Forbes screened nearly 1,000 locales in the U.S. for everything from climate change risk to crime to availability of doctors. Those that made the cut were compared on their leisure offerings—from the arts, fine dining and learning to hiking, skiing, watersports and golf. Here are the top 25.
After working for 35 years around the San Francisco Bay area as a regulator and consultant on air quality, Steve Hill wanted to retire to a scenic place that was quieter and less crowded. His wife Janyce, who runs a home-based business selling reproduced vintage sewing patterns, was game for the move. So they headed 300 miles north from Oakland to Yreka, a restored mountain town of 7,000, founded in 1851 during the California Gold Rush and made famous in 1941 as the site of an armed secession movement. But the modern, peaceful Yreka was too quiet for these former urbanites, who craved more fine dining and cultural options.
The Hills canvassed the Pacific Northwest and settled on Walla Walla, Washington, population 34,000, a scenic area in the state’s southeastern corner, known for its scores of wineries and many excellent restaurants serving their product. It’s also home to a local symphony, art galleries, Whitman College and Walla Walla University. Steve, 69 and Janyce, 67, now proudly own a 5,375 square-foot house built in 1909 and once occupied by Walter H. Brattain, who shared the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work at Bell Laboratories inventing the transistor, before teaching at Whitman, his alma mater.
“Walla Walla is a college town that reminds us of Berkeley before it went crazy,’’ says Steve.
It’s also one of 25 picks on Forbes’ new list of the Best Places To Enjoy Your Retirement In 2025. These are great locations for pursuing any of six different retirement passions we consider: arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning, outdoor activities on water, outdoor activities on land, and in its own category, golf. While many of the venues stand out for more than one passion, two big cities, Austin and Boston, check the box for all six. By contrast, a few places made the list by excelling in just one category– Flagstaff, Arizona in outdoor land activities, and Pinehurst, North Carolina, in golf. Our 25 picks are listed below, in alphabetical order.
Back in May, we published our list of the Best Places To Retire in 2025, which aims to identify quality retirement living at a reasonable cost, with local housing prices, the overall cost of living and state taxes key considerations. In July, we highlighted the Best Places To Retire Abroad, based on costs, amenities, health care, language, crime, climate risk and whether U.S. retirees are welcome.
By contrast, for our passions list, we don’t weigh costs, though, for readers’ convenience, we do take note of them. That means some of these places are downright expensive. San Francisco, which excels at five of our six passions, has a median home price of $1.24 million, nearly triple the national median of $423,000. Boulder, Colorado is great for arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning and outdoor land activities, but at a median home cost of $940,000. Nevertheless, nine of our 25 picks have median home prices below or just above the national median. Some are way below: arts/culture-lifelong-learning-haven Iowa City, Iowa, at $294,000 (31% under) and Pittsfield, Massachusetts (arts/culture and outdoor land activities), at $307,000, 28% below.
While the focus of this list is leisure activities in retirement, we weigh other quality-of-life measures, too. We started out reviewing nearly 1,000 places, all with a population of 10,000 or more, on metrics that affect the chances for a healthy and happy retirement. Those include availability of primary care doctors, serious crime rates, air quality and whether a place is walkable and bikeable, thus encouraging an active lifestyle. We also eliminated from consideration locations in counties with a very high susceptibility to natural hazard and climate change risk as calculated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Risk Index, which measures 18 dangers, including heat, wildfires, hurricanes and flooding, along with local preparations to deal with them. (That’s why only one Florida place, Sarasota, made the list.)
Then, we screened those places still in the running for the main point: leisure pursuits. In addition to its fine dining, Walla Walla makes the list for its outdoor land activities, including numerous hiking and biking trails, especially through nearby parks. The median home price is just $412,000, 3% below the national median, while its overall cost of living is 7% below the median—a bargain for those who savor good wine, good food and scenic views.
Our selections are found in 16 states and all four continental time zones. Notably, about a third could be considered college towns, which tend to punch above their population weight when it comes to learning opportunities, arts and culture and fine dining. They also excel in healthcare when a university has its own medical school (as in Iowa City or Ann Arbor, Michigan). You can read more here about our methodology and why one Michigan grad chose to return to Ann Arbor for retirement.
