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Best Cities for Retirees in Massachusetts

Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Massachusetts

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Safety · 20% Affordability · 20% Warm Climate · 15% Sunshine · 10% Doctor Access · 15% Dental Access · 10% Health · 10%

Top 12 Retirees Cities in Massachusetts

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 67.1
Newton, MA
88,504 residents
Safety 55/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 52°F
#2
Score 66.4
Reading, MA
25,448 residents
Safety 12/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 51°F
#3
Score 65.6
Somerville, MA
80,549 residents
Safety 203/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 52°F
#4
Score 64.5
Quincy, MA
101,361 residents
Safety 398/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 53°F
#5
Score 64.4
Belmont, MA
27,009 residents
Safety 23/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 51°F
#6
Score 64.3
Cambridge, MA
117,794 residents
Safety 279/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 52°F
#7
Score 63.9
Wakefield, MA
27,284 residents
Safety 136/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 51°F
#8
Score 63.3
Braintree Town, MA
38,762 residents
Safety 121/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 50°F
#9
Score 63.1
Brookline, MA
62,822 residents
Safety 97/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 51°F
#10
Score 62.7
Melrose, MA
29,488 residents
Safety 114/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 52°F
#11
Score 62.3
Watertown Town, MA
35,270 residents
Safety 80/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 51°F
#12
Score 62.2
Franklin Town, MA
33,067 residents
Safety 6/100K
Affordability 106
Warm Climate 50°F

Full Ranking, Massachusetts

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Newton MA 67.1
2 Reading MA 66.4
3 Somerville MA 65.6
4 Quincy MA 64.5
5 Belmont MA 64.4
6 Cambridge MA 64.3
7 Wakefield MA 63.9
8 Braintree Town MA 63.3
9 Brookline MA 63.1
10 Melrose MA 62.7
11 Watertown Town MA 62.3
12 Franklin Town MA 62.2
13 Arlington MA 62.1
14 Stoneham MA 61.9
15 Winchester MA 61.9
16 Millis-Clicquot MA 61.8
17 West Chatham MA 61.5
18 Milton MA 61.1
19 Orleans MA 61
20 Harwich Port MA 60.7
21 Burlington MA 60.6
22 Medford MA 60.5
23 Chatham MA 60.5
24 Dedham MA 60.4
25 East Harwich MA 60.4
26 Lexington MA 60.4
27 Harwich Center MA 60.3
28 Wilmington MA 60.3
29 Pinehurst MA 60.2
30 Northwest Harwich MA 60.1
31 Sharon MA 60.1
32 Medfield MA 59.9
33 Ocean Grove MA 59.8
34 Bellingham MA 59.5
35 Malden MA 59.2
36 North Eastham MA 59.1
37 Brewster MA 59
38 Forestdale MA 59
39 Boston MA 58.7
40 Dover MA 58.4
41 Lynnfield MA 58.2
42 Hanscom AFB MA 58.2
43 Norwood MA 58
44 Wellesley MA 58
45 Sandwich MA 57.8
46 East Sandwich MA 57.8
47 Andover MA 57.8
48 Needham MA 57.7
49 Saugus MA 57.7
50 Mansfield Center MA 57.5

Newton, MA tops the list with a composite score of 67.1 out of 100, followed by Reading and Somerville. MA dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for retirees.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Safety, Affordability, Warm Climate, Sunshine, Doctor Access, Dental Access, Health. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to retirees, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Warmest Cities → Most Affordable →