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San Francisco Chronicle​

These are the best places to retire in California, according to a new ranking

Trying to figure out where you'll retire in California? Retirement Living, a platform for retirement planning services, recently published its second annual ranking of the Golden State's most senior-friendly cities. There are plenty of great reasons to retire here. We have year-round temperate climates in most places, especially along the coast. You're only ever a couple of hours' driving distance from world-class vacation destinations like Lake Tahoe, Napa Valley, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara, as well as plentiful national and state parks. Major cities have some of the best hospital systems on the planet and a wide variety of cultural activities like museums and performing arts spaces. And Prop. 13 means if you've owned your home for a long time, you're likely getting a nice discount on property taxes compared to more recent neighbors — one you can take with you if you relocate within the state under Prop. 19. When it comes to California, 'it's not just the warm weather, it's the variety, it's the culture, having access to anything,' said Jailyn Montero, a media relations specialist for Retirement Living. 'California is one of those states where you're not really lacking in any department.' There are many different ways to evaluate how good a city is for seniors. The AARP's Livability Index scores communities based on expansive criteria across seven categories, including housing, transportation and health. It named San Francisco the top very large community for seniors. Retirement Living's rankings have a more narrow focus: 'We looked at what we believe is most important to seniors,' Montero said. Her team put together the ranking based on the cost of living, the percentage of the population that are seniors, median rent and home sales prices, poverty level, and the local sales tax rate. The state's base sales tax rate is 7.25%. Data for the analysis came from Redfin (home sales data retrieved in April 2025), the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, and tax software Avalara. Researchers looked only at cities with populations of 100,000 or higher, so if you're looking for a more rural retirement, this list probably won't apply. Five cities in the Bay Area made the top 20: Vacaville (No. 4), Richmond (5), Santa Rosa (7), Vallejo (10) and Concord (15). Those cities all offer more affordable housing options compared to a lot of the Bay Area, though sales tax rates also tend to be on the higher side. Here are the top cities that made the list. 1. Roseville Roseville has risen above its humble origins as a railroad junction to a city with nearly 160,000 residents. It was a standout in more than one recent ranking — Consumer Affairs named the Placer County city the best place to move to in California in 2025. According to Retirement Living, Roseville's population is 18.9% people over 65. In places with larger shares of seniors, retirees 'are going to be surrounded by like-minded individuals,' Montero said, and those communities 'know how to take care of seniors.' The analysis reported a median home sales price of $635,000 and median rent of $2,158 in Roseville — not low compared to national averages, but downright affordable for California. Those lower housing costs contribute to Roseville's comparatively low poverty rate of 5.6% — roughly half of what it is for the rest of the state (11.3%). The sales tax in Roseville is 7.75%. 2. Oceanside If hitting the beach is a key part of your retirement vision, you might consider Oceanside, a city of just over 170,000 people located along the coast in San Diego County. One-fifth of the population is seniors. The poverty rate is 8.3%. Homes and rent are going to be a bit more expensive — a median of $850,000 and $2,293, respectively, according to Retirement Living's data — and the sales tax is 8.25%. But it's tough to beat the views. 3. Torrance Retirement Living called Torrance 'the most retiree-friendly city in California' due to its share of 65 and over population: 21.6%, the highest of any city on the list. That friendliness comes with a cost: The median home in this coastal city in Los Angeles County will set you back $1.3 million, the second-highest of all 20 California cities on Retirement Living's list. Median rent is $2,049, the poverty rate is 7.3%, and the sales tax is 10.25%. Here are the other 17 cities on the list, with the Bay Area locations in bold. Vacaville Richmond Modesto Santa Rosa Thousand Oaks Simi Valley Vallejo Ventura Huntington Beach Inglewood Garden Grove Concord Visalia Elk Grove Clovis Glendale Sacramento