2025 categories
Arts/culture 🎨 | Fine dining 🍴 | Lifelong learning 🎓 | Outdoor water activities ⛵ | Outdoor land activities 🍁 | Golf ⛳
A-C
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Annapolis, Maryland ⛵
Passions: Great for outdoor water activities
Population: 41,000
Median Home Price: $609,000, 44% above national median
Cost of Living: 15% above national average
It’s all about the water around this state capital 30 miles east of Washington, D.C., on the Chesapeake Bay. While home of the storied U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis is also a bug light for civilian boaters and water sports of all varieties—kayaking, sailing, powerboats—along with plenty of schools to teach the nautical arts. The climate is mild, the air quality is good, and there are adequate primary care physicians per capita. The city is very bikeable and somewhat walkable. Annapolis enjoys a favorable rating on FEMA’s National Risk Index of natural hazard/climate change perils. Elevation is 40 feet. Downsides, in addition to high housing costs, include an above-average serious crime rate; both a state inheritance and state estate tax; and a combined state and local income tax rate that hits 8.95% on taxable income above $250,000. However, Social Security benefits, plus up to $41,200 per person in certain pension payments and retirement withdrawals are exempt.
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Ann Arbor, Michigan 🎨 🍴 🎓 ⛳
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning and golf
Population: 116,000
Median Home Price: $516,000, 22% above national median
Cost of Living: 6% above national average
The prospect of learning at the University of Michigan—the current Osher Lifelong Learning Institute catalogue there is more than 100 pages long—is one of the many draws of this buzzy college town 30 miles west of Detroit. Other draws in this university town: a strong arts/culture scene, good fine dining choices, colleges sports, and more than 70 golf courses within 20 miles. The city has an extraordinarily good ratio of primary care physicians per capita, good air quality and is very walkable and bikeable. The serious crime rate is below the national average, as is the FEMA calculated risk for natural hazards and climate change. Elevation is 850 feet. The state income tax rate is a flat 4.25%, but all Social Security income and some pension income is excluded from tax and there’s no state estate tax. One negative for some: cold winters.
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Ashland, Oregon 🎨🍴🎓🍁
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning and outdoor land activities
Population: 21,000
Median Home Price: $540,000, 28% above national median
Cost of Living: 6% above national average
Located nearly 300 miles south of Portland, heavily forested Ashland has nature trails just outside the town. Within its borders are fine restaurants, galleries and the famous 90-year-old, eight-month-a-year Oregon Shakespeare Festival (offering a lot more than the Bard). Southern Oregon University hosts an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and allows free auditing of college classes. The highly walkable downtown (elevation: 1,950 feet) sits in a pleasant climate with little snow, good air quality, a low serious crime rate and a high number of doctors per capita. Ashland has a moderate natural hazard risk rating from FEMA, but wildfires can be a problem. Oregon has no sales tax but a stiff income tax rate that hits 8.75% at just $22,100 of income for joint filers (with Social Security benefits excluded) and tops out at 9.9% for taxable income above $250,000. There is also a state estate tax.
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Athens, Georgia 🎨🍴🎓🍁
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning and outdoor land activities
Population: 130,000
Median Home Price: $334,000, 20% below national median
Cost of Living: 12% below national average
Sitting 70 miles east of Atlanta, Athens has leveraged its college-town persona into an appealing array of retirement opportunities for arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning and outdoor land activities. The University of Georgia offers classes to senior citizens with no tuition. The climate is agreeable, the air quality is good, and there’s an above-average ratio of primary care physicians per capita. The town is somewhat bikeable. FEMA rates Athens as having a low natural hazard risk. State income tax is a flat rate of 5.39% (with planned drops in future years), after a $24,000 standard deduction for a couple and an exemption for Social Security benefits plus up to a hefty $65,000 per person of other retirement income. There’s no state estate tax. One negative: The serious crime rate is a little bit above the national average.
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Austin, Texas 🎨🍴🎓⛵🍁⛳
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning, outdoor water and land activities, and golf
Population: 990,000
Median Home Price: $504,000, 19% above national median
Cost of Living: 29% above national average
It’s a lot more crowded than it used to be, but Texas’ state capital has an abundance of all the leisure passions we review. The music and dining scenes are large and robust, and the University of Texas at Austin allows senior citizens free tuition for six credits a semester. Outdoor water and land activities are plentiful, including dozens of nearby golf courses. The city boasts an excellent ratio of primary care physicians per capita and good air quality. Austin is very bikeable and somewhat walkable. Climate is warm at times but generally pleasant. Elevation is 300 feet. There is no state income or estate tax. Downsides: Austin has a relatively high (but not very high) risk for natural hazards, and a serious crime rate that is above the national average.
