The Data-Defined Map of American Retirement Towns
Nobody maintains an official registry of retirement towns, so we built one from the data. We took every US place with at least 10,000 residents and asked a simple question: is the majority of the population 55 or older? Exactly 76 towns clear that bar — and at the top of the list the numbers stop looking like age structure and start looking like a category error. In Sun City West, AZ, 96.6% of all residents are 55 or older; in On Top of the World, FL it is 96.5%. For comparison, the national figure is 29.7%.
The geography is exactly what the snowbird stereotype predicts, but with precision the stereotype lacks: Florida alone accounts for 36 of the 76 towns, Arizona for 17 more. The full list is below.
Key Findings
- 76 US towns with 10,000+ residents have a 55-plus majority.
- Sun City West, AZ is the most concentrated at 96.6% — nearly the entire town is 55 or older, versus 29.7% of Americans overall.
- Florida (36 towns) and Arizona (17) together hold most of the list — the two classic retirement-migration states.
- The median resident of a typical town on this list is about 61.0 years old, roughly two decades older than the median American (38.7 years).
Top 10 Towns by Share of Residents 55+
All 76 Majority-55+ Towns
| # | Town | 55+ Share | 75+ Share | Median Age | Median Income | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun City West, AZ | 96.6% | 49.4% | 74.9 years | $63,792 | 27,003 |
| 2 | On Top of the World, FL | 96.5% | 38.3% | 72.3 years | $57,765 | 13,772 |
| 3 | Laguna Woods, CA | 95.7% | 50.0% | 75.0 years | $60,235 | 17,342 |
| 4 | The Villages, FL | 95.6% | 42.2% | 73.6 years | $76,523 | 82,108 |
| 5 | Sun Lakes, AZ | 94.5% | 43.8% | 73.4 years | $63,545 | 14,079 |
| 6 | Green Valley, AZ | 93.9% | 42.8% | 73.3 years | $58,268 | 21,581 |
| 7 | Sun City, AZ | 91.1% | 39.7% | 72.5 years | $52,111 | 38,018 |
| 8 | Holiday City-Berkeley, NJ | 90.0% | 32.0% | 70.0 years | $47,855 | 12,896 |
| 9 | Saddlebrooke, AZ | 82.6% | 36.0% | 71.6 years | $90,888 | 12,616 |
| 10 | Marco Island, FL | 77.4% | 34.8% | 67.7 years | $104,105 | 15,998 |
| 11 | Rotonda, FL | 76.4% | 30.9% | 68.0 years | $67,383 | 10,312 |
| 12 | Venice, FL | 75.9% | 31.4% | 68.7 years | $74,340 | 26,467 |
| 13 | Iona, FL | 75.6% | 35.4% | 68.3 years | $66,143 | 14,290 |
| 14 | Englewood, FL | 75.1% | 31.6% | 68.2 years | $65,557 | 19,385 |
| 15 | Sun City Center, FL | 74.0% | 32.2% | 70.0 years | $71,012 | 31,801 |
| 16 | Hot Springs Village, AR | 74.0% | 31.5% | 69.8 years | $69,953 | 16,509 |
| 17 | Punta Gorda, FL | 72.1% | 28.2% | 66.5 years | $79,291 | 19,886 |
| 18 | Naples, FL | 71.6% | 31.4% | 67.6 years | $140,833 | 19,421 |
| 19 | Gold Canyon, AZ | 71.0% | 21.6% | 66.1 years | $85,833 | 12,488 |
| 20 | Pine Ridge (Citrus County), FL | 70.2% | 26.6% | 65.2 years | $66,131 | 10,676 |
| 21 | West Vero Corridor, FL | 69.2% | 31.1% | 66.2 years | $59,162 | 10,802 |
| 22 | Palmer Ranch, FL | 69.2% | 31.8% | 65.6 years | $103,682 | 15,873 |
| 23 | Rancho Mirage, CA | 68.2% | 26.6% | 65.0 years | $109,943 | 17,375 |
| 24 | Lady Lake, FL | 67.2% | 28.3% | 66.2 years | $47,260 | 16,337 |
| 25 | Rio Vista, CA | 65.9% | 25.6% | 64.7 years | $86,970 | 10,002 |
