For a Disaster-Safe Retirement

The best places to retire to avoid natural disasters.

From the U.S. retirement cities scored on RetireMeHere: a sampling, not an exhaustive ranking. We add new cities regularly.

Risk here is comparative, not absolute: Helene's flooding of once-"climate-haven" Asheville is a reminder that nowhere is risk-free. These are simply the places where disaster exposure and insurance cost are both lowest.

Lower disaster exposure, insurable homes, and stable premiums: the places best positioned for the decades ahead.

Lowest risk: minimal exposure, easy coverage

No defining catastrophic peril, insurance that's plentiful and affordable, and reliable infrastructure. Every city in this tier scores 8 or higher on resilience.

Great Lakes setting with no major catastrophic peril: stable, affordable insurance and reliable infrastructure.

Traverse CityMI

Lakeside northern Michigan: minimal disaster exposure and a calm insurance market.

Very low risk, stable insurance

Little beyond occasional severe weather, with insurance markets that stay healthy and predictable.

Low catastrophic exposure beyond occasional severe storms; steady insurance costs.

Inland-lakes setting with a severe-weather-only risk profile and a healthy insurance market.

New England with low catastrophic exposure and normal premiums.

River-valley flooding stays localized; broad disaster risk is low and insurance stable.

Coastal storms but little catastrophic exposure, and a steady insurance market.

Saratoga SpringsNY

Upstate New York: low catastrophic exposure and affordable coverage.

Cold winters but low catastrophic risk and a stable, well-priced insurance market.

Low risk, solid footing

A notable seasonal hazard or localized flood risk, but broad catastrophic exposure stays low and coverage stays available.

DC-metro location with only minor tidal-flood pockets; low broad exposure.

Midwest severe-storm season aside, low catastrophic exposure.

Notable 2023 flooding, but otherwise low exposure and a stable market.

High-plains wind and severe weather; low catastrophic risk and low density.

CharlottesvilleVA

Inland Piedmont with low disaster exposure across the board.

Severe convective storms including derechos, but a stable insurance market.

Tornado-season storms aside, low catastrophic exposure.

Severe storms and river flooding; otherwise a low-risk profile.

Mississippi River flooding is the main risk; broad exposure stays low.

Flood and heat pockets, but low catastrophic exposure for a major metro.

Inland Sandhills: well removed from the coast's hurricane and surge risk.

Piedmont location sees hurricane remnants only; low direct exposure.

Blue Ridge valley with low catastrophic exposure and some localized flooding.

Silver SpringMD

Inland DC metro: low catastrophic exposure with modest flood pockets.

Inland riverine-flood risk only; well clear of major coastal hazards.

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