree arrivals, but South Carolina topped net gains in the most recent 2025 move data, as retirees increasingly spread across the Carolinas, Texas, Tennessee, and Arizona.
Do most people move or stay put when they retire?
Most stay put. Only about a third of retirees have moved since retiring, and roughly 3.4% of adults 65 and older relocate in a given year.
Why do retirees move to the Sun Belt?
Warm weather plays a role, but retirees actually rank proximity to family and affordable cost of living above climate as reasons to relocate. No-income-tax states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee add to the appeal.
Find Your Place in a Top Retirement Destination
Whether you’re drawn to the Carolinas, Arizona, Texas, or somewhere closer to family, our Partner Agents can help you compare active adult communities and find the one that fits your budget, your lifestyle, and the way you want to spend your days. Contact 55places.com today!
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