SmartAsset ranked 267 of the largest U.S. cities based on the percentage of the population represented by incoming baby boomers.
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Jaclyn DeJohn, CFP
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As baby boomers continue to retire in droves, they are likely to consider downsizing their living arrangements to accommodate their new lifestyles. While they have the highest portion of wealth among all generations, they may no longer need to pay to be close to work in a busy and expensive city center, or may no longer desire to maintain large homes and yards. Often seeking out a familiar community, warm weather, and other amenities, baby boomers may also be looking for the best bang for their buck. The communities chosen by members of this generation ultimately benefit from their dollars in the local economy, and may also see shifts in the overall demographics and job market as a result.
With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 267 of the largest U.S. cities based on the percentage of the population represented by incoming baby boomers.
Key Findings
Florida cities and Phoenix suburbs are preferred among baby boomers who are relocating. Palm Coast had the highest rate of baby boomers moving in at 3.69% of the total population. Other Floridian cities among the top 10 include Cape Coral (3.12%), Pompano Beach (3.07%), Clearwater (3%), Fort Lauderdale (2.75%), Gainesville (2.75%), and Palm Bay (2.70%). Similarly, Phoenix, AZ suburbs took the third, fourth, and fifth rankings, including Scottsdale (3.11%), Surprise (3.10%), and Goodyear (23.09%).
This California city had the highest rate of baby boomers moving in from abroad. A neighborhood in the San Jose metro area, Sunnyvale ranked 36th overall with 2.12% of the population coming in as new boomer transplants. Of these new 3,168 resident baby boomers, 1,613 of them—more than half—came from abroad.
More than 25% of the population are baby boomers in 18 cities. While most of the top 10 destination cities for baby boomers also have the highest concentrations of baby boomers overall, other cities with particularly high boomer populations include Pembroke Pines, FL (29.18%); Thousand Oaks, CA (28.67%); Port St. Lucie, FL (26.76%); St. Petersburg, FL (26.55%); Hialeah, FL (26.15%); Garden Grove, CA (25.61%); Springfield, IL (25.49%); Huntington Beach, CA (25.30%); Spring Hill, FL (25.28%); Oceanside, CA (26.23%); and Vallejo, CA (25.08%).
These popular boomer destinations have the lowest housing costs. Of the top 20 cities where baby boomers are flocking, Las Cruces, NM has the lowest median monthly housing costs at $960. The second lowest housing cost of the top 20 is Lakeland, FL, with median housing costs of $1,205 per month. Of the top 20 cities with the highest baby boomer populations, the lowest housing costs are in Topeka, KS ($924 per month) and Springfield, IL ($940 per month).
Top 20 Cities Where Baby Boomers Are Moving
SmartAsset
1. Palm Coast, Florida
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.69%
Number of boomers moved in: 3,753
Total population (1 year and older): 101,837
Total number of baby boomers: 32,278
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,359
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 599
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,767
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 29
Median household income: $70,037
Median monthly housing costs: $1,391
2. Cape Coral, Florida
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.12%
Number of boomers moved in: 6,937
Total population (1 year and older): 222,534
Total number of baby boomers: 69,729
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,875
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 573
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 2,639
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 1,849
Median household income: $74,634
Median monthly housing costs: $1,631
3. Scottsdale, Arizona
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.11%
Number of boomers moved in: 7,541
Total population (1 year and older): 242,388
Total number of baby boomers: 75,209
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 3,960
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 363
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 2,789
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 429
Median household income: $106,058
Median monthly housing costs: $1,875
4. Surprise, Arizona
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.10%
Number of boomers moved in: 4,855
Total population (1 year and older): 156,492
Total number of baby boomers: 38,181
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,522
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 115
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,935
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 283
Median household income: $89,560
Median monthly housing costs: $1,589
5. Goodyear, Arizona
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.09%
Number of boomers moved in: 3,398
Total population (1 year and older): 110,133
Total number of baby boomers: 24,213
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,449
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 179
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,770
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 0
Median household income: $105,160
Median monthly housing costs: $1,755
6. Pompano Beach, Florida
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.07%
Number of boomers moved in: 3,472
Total population (1 year and older): 113,039
Total number of baby boomers: 30,888
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,595
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 292
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 556
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 1,028
Median household income: $61,419
Median monthly housing costs: $1,591
7. Clearwater, Florida
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.00%
Number of boomers moved in: 3,469
Total population (1 year and older): 115,632
Total number of baby boomers: 32,780
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,830
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 157
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,005
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 476
Median household income: $73,178
