UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.
#6. Honolulu
Retirees will pay a hefty price to live in Honolulu, HI, but you certainly get what you pay for, which in this case is paradise. A high cost of living is perhaps the only drawback to retiring in Honolulu, a city that scored well in almost every other category we measured in our hunt for the best places to retire. Honolulu ranked No. 58 in our 2015 list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live. Most appealing is the weather, beaches and lush tropical forests. Temperatures in Honolulu hover around 79 degrees all year.
Honolulu’s climate is perfect for trips to the beach, rounds of golf, mountain hikes or just relaxing in the city’s many parks. Jaw-dropping scenery is as easy to find, as luxury fashion boutiques, spas, art galleries and museums further cement the city’s status as one of best places to retire. From shopping centers and restaurants in downtown to outlying market places and eco-adventure tours, Honolulu’s entertainment options are as expansive as its views of the Pacific Ocean. City leaders and native residents take great steps to preserve Polynesian values. Honolulu out ranked every other city on this list when it came to providing walkable neighborhoods, a high concentration of hospitals and quality health care.
Social Security benefits and most pension income is exempt from state income taxes. Honolulu offers property tax exemptions to qualifying residents who are 65 and over. One thing to watch out for is the high income tax (11 percent) that Hawaii puts on most every other source of income.