Ahh, retirement. Finally, the opportunity to stop working, pick up new hobbies, volunteer, spend time with the grandkids, and enjoy your golden years. And when you think of moving someplace to retire, it’s not usually to a place that’s cold and cloudy. Retirement is synonymous with going someplace sunny, and we have a list of the sunniest cities in America that also have a large population of seniors.
Sunny places are enticing to retirees for a variety of reasons. Cities with plenty of sunlight tend to also have a milder climate, which offers more comfortable living conditions year-round. Exposure to sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D, which is vital for bone health and immune function, two things that are crucial for seniors. Sunny weather is also proven to improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Sunny locales also tend to have a more relaxed pace of life, ideal for seniors.
These locations also have a higher population of seniors 65 and older, which offers additional benefits. More seniors means more health care services tailored to the needs of retirees, which is crucial. An older population also means more well-established retirement communities, with social activities, health care facilities, and support services.
Methodology
To determine the sunniest cities for retirees, 24/7 Tempo reviewed county-level data on daily sunlight from the North America Land Data Assimilation System via the CDC WONDER program. Cities were ranked based on average kilojoules of sunshine per square meter for the years 1979 to 2011, and were converted to kilowatt-hours per square meter. Only cities with at least 2,500 residents 65 years and over and where the 65-plus population constitutes at least 25% of the total population were considered. Only one city per county was included – the city with the largest share of 65-plus residents in each county. Data on age and population is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey. Data on average daily temperature from 2019 to 2023 is from the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and is at the county level.
So read on for the sunniest spots in America that also make for great places to retire, and when you’re ready to go exploring, these are baby boomers’ favorite places to travel abroad .
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 10 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 68.3°F
- Population 65 years and over: 51.6%
- Median age: 66.3 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 11 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 54.7°F
- Population 65 years and over: 27.8%
- Median age: 44.5 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 11 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 74.7°F
- Population 65 years and over: 26.3%
- Median age: 43.1 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 11 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 67.9°F
- Population 65 years and over: 39.2%
- Median age: 59.8 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 11 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 69.1°F
- Population 65 years and over: 37.3%
- Median age: 57.4 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full-sun: 5 hours, 11 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 56.6°F
- Population 65 years and over: 32.3%
- Median age: 52.4 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 12 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 57.9°F
- Population 65 years and over: 33.9%
- Median age: 54.7 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 12 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 55.0°F
- Population 65 years and over: 25.2%
- Median age: 45.8 years
Source: jmoor17 / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 12 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 53.3°F
- Population 65 years and over: 29.0%
- Median age: 47.7 years
Source: CrackerClips / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 12 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 52.7°F
- Population 65 years and over: 31.9%
- Median age: 53.7 years
Source: ivanastar / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 12 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 51.2°F
- Population 65 years and over: 36.2%
- Median age: 56.5 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 12 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 74.4°F
- Population 65 years and over: 69.9%
- Median age: 71.9 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 13 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 73.4°F
- Population 65 years and over: 53.2%
- Median age: 65.8 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 13 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 58.3°F
- Population 65 years and over: 25.6%
- Median age: 48.9 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 14 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 72.9°F
- Population 65 years and over: 29.5%
- Median age: 50.3 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 14 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 53.0°F
- Population 65 years and over: 25.6%
- Median age: 43.6 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 15 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 61.9°F
- Population 65 years and over: 48.4%
- Median age: 64.6 years
Source: felixmizioznikov / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 15 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 74.6°F
- Population 65 years and over: 29.5%
- Median age: 46.3 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 16 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 72.3°F
- Population 65 years and over: 30.4%
- Median age: 52.7 years
Source: felixmizioznikov / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 16 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 74.5°F
- Population 65 years and over: 73.8%
- Median age: 72.6 years
Source: Tomsmith585 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 16 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 61.2°F
- Population 65 years and over: 29.3%
- Median age: 47.2 years
