Fresno named one of the top 10 places to retire in California. See the full list
Looking to retire? Fresno is one of the best places in the Golden State to spend your golden years, according to U.S. News and World Report.
The media company recently ranked the top retirement spots in California — and the United States — based on affordable housing, jobs, access to quality health care and other factors.
California’s natural wonders and “diverse climate” make the state a natural draw for retirees, according to Jon Ekoniak, managing partner at Bordeaux Wealth Advisors in Menlo Park.
However, the Golden State is known for its high cost of living and aggressive tax rates, Ekoniak told U.S. News & World Report.
California is the second most expensive state for retirees in the United States based on annual spending, according to a 2025 study by personal finance website GoBankingRates.
In California, $1 million in retirement savings along with Social Security benefits would last about 16.2 years, the study found.
Here’s what makes Fresno a good place to spend your retirement:
Why is Fresno one of best places in California to retire?
Fresno was No. 4 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the top places to retire in California.
“The city offers convenient access to Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, the Sierra National Forest and a variety of lakes,” U.S News & World Report said, making it an “ideal retirement spot to launch outdoor adventures.”
Retirees can also “enjoy the 62-mile blooming spectacle of fruit and nut trees along the Fresno County Blossom Trail each spring,” the company said.
Fresno is “much more affordable than many other parts of the state,” U.S. News & World Report said, with median monthly rent of $1,098 and a median monthly mortgage rate of $1,199.
As of July 2024, about 12% of Fresno’s roughly 550,000 residents were 65 years old or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
What’s more, the Fresno area is home to one of the top places to live in the nation, according to Livability.com.
The online resource ranked the Fresno County city of Clovis among its Top 100 Best Places to Live in the US in 2025.
What are the top 10 cities for retirees in California?
U.S. News & World Report ranked a total of 14 cities on its list of the top California spots for retirees.
San Diego was named the best place to retire in the Golden State due to its “year-round pleasant temperatures,” fun beach activities such as scuba diving snorkeling and top-tier health care options including Scripps La Jolla Hospitals and UC San Diego Health-La Jolla and Hillcrest Hospitals.
Los Angeles took second place thanks to its “consistently sunny days and Mediterranean climate,” US News & World Report said, and Sacramento was No. 3 due to its status as a “hub for government jobs, lobbying and think tanks.”
These were the top 10 best cities to retire in California in 2025, according to U.S News and World Report:
How did US News & World Report come up with list?
To come up with its list of California’s best cities for retirees, U.S. News & World Report based on the 150 largest cities in the United States based on six factors: affordability, happiness, desirability, retiree taxes, job market and health care quality.
The publication used data from sources including the FBI, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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