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Bend, Oregon ⛵🍁⛳
Passions: Great for outdoor water and land activities, and golf
Population: 108,000
Median Home Price: $734,000, 74% above national median
Cost of Living: 31% above national average
This mountain town, 160 miles southeast of Portland, constitutes a giant outdoor recreation park. Activities in and around the north-flowing Deschutes River include downhill and cross-country skiing, fishing, tubing, hiking, rock climbing, bicycling, paragliding and, except in the dead of winter, golf on two dozen nearby courses. There’s good air quality, a low serious crime rate, a good number of doctors per capita and a low risk of natural hazards, according to the FEMA ratings. At an elevation of 3,600 feet, the town is bikeable but not all that walkable. Oregon has no sales tax but makes up for it with a stiff income tax rate that hits 8.75% at just $22,100 of income for joint filers (with Social Security excluded) and tops out at 9.9% for taxable income above $250,000. There is also a state estate tax.
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Boston, Massachusetts 🎨🍴🎓⛵🍁⛳
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning, outdoor water and land activities, and golf
Population: 655,000
Median Home Price: $766,000, 81% above national median
Cost of Living: 51% above national average
This nearly 400-year-old city rings all our passion bells. Opportunities for lifelong learning are abundant, with more than 50 area colleges. Arts/culture and fine dining are first-rate. Outdoor water and land activities abound, including dozens of area golf courses. Boston enjoys good air quality and lots of doctors per capita. Elevation is 140 feet. The city is both highly walkable and bikeable. FEMA rates the natural hazards risk as moderate. The state income tax rate is a flat 5% on income up to $1.01 million, and 9% on the amount above that. There’s no state income tax on Social Security earnings, but there is a state estate tax. Negatives: The serious crime rate is above the national average. Winters can be cold.
Boulder, Colorado 🎨🍴🎓🍁
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning and outdoor land activities
Population: 107,000
Median Home Price: $940,000, 122% above national median
Cost of Living: 41% above national average
Boulder sits 30 miles northwest of Denver, and 5,400 feet up at the base of Rocky Mountains foothills, in a large recreational open space. Outdoor activities include hiking, climbing, biking and fishing. Boulder is also home to the University of Colorado, which nurtures big arts/culture and fine dining scenes and allows seniors to audit courses at minimal cost. And did we mention the legendary Sundance Film Festival is moving there from Utah in 2027? Boulder is very walkable and bikeable with a low serious crime rate, good air quality and abundant doctors. FEMA awards it a favorable relatively low risk rating for natural hazards. The state income tax is a flat 4.4% currently (it could drop a bit later in the year) and excludes Social Security benefits and up to $48,000 of retirement income for a couple. There is no state estate tax.
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Charleston, South Carolina 🎨🍴🎓⛵⛳
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning, outdoor water activities and golf
Population: 165,000
Median Home Price: $581,000, 37% above national median
Cost of Living: 20% above national average
This historic coastal city offers fine dining, a robust arts scene, outdoor water activities and golf (with more than three dozen courses in the area). The College of Charleston enables lifelong learning by exempting senior citizens from tuition. At an elevation of 20 feet, Charleston is moderately walkable and very bikeable. The city enjoys a high number of primary care doctors per capita and good air quality. Charleston has a relatively high (but not very high) risk for natural hazards, according to FEMA. The 6% state income tax rate kicks in for couples at just $17,838 of taxable income. But there’s no tax on Social Security benefits and $30,000 of retirement account/pension income for a couple is also exempt. There’s also no state estate or inheritance tax. The serious crime rate is a bit above the national average.
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Coeur d’Alene, Idaho ⛵🍁
Passions: Great for outdoor water and land activities
Population: 58,000
Median Home Price: $581,000, 37% above national median
Cost of Living: 16% above national average
Mountains and water, including 25-mile-long Lake Coeur d’Alene stretching to the south, make this city 300 miles east of Seattle a popular location for fishing, boating, swimming, hiking and skiing. Coeur d’Alene has a good number of primary care physicians per capita, good air quality, and a low serious crime rate. The city is very bikeable, although not very walkable. Elevation is 2,200 feet. FEMA rates Coeur d’Alene as having a very low risk for natural hazards. Idaho’s state income tax rate has dropped to a flat 5.3%, and Social Security benefits are exempt. There’s no state estate tax. A negative: Winters are cold.
