21 cities that are getting too expensive for retirees

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21 cities that are getting too expensive for retirees

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  • GoBankingRates' new data shows that many cities in Arizona, California, and Florida are getting too expensive for retirees due to high costs of homes, living expenses, and senior care.
  • Cities in California took the top three spots, including Ranchos Palos Verdes, Walnut Creek, and Lincoln, California.
  • Other cities on the list include popular retiree city Englewood, Florida, and Sarasota, Florida. Palm Springs, California also made the list.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

For soon-to-be retirees planning to move to Florida, California, or Arizona, start saving more, because it might be more expensive than anticipated.

New data from GoBankingRates shows just how expensive some cities in these states are getting for retirees living on a fixed income. Of the top 21 cities on the list, all but one city were in these three states.

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The data looked at 50 cities with a quarter or more of residents over age 65. To rank them, GoBankingRates looked at the average of the median home cost from Zillow between July 2018 and July 2019, as well as the year-over-year change. Other factors included the total cost of living expenses for someone 65 or older from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the cost of home healthcare and senior living facilities.

The rankings show that many of the cities that are becoming the most out of reach for seniors are smaller cities and towns in Florida, California, and Arizona. The top three cities that are becoming the most unaffordable for retirees are Ranchos Palos Verdes, California; Walnut Creek, California; and Lincoln, California.

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Here are the top 21 cities where rising expenses will require a larger retirement fund:

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21. Sarasota, Florida

21. Sarasota, Florida

Sarasota, Florida might offer some picturesque beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, but many older residents will find that the costs of living there doesn't make retiring there affordable.

Annual cost of living: $54,593

Average median list price for a home: $351,785

Cost of a home health aide annually: $46,904

20. Sebastian, Florida

20. Sebastian, Florida

Just south of Melbourne, Florida on the Atlantic side, Sebastian, Florida isn't all that affordable for retirees either.

Annual cost of living: $52,988

Average median list price for a home: $232,344

Cost of a home health aide annually: $46,904

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19. Palm Desert, California

19. Palm Desert, California

Palm Desert, California is far from an oasis for retirees. Though it has a large population of seniors, high expenses will make living out of your savings difficult.

Annual cost of living: $67,489

Average median list price for a home: $398,190

Cost of a home health aide annually: $59,488

18. Prescott, Arizona

18. Prescott, Arizona

For outdoorsy retirees, Prescott, Arizona might seem ideal. But, with high home prices and high costs of living, it might not be so perfect for retirees on a budget.

Annual cost of living: $63,726

Average median list price for a home: $445,276

Cost of a home health aide annually: $53,169

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17. Palm Harbor, Florida

17. Palm Harbor, Florida

North of Clearwater, Florida, Palm Harbor has become rather expensive for retirees.

Annual cost of living: $58,708

Average median list price for a home: $304,065

Cost of a home health aide annually: $46,904

16. Fountain Hills, Arizona

16. Fountain Hills, Arizona

Fountain Hills, Arizona has a large population of residents over age 65, but it's not all that affordable with expensive home prices.

Annual cost of living: $69,998

Average median list price for a home: $490,776

Cost of a home health aide annually: $52,052

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15. Lake Havasu City, Arizona

15. Lake Havasu City, Arizona

On Arizona's border with California and the Colorado River, this lake town isn't all that affordable for retirees.

Annual cost of living: $53,088

Average median list price for a home: $328,625

Cost of a home health aide annually: $53,196

14. Palm Coast, Florida

14. Palm Coast, Florida

Between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach, Florida is Palm Coast, which is an increasingly expensive city for those on a fixed income.

Annual cost of living: $52,436

Average median list price for a home: $266,311

Cost of a home health aide annually: $46,904

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13. Port Charlotte, Florida

13. Port Charlotte, Florida

North of Ft. Myers, Florida, Port Charlotte is a small coastal community that's growing more expensive for seniors.

Annual cost of living: $46,515

Average median list price for a home: $223,464

Cost of a home health aide annually: $46,904

12. Banning, California

12. Banning, California

Between Palm Springs and San Bernardino, this small California town has some high costs of living which will especially hurt seniors.

Annual cost of living: $60,665

Average median list price for a home: $277,295

Cost of a home health aide annually: $59,488

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11. Dunedin, Florida

11. Dunedin, Florida

Between Clearwater and Palm Harbor, this Gulf Coast city offers close proximity to bright blue water, but can be expensive.

Annual cost of living: $56,600

Average median list price for a home: $288,930

Cost of a home health aide annually: $46,904

10. Largo, Florida

10. Largo, Florida

North of St. Petersburg, Largo, Florida is a town in Florida that has close proximity to many beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. However, high costs of living won't make it an ideal place for retirees.

Annual cost of living: $51,638

Average median list price for a home: $231,776

Cost of a home health aide annually: $46,904

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9. Apache Junction, Arizona

9. Apache Junction, Arizona

Just outside of Mesa and Chandler is the small town of Apache Junction, where just about a third of the residents are over age 65.

Annual cost of living: $51,633

Average median list price for a home: $217,250

Cost of a home health aide annually: $53,196

8. Palm Springs, California

8. Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs, California might make for a picturesque place to retire, but the average home will cost about half a million dollars, making it slightly out of the budget for retirees.

Annual cost of living: $72,607

Average median list price for a home: $478,334

Cost of a home health aide annually: $59,488

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7. Pahrump, Nevada

7. Pahrump, Nevada

Just outside of California's Death Valley National Park is the small town of Pahrump, Nevada where retirees will find that it's fairly expensive to live.

Annual cost of living: $50,495

Average median list price for a home: $233,334

Cost of a home health aide annually: $51,480

6. Bullhead City, Arizona

6. Bullhead City, Arizona

On the Colorado River, this small Arizona town offers lots of opportunities for water-loving retirees, but that doesn't mean it's affordable.

Annual cost of living: $46,966

Average median list price for a home: $252,807

Cost of a home health aide annually: $53,196

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5. Englewood, Florida

5. Englewood, Florida

Almost half of the residents of Englewood, Florida are seniors, which makes it a great place for socializing, but not so much for affordable living.

Annual cost of living: $53,188

Average median list price for a home: $428,249

Cost of a home health aide annually: $46,904

4. Tamarac, Florida

4. Tamarac, Florida

Outside of Fort Lauderdale, Tamarac is a community with lots of water and other seniors, though it is fairly expensive.

Annual cost of living: $55,396

Average median list price for a home: $198,779

Cost of a home health aide annually: $46,904

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3. Lincoln, California

3. Lincoln, California

This town near Sacramento, California is growing quickly, but it isn't particularly friendly to retirement budgets.

Annual cost of living: $75,417

Average median list price for a home: $487,501

Cost of a home health aide annually: $59,488

2. Walnut Creek, California

2. Walnut Creek, California

East of the San Francisco Bay, Walnut Creek is fairly expensive, with the median home value over $750,000, and a cost of living over $100,000 each year.

Annual cost of living: $113,151

Average median list price for a home: $756,307

Cost of a home health aide annually: $59,488

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1. Rancho Palos Verdes, California

1. Rancho Palos Verdes, California

West of Los Angeles, this community overlooking the Pacific Ocean has some expensive homes and high living costs, making it now the most unaffordable place for seniors.

Annual cost of living: $150,584

Average median list price for a home: $1,367,961

Cost of a home health aide annually: $59,488

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