| 26 | Hudson, FL | 65.5% | 21.5% | 64.4 years | $49,063 | 10,873 |
| 27 | Sugarmill Woods, FL | 65.4% | 26.1% | 66.0 years | $69,831 | 10,871 |
| 28 | Estero, FL | 64.9% | 25.0% | 65.4 years | $100,459 | 37,258 |
| 29 | North Fort Myers, FL | 64.1% | 25.1% | 63.7 years | $55,696 | 44,189 |
| 30 | Laurel, FL | 63.6% | 22.8% | 62.9 years | $89,282 | 11,868 |
| 31 | Wildwood, FL | 62.9% | 14.0% | 62.2 years | $71,858 | 16,739 |
| 32 | North Myrtle Beach, SC | 61.9% | 14.6% | 60.8 years | $72,111 | 19,343 |
| 33 | Garden City, SC | 61.9% | 14.2% | 61.2 years | $50,027 | 10,820 |
| 34 | Ocean Pines, MD | 61.7% | 18.7% | 63.0 years | $91,400 | 12,028 |
| 35 | Fountain Hills, AZ | 60.5% | 17.2% | 60.8 years | $104,788 | 23,768 |
| 36 | Little River, SC | 60.5% | 17.1% | 61.8 years | $64,590 | 10,457 |
| 37 | Murrells Inlet, SC | 59.4% | 14.9% | 60.4 years | $75,438 | 10,087 |
| 38 | Mesquite, NV | 59.1% | 17.8% | 62.4 years | $74,439 | 21,314 |
| 39 | Cocoa Beach, FL | 58.8% | 15.5% | 58.4 years | $82,381 | 11,341 |
| 40 | Bonita Springs, FL | 58.4% | 21.6% | 61.2 years | $90,486 | 54,830 |
| 41 | Cypress Lake, FL | 57.9% | 23.4% | 60.7 years | $62,767 | 13,145 |
| 42 | Seal Beach, CA | 57.8% | 22.7% | 61.2 years | $83,045 | 24,868 |
| 43 | Hilton Head Island, SC | 57.7% | 19.0% | 59.9 years | $96,715 | 37,805 |
| 44 | Gulfport, FL | 57.3% | 16.0% | 58.2 years | $68,617 | 11,735 |
| 45 | Prescott, AZ | 57.2% | 17.9% | 60.3 years | $69,151 | 46,744 |
| 46 | Fort Mohave, AZ | 57.1% | 12.3% | 59.8 years | $65,417 | 15,716 |
| 47 | Fortuna Foothills, AZ | 56.6% | 26.3% | 62.0 years | $57,583 | 28,227 |
| 48 | Fernandina Beach, FL | 56.4% | 15.3% | 58.3 years | $92,535 | 13,239 |
| 49 | Port Townsend, WA | 56.0% | 16.6% | 59.4 years | $60,015 | 10,290 |
| 50 | St. Simons, GA | 55.9% | 14.3% | 59.0 years | $105,944 | 16,026 |
| 51 | Palm Springs, CA | 55.8% | 14.3% | 57.8 years | $71,979 | 44,998 |
| 52 | New Smyrna Beach, FL | 55.7% | 15.6% | 57.8 years | $78,373 | 31,212 |
| 53 | Burr Ridge, IL | 55.1% | 15.2% | 58.1 years | $154,508 | 11,119 |
| 54 | Liberty Triangle, FL | 54.9% | 24.6% | 59.0 years | $68,107 | 24,178 |
| 55 | Payson, AZ | 54.7% | 16.4% | 58.9 years | $65,175 | 16,494 |
| 56 | Dunedin, FL | 53.8% | 13.8% | 57.9 years | $68,068 | 36,060 |
| 57 | Tanque Verde, AZ | 53.8% | 15.6% | 57.5 years | $119,212 | 15,531 |
| 58 | Sebastian, FL | 53.6% | 15.8% | 57.6 years | $68,863 | 25,759 |
| 59 | Pinehurst, NC | 53.5% | 19.8% | 58.8 years | $104,955 | 17,992 |
| 60 | Ocean City, NJ | 52.6% | 15.4% | 57.3 years | $101,782 | 11,260 |
| 61 | Lighthouse Point, FL | 52.4% | 15.0% | 56.1 years | $92,268 | 10,463 |
| 62 | Palm Desert, CA | 51.8% | 20.3% | 56.7 years | $79,508 | 51,551 |
| 63 | Tarpon Springs, FL | 51.8% | 14.1% | 55.7 years | $68,877 | 25,522 |
| 64 | West Lealman, FL | 51.7% | 14.7% | 55.8 years | $48,965 | 15,560 |
| 65 | North Palm Beach, FL | 51.6% | 17.0% | 56.0 years | $91,042 | 13,089 |
| 66 | Wilton Manors, FL | 51.4% | 11.5% | 55.8 years | $79,390 | 11,403 |
| 67 | Catalina Foothills, AZ | 51.3% | 15.1% | 55.9 years | $113,201 | 51,756 |
| 68 | Hobe Sound, FL | 51.2% | 14.9% | 55.6 years | $63,233 | 14,313 |
| 69 | Cottonwood, AZ | 50.9% | 16.4% | 55.8 years | $47,162 | 12,547 |
