Oceanside Among Best Cities To Retire In CA: Report

OCEANSIDE, CA — One city in San Diego County is among the best cities to retire in California, according to a new report.

A report from Retirement Living looked at the best places to retire in the Golden State. Oceanside ranked second on the list.

The city has a strong senior community as residents aged 65 and older make up 20% of Oceanside's population, one of the highest rates in the state, according to the study.

"More seniors mean better access to age-friendly services, social programs, and health care tailored to older adults," Retirement Living spokesperson Jailyn Montero told Patch.

The city's 8.25% sales tax is among the state's lowest, and only 8% of seniors live in poverty compared to 11.3% statewide.

"That said, coastal California isn't budget retirement territory," Montero added. "Oceanside's median home price sits around $851,000 — close to the state median of $860,000 — and median rent is about $2,300 monthly. But for those who can afford it, you're getting beach access and year-round mild weather."

To identify the top cities for retirement in California, the study's authors reviewed places with populations over 100,000 and focused on factors that matter most to retirees: percentage of population 65 and older, median home sale price, median monthly rent, poverty rate, and sales tax. Each metric was weighted according to its influence on retirement decision-making.

Roseville, a city sitting just outside Sacramento, topped the rankings.

About one in five residents in Roseville is 65 or older. The median home price is $635,000, according to the report, which is relatively reasonable for California. The city also has a poverty rate of 5.6% that's low compared to the state average of 11.3%.

These are the top 20 cities to retire in California, according to the report:

1. Roseville
2. Oceanside
3. Torrance
4. Vacaville
5. Richmond
6. Modesto
7. Santa Rosa
8. Thousand Oaks
9. Simi Valley
10. Vallejo
11. San Buenaventura (Ventura)
12. Huntington Beach
13. Inglewood
14. Garden Grove
15. Concord
16. Visalia
17. Elk Grove
18. Clovis
19. Glendale
20. Sacramento

View the full report here.