Forbes says these Texas cities offer an enjoyable retirement — not Fort Worth
Fort Worth residents who want to enjoy their retirement will not be happy to hear that other Texas cities are better fit for a gratifying post-work life, according to a new list.
Forbes recently compiled a list of the 25 best places to enjoy retirement in the U.S. This list doesn’t consider the usual focus, which is cost (cost of living, home price). Instead, it weighs its options based on leisure and living an active lifestyle.
Forbes scoured nearly 1,000 spots in America, all with a population of 10,000 or more, and graded them on factors such as the availability of primary care doctors, serious crime rates, air quality and whether a place is walkable and bikeable. Counties that had a “very high” susceptibility to natural hazard and climate change risk, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Risk Index, were not considered. Check Forbes’ methodology here.
Then, Forbes screened the remaining cities for the best leisure pursuits. The final list had 25 cities.
The cities on the list are fit for retirees to pursue any of Forbes’ “six different retirement passions”: arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning, outdoor activities on water, outdoor activities on land, and golf.
Earlier this year, Forbes also published a list of best places to retire based on quality of life for an affordable price. Zero North Texas cities were listed, but College Station and San Antonio were suggested for their affordable median home prices and good healthcare options.
Affordability wasn’t a factor in this new Forbes list of best places to enjoy retirement; only nine of the 25 cities have median home prices near or below the national median of $435,300. Still, Texans looking to stay in state have some luck: one of the Texas picks offers a median home price 27 percent lower than the national average.
Here are the Texas cities that made Forbes’ 25 best places to enjoy retirement.
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Dallas
Dallas was ranked as one of the most enjoyable cities to retire for its focus in fine dining, arts, culture and of course, golf.
The city nearly checks all six of Forbes’ boxes for leisure, but the ranking notes Dallas’ crime rate and hot and humid summers.
Otherwise, Dallas offers over 80 golf courses for resident’s enjoyment, a thriving arts and culture scene with museums and American Airlines Center and plenty of fine dining opportunities especially with restaurants on the Texas Michelin guide.
- Population: 1.33 million (nation’s ninth-largest city)
- Median Home Price: $307,000 (27 percent below the national median)
- Cost of living is equal to the national average, according to Forbes
- Forbes also notes an adequate number of physicians per capita, a bikeable and somewhat walkable city, tolerable air quality, an elevation of 430 feet, a not too high FEMA risk of natural disasters and no state taxation of income or estates.
Austin
Austin not only made Forbes’ Top 25, but also checked every single box of the six leisure categories. The only other listed city to do so was Boston.
The state capital has plenty of music, dining and outdoor activity opportunities (including golf). Another plus is that the University of Texas at Austin offers free classes for up to six credits per semester for senior citizens.
However, Austin has restaurants on the Texas Michelin guide, the rambunctious UT Campus with football and basketball games year-round and Zilker Park, which hosts Austin City Limits music festival. Residents also dip in Barton Springs’ natural creek pool during the summer to cool off.
- Population: 990,000
- Median Home Price: $504,000 (19 percent above national median)
- Cost of Living: 29 percent above national average, according to Forbes
- Forbes also notes the excellent ratio of primary care physicians per capita, good air quality, a bikeable and walkable city, a warm climate, elevation of 300 feet and no state income or estate tax and the city’s above-normal crime rate.