Where DC lands on US News’ 2025 list of best places to retire

Ah, your golden years — time to kick back and enjoy. But therein lies the question: Where?

U.S. News & World Report has developed a list cataloging the best places to retire in 2025. And there are some sweet spots to consider … including the nation’s capital.

U.S. News’ Dawn Bradbury told WTOP, “Big cities are great places to retire. Speaking anecdotally, you have great services. There’s usually good walkability, good transportation.”

Affordability is definitely a concern, but happiness is important as well.

“Washington, in particular, did well because of its high scores in happiness, access to quality health care and its job market,” Bradbury said.

“Job market is important for retirees, because not everyone is ready to completely leave the workforce.”

Overall, D.C. did not make it into the Top 10 — it’s at No. 12 — but it did land at No. 3 for well-being “according to Sharecare’s Community Well-Being Index, out of 150 cities. That’s pretty good,” Bradbury said.

A final note of good cheer?

“There’s always something to do in Washington,” Bradbury said.

As far as other notable spots, Virginia Beach scored high.

“It ranked number eight out of 150 cities for happiness. Its affordability is kind of middle of the road, and desirability, very high desirability, a good job market. So I think we’re finding a theme here,” Bradbury told WTOP.

U.S. News’ full report is online.

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Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

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