Best Places to Retire in the Midwest
This ranking compares retirement places across the Midwest using RetireScorecard’s affordability, healthcare, climate, air quality, disaster risk and retiree-fit signals.
How to use this ranking
The Midwest can be strong for retirees who care about housing value, stable communities and practical healthcare access. The tradeoffs are usually winter, car dependence, and whether a smaller market has enough services for later retirement years.
Use this ranking to find affordable and serviceable places, then compare weather, healthcare and family proximity before making a shortlist.
What to verify before moving
- Current housing prices and property taxes in the exact neighborhoods you would consider.
- Healthcare access for your doctors, medications and likely specialist needs.
- Insurance, wildfire, flood, hurricane, heat or winter-driving exposure.
- Whether the place still fits in the off-season, not just during a short visit.
Top places in this ranking
Updated 2026-05-21. Scores are screening signals, not a substitute for visiting, checking local costs and confirming healthcare access.
#1 Franklin County, Illinois
Franklin County is a practical Illinois retirement county for people who want services, regional access, practical balance. It is less compelling if lower taxes or a lighter-density setup matter more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
#2 Morgan County, Illinois
Morgan County is a practical Illinois retirement county for people who want services, regional access, practical balance. It is less compelling if lower taxes or a lighter-density setup matter more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
#3 Elkhart County, Indiana
Elkhart County works best for retirees who want a more practical northern Indiana county with services and a steadier everyday environment than the state’s stronger destination counties. It is less appealing if deeper healthcare access matters more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
#4 Parke County, Indiana
Parke County is a practical Indiana retirement county for people who want practical living, services, regional access. It is less compelling if deeper healthcare access matters more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
#5 Butler County, Iowa
Butler County is a practical Iowa retirement county for people who want practical living, services, relative value. It is less compelling if broader amenities matter more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
#6 Jones County, Iowa
Jones County is a practical Iowa retirement county for people who want practical living, services, relative value. It is less compelling if broader amenities matter more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
#7 Webster County, Iowa
Webster County is a practical Iowa retirement county for people who want practical living, services, relative value. It is less compelling if broader amenities matter more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
#8 Barber County, Kansas
Barber County is a practical Kansas retirement county for people who want practical living, relative value, regional access. It is less compelling if broader services matter more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
#9 Jewell County, Kansas
Jewell County is a practical Kansas retirement county for people who want practical living, relative value, regional access. It is less compelling if broader services matter more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
#10 Scott County, Kansas
Scott County is a practical Kansas retirement county for people who want practical living, relative value, regional access. It is less compelling if broader services matter more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
#11 Jackson County, Michigan
Jackson County is a practical Michigan retirement county for people who want scenery, practical living, relative value. It is less compelling if deeper healthcare access or milder winters matter more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
#12 Tuscola County, Michigan
Tuscola County is a practical Michigan retirement county for people who want scenery, practical living, relative value. It is less compelling if deeper healthcare access or milder winters matter more.
Overall Retirement Score: 78
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How RetireScorecard scores places
RetireScorecard combines public-data signals for affordability, healthcare access, climate comfort, air quality, disaster risk and retiree fit. The goal is to help you narrow a large search into places worth researching more deeply.
Read the methodology or review the data sources.