The No. 1 Place to Retire in the South, According to a New Survey

Figuring out the best place to retire is no small feat, and even narrowing it down can be tricky. Lucky for us, Investopedia partnered with Travel + Leisure to determine the best place to retire in the South, plus a top 10 list of alternate cities, because who doesn’t like options?

The study aimed “to identify locations in each region that balance financial affordability with lifestyle qualities often desired by people in retirement,” per Investopedia. With its beaches, golf courses and range of amenities catering to seniors, Florida has long been a popular retirement destination, but there’s only one city in the Sunshine State that made Investopedia’s list of top Southern retirement cities. The cost of living in Florida is 2.8% higher than the national average—which is a factor for retirees living on a fixed income—and there’s the housing shortage and extreme weather to contend with.

Keep reading to learn more about the No. 1 place to retire in the South, plus some other top contenders.

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What were the criteria?

Investopedia looked at the criteria most important to retirees: cost of living, housing affordability, tax policies, access to health care and proximity to major airports.

After starting with a list of counties, Investopedia used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to narrow it down to 50 U.S. cities. Then, the site divided its findings into five regions to identify locations in each region that balance financial affordability with lifestyle qualities often desired by people in retirement.

So what is the best place to retire in the South?

Downtown Waycross, Georgia aerial view Allen Allnoch/Getty Images

Waycross, Georgia, took the crown as the best place to retire in the South. It is a small town—the population is under 14,000 people—though the greater Waycross “micropolitan” area spans two counties and has a population of around 54,000.

What makes Waycross, Georgia, the best city to retire to in the South?

Waycross, Georgia, has a history as a railroad town and agricultural hub, and it’s also known for being the northern gateway to the Okefenokee Swamp, a 450,000-acre national wildlife refuge. But there’s more to Waycross, which we learned by talking to South Georgia native Alli Sweat, who owns South + East Properties in Waycross.

Cost of living

Housing costs are a huge consideration for seniors, and according to Zillow, home prices in Waycross are up 2.3% since last year, but the average home price is still affordable at $124,420. Compare this with Saint Simons Island, a popular coastal island community 67 miles east of Waycross, where the average home value is $680,288.

“The cost of living in Waycross is amazing compared to other places,” Sweat says. “You get the benefit of being about an hour from the coast, yet the cost of living is much less here.”

Tax policies

Some states are better for taxes than others. A big plus for retirees looking to move to Georgia is that it’s one of 41 states that doesn’t tax Social Security benefits. As far as property taxes go, Sweat says they are average for the state. “You also have the benefit of lower home values, which automatically makes your tax bill lower,” she explains.

Location

“You’re about an hour from the coast, 90 minutes from Jacksonville, Florida, and Okefenokee Swamp is right here,” Sweat says, adding that Waycross hasn’t been overly developed, so it’s still possible to get a home on a bit of land.

Okefenokee Swamp provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, including threatened and endangered species.

Access to health care

According to U.S. News & World Report, Georgia ranks 44th in the country for health care, but Waycross is in good shape relative to the majority of the state. “Jacksonville has several large hospitals, and we also have one locally,” Sweat says.

Memorial Satilla Health is the hospital in Waycross that offers an emergency room and a 231-bed, full-service, acute-care medical facility. In Jacksonville, there are 20 hospitals, including a Mayo Clinic campus, which U.S. News & World Report ranked the No. 1 hospital in Florida in 2023 and 2024, plus several other high-ranking facilities.

Access to airports

Jacksonville International Airport is about 80 miles away. Waycross itself has a small county airport that no longer offers scheduled flights, but you can visit the terminal for a glass bottle of Coke from a circa–1940s Coke machine and grab a complimentary bag of fresh popcorn.

Access to nature

“People really love our area for all the green space,” Sweat says. Waycross has three golf courses nearby—plus another dozen within an hour’s drive—and parks in town that offer swimming, tennis, walking paths and numerous pavilions and picnic areas.

Okefenokee Swamp has boating, camping, fishing, hiking, hunting and wildlife watching. Guided tours, including motorized tours and paddling adventures, are available.

And the refuge boasts a variety of easy-to-moderate trails for seniors, as well as wheelchair-accessible trails, for those who want to get out in nature but lack the stamina to be on their feet for prolonged periods.

Beaches

Residents go to Jekyll Island or Saint Simons Island when they want to hit the beach. “Jekyll Island is great if you’re looking for a slower vibe,” Sweat says. “And Saint Simons has more restaurants if you’re looking for something a bit more bustling.”

Community

Sweat and her husband are both from Waycross, and after attending college in Athens, Georgia, they moved back to raise their family close to their parents and grandparents. Someone from outside the area might wonder if they’d feel like outsiders in a tight-knit community, but Sweat says it’s a welcoming place.

“A lot of people have deep roots in our area, but when people move here from elsewhere, I hear over and over that they’re received with open arms,” Sweat says. “The community really does wrap a big hug around you.”

Which other cities round out the top 10?

1. Waycross, Georgia

2. Danville, Virginia

3. Litchfield Beach, South Carolina

4. Wheeling, West Virginia

5. Natchez, Mississippi

6. Tryon, North Carolina

7. Alexandria, Louisiana

8. Sebring, Florida

9. Paducah, Kentucky

10. Paris, Tennessee

About the expert

Alli Sweat is a Southeast Georgia native and the owner of South + East Properties, which has offices in both Waycross and Brunswick. Alli and her husband, Dusty, who is an associate broker at South + East, both grew up in Waycross and attended the University of Georgia before returning to their hometown. Alli has won local awards in Georgia and also achieved Best of Zillow status in 2019, ranking in the top 1% to 2% of agents at the national level for exceptional customer service.

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Sources:

Investopedia: “The Southeast’s Hidden Retirement Gems: Discover the 10 Most Livable Cities”
Missouri Economic Research and Information Center: “Cost of Living Data Series”
Zillow: “Waycross, GA Housing Market”
Zillow: “Saint Simons Island, GA Housing Market”
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: “Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge”
U.S. News & World Report: “A 231-bed, full service, acute care medical facility”
Alli Sweat, owner of South + East Properties in Waycross, Georgia; phone interview, April 2025