| 70 | Lake Havasu City, AZ | 50.8% | 14.9% | 55.7 years | $66,264 | 58,037 |
| 71 | Port Charlotte, FL | 50.7% | 13.6% | 55.5 years | $60,729 | 64,971 |
| 72 | Paradise Valley, AZ | 50.7% | 13.4% | 55.5 years | $236,250 | 12,621 |
| 73 | Tucson Mountains, AZ | 50.5% | 9.7% | 55.2 years | $132,946 | 11,428 |
| 74 | Camano, WA | 50.2% | 11.8% | 55.2 years | $100,124 | 17,535 |
| 75 | Hull, MA | 50.2% | 8.7% | 55.1 years | $127,112 | 10,098 |
| 76 | South Yarmouth, MA | 50.0% | 16.7% | 55.0 years | $79,638 | 11,642 |
Limited to places with at least 10,000 residents.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates.
Built, Not Grown
The most extreme entries share a defining trait: they were designed this way. Master-planned, age-restricted communities — the model pioneered at Sun City, Arizona in 1960 — legally require most residents to be over 55, which is how a town reaches shares above 90% that no naturally aging city could. The upper tier of this list is, in effect, a census of that industry, from Arizona's desert Sun Cities to the vast golf-cart metropolis of central Florida.
Further down sit the organic retirement towns: coastal and lakeside communities that seniors chose one household at a time. Their shares hover in the 50–65% range rather than 90%, their age restrictions are informal (a housing stock and price point that suits retirees), and their populations still include working families — often the people staffing the healthcare and service economies the retirees sustain.
The Economics of a 55+ Majority
Retirement towns run on a different economic engine. Median household incomes on this list are mostly modest — retirement income is lower than peak-career income — yet many of these towns pair those incomes with substantial home values and near-zero unemployment among those who do work. Labor-force participation is structurally low, which is worth remembering when comparing them to conventional cities on income rankings: a low income figure here signals life stage, not hardship. The state-level version of this age story is in the oldest states ranking.
How We Did This Analysis
We computed the share of residents aged 55 and older (ACS age brackets 55–74 plus 75+) for every US place with at least 10,000 residents and kept those at 50% or above. The ACS brackets we use cannot isolate 65+, so 55+ is the cleanest available cutoff for "retirement-age concentration"; it slightly widens the net to include late-career residents.
All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. Because estimates pool five years of survey responses, small differences between closely ranked entries may fall within the survey's margin of error. Learn more on our methodology page or at data.census.gov.
More Data Insights
Frequently Asked Questions
What US town has the oldest population?
Sun City West, Arizona has the highest concentration of older residents of any US town with 10,000+ people: 96.6% of residents are 55 or older, and the median age is 74.9 years.
Which states have the most retirement towns?
Florida leads with 36 of the 76 majority-55+ towns, followed by Arizona with 17 and California with 6.
What share of Americans are 55 or older?
29.7% of Americans are 55 or older. Every town on this list at least doubles that concentration.