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Dallas, Texas 🎨 🍴 ⛳
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining and golf
Population: 1.33 million
Median Home Price: $307,000, 27% below national median
Cost of Living: At national average
There are nearly 80 golf courses in and around the Big D, the nation’s ninth-largest city. Plus, Dallas boasts thriving arts/culture and fine dining scenes. The city has an adequate number of physicians per capita and is very bikeable and somewhat walkable. Air quality is tolerable. Elevation is 430 feet. Dallas has a relatively high (but not very high) FEMA risk rating for natural hazards. There is no state taxation of income or estates. One drawback is that the serious crime rate is above the national average. Another is hot and humid summers.
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Eugene, Oregon 🎨🍴🎓⛵🍁
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning, outdoor land and water activities
Population: 178,000
Median Home Price: $473,000, 12% above national median
Cost of Living: 7% above national average
Emphasizing an outdoors culture, this college river town, 110 miles south of Portland, brims with rafting and kayaking, and bicycling, running and walking trails. The University of Oregon, which allows senior citizens to audit classes for free, contributes to big local arts and dining scenes. The city is somewhat walkable, with good air quality and an above-average number of primary care physicians per capita. FEMA rates the natural hazards risk as moderate. Elevation is 430 feet. Oregon has no sales tax but does have a stiff income tax, that hits an 8.75% rate at just $22,100 of income for joint filers (with Social Security excluded) and tops out at 9.9% for taxable income above $250,000. There is also a state estate tax.
Fayetteville, Arkansas 🎓⛵🍁⛳
Passions: Great for lifelong learning, outdoor land and water activities, and golf
Population: 106,000
Median Home Price: $371,000, 12% below national median
Cost of Living: 10% below national average
The University of Arkansas still has among the country’s best lifelong learning deals for senior citizens—free tuition and fee waivers—in this Ozarks city, 200 miles northwest of Little Rock. The lush area has numerous parks and waterways conducive to hiking, fishing and boating, plus more than 20 golf courses. The city is very bikeable, but not so walkable. Elevation is 1,400 feet and air quality is good. The ratio of primary care physicians is average for the U.S. and Fayetteville has a moderate FEMA rated natural hazard risk. The top state income tax rate kicks in for a couple at a low $4,500 but was just reduced to 3.9%. Social Security benefits, plus $12,000 per couple of other pension/retirement plan income is exempt from tax. There’s also no state estate or inheritance tax. The serious crime rate is somewhat above the national average.
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Flagstaff, Arizona 🍁
Passions: Great for outdoor land activities
Population: 76,000
Median Home Price: $653,000, 54% above national median
Cost of Living: 16% above national average
Nestled along Route 66, 145 miles north of Phoenix, Flagstaff offers an outdoor wonderland: hiking, biking, climbing and skiing. Sitting 7,000 feet up, Flagstaff’s winters are cold (that’s the skiing part), but then there’s the summer, when, thanks to that high elevation, temperatures are considerably cooler than in steamy Phoenix. The city is very bikeable (but not so walkable) and has good air quality as well as a favorable relatively moderate natural hazard rating on the FEMA National Risk Index. The supply of primary care doctors is adequate. There’s a 2.5% flat state income tax, but Social Security benefits are exempt and there’s no state estate or inheritance tax. The serious crime rate is slightly above the national average.
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Hilton Head, South Carolina ⛵⛳
Passions: Great for water activities and golf
Population: 38,000
Median Home Price: $760,000, 80% above national median
Cost of Living: 39% above national average
More than 70 golf courses sit on or near this Atlantic Ocean barrier island. Water-based recreation opportunities, including boating, fishing and kayaking, are also plentiful. Hilton Head Island has good air quality, an adequate number of primary care physicians and a low serious crime rate. The island is somewhat bikeable, but not all that walkable. With an elevation of just 10 feet, Hilton Head has a relatively high (but not very high) FEMA risk rating for natural hazards. The top state income tax rate, recently lowered to 6.2%, kicks in for couples at just $17,830 of taxable income. But there’s no tax on Social Security benefits and $20,000 of retirement account/pension income for a couple is also exempt. There’s also no estate or inheritance tax.
