7. San Diego
Located in southern California on the Pacific Ocean, San Diego has year-round pleasant weather and a variety of beach and coastal retirement options. You can soak up the California surfer vibe at Swami’s Beach, snorkel and scuba dive among the marine life at La Jolla Cove or watch a stunning Pacific Ocean sunset at Carlsbad State Beach. There are miles of sandy shoreline to explore at Mission Bay, a lively boardwalk at Pacific Beach and an old-fashioned beachfront amusement park at Mission Beach. The mica in the sand at Coronado Beach makes the beach sparkle on sunny days. The biggest challenge of retirement in San Diego is finding affordable housing in a metro area where the median home value is $483,600 among people age 60 and older.
Population: 1,447,100
Median House Value: $483,600
Median Monthly Rent: $1,600
Happiness Index: 6.94 (Country rank 18)
With the U.S. economy improving, more immigration is boosting California’s growth rate, and more foreigners are attracted to the region, particularly San Diego. Of the 28,200 residents added in the county between 2012 and 2013, 16,000 were foreign immigrants. According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of San Diego was:
- Accessibility: 10/10
- Atmosphere: 8/10
- Sand and Water Quality: 8/10
- Annual Days of Sunshine: 324
- Average Annual Temperature: 35 C