Source: Andre Delisser / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 18 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 76.6°F
- Population 65 years and over: 63.9%
- Median age: 70.7 years
Source: Serenethos / Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 18 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 77.2°F
- Population 65 years and over: 41.1%
- Median age: 60.0 years
Source: Gary John Norman / The Image Bank via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 19 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 76.3°F
- Population 65 years and over: 32.6%
- Median age: 56.2 years
Source: Bertlmann / E+ via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 20 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 76.4°F
- Population 65 years and over: 63.6%
- Median age: 68.6 years
Source: Elaine Brackin / 500px / 500px via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 20 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 72.9°F
- Population 65 years and over: 32.2%
- Median age: 54.6 years
Source: mseeley1 / Flickr
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 21 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 74.5°F
- Population 65 years and over: 72.2%
- Median age: 74.4 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 22 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 75.5°F
- Population 65 years and over: 57.5%
- Median age: 67.6 years
Source: Sundry Photography / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 22 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 59.3°F
- Population 65 years and over: 31.9%
- Median age: 53.5 years
Lake view in Pelican Bay (
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naplesrealestate - Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 23 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 76.7°F
- Population 65 years and over: 76.2%
- Median age: 73.6 years
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- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 24 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 63.3°F
- Population 65 years and over: 43.7%
- Median age: 62.5 years
Source: sharonhahndarlin / Flickr
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 24 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 65.0°F
- Population 65 years and over: 44.8%
- Median age: 62.3 years
Source: Shore Drive / Wikimedia Commons
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 24 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 75.0°F
- Population 65 years and over: 64.6%
- Median age: 69.2 years
Source: Ryan Tishken / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 26 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 75.4°F
- Population 65 years and over: 71.4%
- Median age: 72.1 years
Source: felixmizioznikov / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 29 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 77.7°F
- Population 65 years and over: 28.3%
- Median age: 49.8 years
Source: Melissa Kopka / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 29 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 60.5°F
- Population 65 years and over: 53.3%
- Median age: 66.4 years
Source: halbergman / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 31 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 59.4°F
- Population 65 years and over: 27.5%
- Median age: 49.2 years
Boulders Loop Trail, Payson, A… (
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Andrea Lai - Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 32 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 60.8°F
- Population 65 years and over: 37.7%
- Median age: 59.0 years
Source: MattGush / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 33 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 64.8°F
- Population 65 years and over: 82.6%
- Median age: 75.1 years
Source: fivetonine / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 34 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 60.3°F
- Population 65 years and over: 28.6%
- Median age: 52.1 years
Source: Tim Roberts Photography / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 37 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 62.0°F
- Population 65 years and over: 26.1%
- Median age: 47.6 years
Source: Wojtek Zagorski / Moment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full-sun: 5 hours, 37 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 62.4°F
- Population 65 years and over: 29.5%
- Median age: 50.2 years
Source: pics721 / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 38 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 69.9°F
- Population 65 years and over: 69.6%
- Median age: 71.1 years
Source: FotoMaximum / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 39 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 74.2°F
- Population 65 years and over: 55.9%
- Median age: 67.3 years
Source: BCFC / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 40 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 71.6°F
- Population 65 years and over: 86.4%
- Median age: 74.8 years
Source: Lou Axt / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 41 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 73.3°F
- Population 65 years and over: 46.1%
- Median age: 61.9 years
Source: Manuela Durson / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 41 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 68.6°F
- Population 65 years and over: 80.5%
- Median age: 73.5 years
Source: alex grichenko / Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 42 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 78.2°F
- Population 65 years and over: 27.4%
- Median age: 49.8 years
Source: davidwoodberry / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 42 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 59.1°F
- Population 65 years and over: 35.6%
- Median age: 50.4 years
Source: sanfel / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. daily duration of full sun: 5 hours, 43 minutes
- Avg. daily temperature: 69.3°F
- Population 65 years and over: 83.7%
- Median age: 76.1 years
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