This City Is The Best Place In New Hampshire To Retire, According To A U.S. News Report

NASHUA, NH — Nashua, New Hampshire’s Gate City, is the best place in the Granite State to retire, according to a new ranking Tuesday from U.S. News & World Report.

The news outlet’s ranking of the 250 Best Places to Retire in the United States includes two cities in New Hampshire: Nashua and Manchester. The rankings are based on how cities meet American retirees’ expectations, using measures such as quality of life, affordability, health care, retiree taxes, job market, and, for the first time, population and migration among retirees aged 55 and older.

Nashua ranked 449th nationally. The city received high marks in the ranking due to having a median household income of around $99,000 and home values of around $422,000. The per $1,000 tax rate in Nashua for 2024 was $15.90. The median rent in Nashua is $1,570.

Manchester, which has about 28,000 more residents than Nashua, was ranked second in the state. The median rent is slightly lower — $1,440 per month, while incomes were also lower, around $85,000. Median home values were around $384,000, but the tax rate was higher, $19.58 per thousand, for fiscal year 2025. Manchester was 526th on the national list.

The rankings were expanded this year to evaluate more than 850 U.S. cities, and the number ranked was increased to 250 from 150 in prior years. Quality of life was the most heavily weighted factor in the rankings, which also includes indexes for affordability, health care quality, retiree taxes, and the job market.

“The expansion of the 2026 Best Places to Retire rankings to evaluate over 850 cities enables retirees to have a more granular starting point when deciding where to spend their golden years,” Tim Smart, contributing editor and author of U.S. News & World Report’s retirement newsletter, “YOLO: Your Smart Guide to Retirement,” said in a news release.

“Whether seeking a bustling city or a quiet town, retirees are now empowered with a more precise view of the best places to settle down,” Smart said.

U.S. News’ expansion of evaluated cities and new data considerations paved the way for first-time entrant, Midland, Michigan, to secure the No. 1 rank. Midland scored high in affordability and retiree taxes, helping it secure the top spot.

The top 10 cities for retirees nationwide are:

1. Midland, Michigan
2. Weirton, West Virginia
3. Homosassa Springs, Florida
4. The Woodlands, Texas
5. Spring, Texas
6. Rancho Rio, New Mexico
7. Spring Hill, Florida
8. Altoona, Pennsylvania
9. Palm Coast, Florida
10. Lynchburg, Virginia

Editor's note: This post was scripted by another Patch staffer, not New Hampshire's editor, for publication on New Hampshire sites.