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Iowa City, Iowa 🎨🎓
Passions: Great for arts/culture and lifelong learning
Population: 77,000
Median Home Price: $294,000, 31% below national median
Cost of Living: 10% below national average
Charming Iowa City, 115 miles east of Des Moines, anchored by the University of Iowa, which offers lifelong learning opportunities and generates arts and cultural activities. In 2008, UNESCO designated this college town a City of Literature for its cultural heritage, including its pioneering Iowa Writer’s Workshop. There’s an excellent ratio of primary care doctors per capita and good air quality. The city is very bikeable and somewhat walkable. Serious crime is at about the national average. Elevation is 700 feet. FEMA gives Iowa City a favorable relatively low risk rating for climate change and natural hazards. A revamp moved the state income tax down to a flat 3.8% this year, with all retirement income, including Social Security benefits, pensions, annuities and retirement account withdrawals excluded from the tax. The state’s long-time inheritance tax was repealed as of this year.
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New York, New York 🎨🍴🎓⛵⛳
Passions: Great for arts, fine dining, lifelong learning, outdoor water activities and golf
Population: 8.5 million
Median Home Price: $796,000, 88% above national median
Cost of Living: 73% above national average
For those who can afford it, the Big Apple has a lot of appeal. Dozens of colleges, terrific arts and dining, and even golf courses accessible via subway offer a cornucopia of leisure time activities. There’s a good ratio of primary care physicians per capita and good air quality. With an elevation of 30 feet, the city is very walkable and bikeable. New York has a relatively high (but not very high) FEMA rating for natural hazard risk. On the downside, there’s a state estate tax and the combined state and city income tax rate, about 9% for a couple with $100,000 in taxable income, reaches a lofty 14.8% on taxable incomes above $25 million. But there is no state income tax on Social Security benefits, and there are additional state tax breaks on pension income.
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Pinehurst, North Carolina⛳
Passions: Great for golf
Population: 19,000
Median Home Price: $531,000, 26% above national median
Cost of Living: 3% above national average
Golf is the big retirement passion around this picturesque village, 90 miles east of Charlotte. About 40 courses lace the area, led by the century-old Pinehurst Resort. The ratio of primary care doctors per capita is excellent, the air quality is good, and the serious crime rate is very low. Elevation is 560 feet. FEMA rates Pinehurst as having a favorable relatively low natural hazard risk; the area escaped the brunt of last year’s Hurricane Helene. The state income tax rate has been lowered again to a flat 4.25%. Social Security income is exempt and there’s no state estate tax.
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Pittsfield, Massachusetts 🎨🍁
Passions: Great for arts/culture and outdoor land activities
Population: 43,000
Median Home Price: $307,000, 27% below national median
Cost of Living: 4% below national average
Outstanding summer arts and cultural events attract folks to this former mill town, 135 miles west of Boston and 40 miles southeast of Albany, New York. Nearby state parks lace the scenic Berkshire Mountains, offering fall leaf-watching and winter skiing. The ratio of primary care doctors per capita is extremely favorable, and there is very good air quality. FEMA rates Pittsfield as having a very low risk for natural hazards. The state income tax rate is a flat 5% on income up to $1.01 million, and 9% on the amount above that. There’s no state income tax on Social Security benefits, but there is a state estate tax. Negatives: The serious crime rate is above the national average, and winters are cold.
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Portland, Maine🍴⛵🍁
Passions: Great for fine dining, and outdoor water and land activities
Population: 70,000
Median Home Price: $563,000, 33% above national median
Cost of Living: 13% above national average
Some 100 miles north of Boston, Maine’s largest city offers a wide range of water and land recreation. These include boating, kayaking, rafting, cross-country snow skiing, hiking and bicycling. The restaurant scene draws rave reviews. For a greater choice of cultural activities, Boston is a 2.5-hour train ride away. There is an excellent ratio of primary care doctors per capita, plus good air quality and a low serious crime rate. The city is very walkable and bikeable. Elevation is 60 feet. FEMA rates Portland as having a relatively low natural hazard risk. Maine’s state income tax tops out at a hefty 7.15% on taxable income above $126,900 for a couple. But there is no state income tax on Social Security benefits nor a state estate or inheritance tax.
