Hoover, Birmingham rank among Alabama’s best places to retire

Hoover ranks third among Alabama cities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-2027 Best Places to Retire, while Birmingham landed 10th.

The rankings came out this week, months after Hoover cracked the top 10 on U.S. News’ Best Places to Live list. Retirement is a separate ranking with different criteria, so the cities’ positions look different this time.

How U.S. News ranks the best places to retire

U.S. News scored 859 U.S. cities on a 10-point scale using data from Applied Geographic Solutions and its own resources. Smaller towns were left out because of a lack of consistent data.

The weights come from a March 2025 survey of 3,500 people ages 45 and older, plus a follow-up survey of 500 people in February 2026. Here’s how the score breaks down:

• Value (27%): Housing affordability and cost of living
• Quality of life (25%): Crime, weather, environmental risk, culture and leisure access, air quality and walkability
• Health care quality (16%): The number and quality of U.S. News-ranked hospitals nearby
• Taxes (16%): Sales, property and state income taxes
• Senior population and migration (8%): The share of residents 55 and older and how many seniors move to the state
• Job market (8%): Unemployment and median household income

Hoover, Birmingham ranks in 2026-2027 Best Places to Retire

Hoover scored 5.7 out of 10, tying Florence and Huntsville for the top score in Alabama. U.S. News ranked Hoover 145th nationally.

Here’s how U.S. News describes Hoover:

• Population: 91,649
• Median home value: $382,915 (the national average is $359,870)
• Median monthly rent: $1,145
• Median household income: $104,005
• Average commute: 23 minutes

Birmingham scored 5.1 and ranked 464th nationally. It has a lower price tag than its Jefferson County neighbor:

• Population: 205,987
• Median home value: $178,913
• Median monthly rent: $839
• Median household income: $48,826
• Average commute: 20 minutes

Alabama’s 13 best places to retire, ranked

Six Alabama cities landed in the national top 250: Florence, Huntsville, Hoover, Dothan, Decatur and Daphne. Here’s the full state list:

1. Florence: 5.7
2. Huntsville: 5.7
3. Hoover: 5.7
4. Dothan: 5.6
5. Decatur: 5.6
6. Daphne: 5.6
7. Gadsden: 5.5
8. Mobile: 5.4
9. Anniston: 5.3
10. Birmingham: 5.1
11. Tuscaloosa: 5.0
12. Auburn: 4.9
13. Montgomery: 4.9

U.S. News’ top 10 best places to retire in the U.S.

No Alabama city made the national top 10. Florence was the state’s highest-ranked at 129th. Here’s the top 10:

1. Midland, Michigan: 6.8
2. Homosassa Springs, Florida: 6.6
3. Weirton, West Virginia: 6.6
4. The Woodlands, Texas: 6.6
5. Spring, Texas: 6.5
6. Rio Rancho, New Mexico: 6.3
7. Altoona, Pennsylvania: 6.3
8. Paducah, Kentucky: 6.3
9. Lynchburg, Virginia: 6.3
10. Palm Coast, Florida: 6.3