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San Francisco, California 🎨🍴🎓 ⛵ 🍁
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning, and outdoor land and water activities
Population: 768,000
Median Home Price: $1.24 million, 194% above national median
Cost of Living: 146% above national average
For all the bad press it sometimes gets, San Francisco has a broad array of world-class retirement opportunities in the realms of arts/culture, fine dining and outdoor land and water activities. Plus, there’s an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Francisco State, a high ratio of doctors per capita and good air quality. With an elevation of 50 feet, the city is extraordinarily walkable and bikeable (despite its famous hills). San Francisco has a relatively high (but not very high) FEMA rating for natural hazard risk. The state income tax rate is a hefty 8% on taxable income above $111,732 per couple and goes up to 13.3% on the last dollar for taxable incomes above $1 million. But there’s no tax on Social Security benefits and no state estate or inheritance tax. While above the national average, San Francisco’s serious crime rate is not the highest on this list.
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Sarasota, Florida 🎨🍴⛵⛳
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining, outdoor water activities and golf
Population: 59,000
Median Home Price: $413,000, 2% below national median
Cost of Living: 5% above national average
The allure of this Gulf Coast city 60 miles south of Tampa stems from nearby beaches, fishing, boating, classy restaurants, a big and sophisticated arts/culture scene, and 90 area golf courses. At an elevation of 16 feet, the area is very walkable and bikeable, with good air quality and an adequate number of physicians per capita. According to FEMA, Sarasota has a relatively high—but not very high—natural hazards risk, which explains why it makes the list when even more hurricane-vulnerable Florida beach towns don’t, especially on the Atlantic Ocean side. There is no state income or estate/inheritance tax. The serious crime rate is above the national average.
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Scottsdale, Arizona 🍴 🍁 ⛳
Passions: Great for fine dining, outdoor land activities and golf
Population: 246,000
Median Home Price: $828,000, 95% above national median
Cost of Living: 37% above national average
This Phoenix suburb boasts more than 50 golf courses, about half of all courses in the sprawling metro area. Other local outdoor activities include hiking and horseback riding in the desert. There is also a gigantic restaurant scene. Doctors per capita are adequate, while serious crime is low. The city is very bikeable, though not as walkable. Elevation is 1,250 feet. Scottsdale has a relatively high (but not very high) natural hazards risk according to FEMA. There’s a 2.5% flat state income tax, with Social Security benefits exempt, and there’s no state estate or inheritance tax. On the downside, poor air quality continues to be a problem and summers are hot.
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Traverse City, Michigan 🎨🍴⛵⛳
Passions: Great for arts/culture, fine dining, outdoor water activities and golf
Population: 16,000
Median Home Price: $437,000, 3% above national median
Cost of Living: 4% below the national average
On a scenic inlet of Lake Michigan, 250 miles northwest of Detroit and 320 miles northeast of Chicago, Traverse City has water sports, more than 30 area golf courses and a reputation as a top dining town. It’s also near the celebrated Interlochen Center for the Arts, which hosts scores of music performances year-round. The air quality is good, and there’s an above-average ratio of primary care doctors per capita. At an elevation of 600 feet, Traverse City has a very low natural hazard risk as measured by FEMA. The serious crime rate is below the national average. The state income tax rate is a flat 4.25% and excludes Social Security income and some pension income. There’s no state estate or inheritance tax. One drawback: Winters can be cold and dark.
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Walla Walla, Washington🍴🍁
Passions: Great for fine dining and outdoor land activities
Population: 34,000
Median Home Price: $412,000, 3% below national median
Cost of Living: 7% below national average
Benefitting from more than 100 nearby wineries and the intellectual patina of a college town (Whitman College, Walla Walla University), this mellow city 260 miles southeast of Seattle boasts a strong fine dining scene. The area is also known for its hiking and biking opportunities. There’s a high ratio of primary care doctors per capita, plus good air quality and a low serious crime rate. The city is very bikeable and somewhat walkable. Elevation is 950 feet and FEMA rates the natural hazard risk in Walla Walla as relatively low. There is no state income tax, but a 7% “excise tax” is imposed on capital gains topping $250,000 from investments excluding real estate. There’s also a hefty sales tax and a stiff estate tax.
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