Median monthly housing costs: $1,548
8. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.75%
Number of boomers moved in: 5,025
Total population (1 year and older): 182,822
Total number of baby boomers: 49,377
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,564
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 527
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,523
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 411
Median household income: $80,539
Median monthly housing costs: $1,910
9. Gainesville, Florida
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.75%
Number of boomers moved in: 3,973
Total population (1 year and older): 144,686
Total number of baby boomers: 21,702
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,685
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 319
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 869
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 100
Median household income: $47,099
Median monthly housing costs: $1,275
10. Palm Bay, Florida
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.70%
Number of boomers moved in: 3,604
Total population (1 year and older): 133,709
Total number of baby boomers: 36,515
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,985
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 552
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 969
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 98
Median household income: $67,928
Median monthly housing costs: $1,263
11. Miami, Florida
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.59%
Number of boomers moved in: 11,696
Total population (1 year and older): 451,265
Total number of baby boomers: 96,503
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 7,947
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 522
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 631
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 2,596
Median household income: $68,635
Median monthly housing costs: $1,869
12. Lakeland, Florida
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.57%
Number of boomers moved in: 3,083
Total population (1 year and older): 119,839
Total number of baby boomers: 25,665
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 907
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 545
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,426
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 205
Median household income: $57,131
Median monthly housing costs: $1,205
13. Wilmington, North Carolina
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.46%
Number of boomers moved in: 2,994
Total population (1 year and older): 121,626
Total number of baby boomers: 26,747
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,489
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 236
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,215
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 55
Median household income: $71,362
Median monthly housing costs: $1,457
14. Paradise, Nevada
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.45%
Number of boomers moved in: 4,316
Total population (1 year and older): 176,030
Total number of baby boomers: 37,787
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,055
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 0
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,709
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 552
Median household income: $61,680
Median monthly housing costs: $1,360
15. West Palm Beach, Florida
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.44%
Number of boomers moved in: 3,009
Total population (1 year and older): 123,075
Total number of baby boomers: 26,681
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,061
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 282
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 393
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 273
Median household income: $83,205
Median monthly housing costs: $1,825
16. Allentown, Pennsylvania
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.37%
Number of boomers moved in: 2,917
Total population (1 year and older): 123,307
Total number of baby boomers: 21,456
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,335
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 258
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 449
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 875
Median household income: $47,175
Median monthly housing costs: $1,232
17. Tyler, Texas
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.36%
Number of boomers moved in: 2,572
Total population (1 year and older): 108,779
Total number of baby boomers: 22,329
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,580
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 196
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 391
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 405
Median household income: $68,441
Median monthly housing costs: $1,246
18. Las Cruces, New Mexico
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.36%
Number of boomers moved in: 2,687
Total population (1 year and older): 113,884
Total number of baby boomers: 22,301
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 970
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 569
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,148
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 0
Median household income: $55,012
Median monthly housing costs: $960
19. Henderson, Nevada
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.35%
Number of boomers moved in: 7,866
Total population (1 year and older): 334,461
Total number of baby boomers: 81,630
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 3,996
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 42
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 3,498
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 331
Median household income: $82,476
Median monthly housing costs: $1,741
20. Oceanside, California
Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.32%
Number of boomers moved in: 3,908
Total population (1 year and older): 168,494
Total number of baby boomers: 42,515
Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,563
Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 711
Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 485
Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 148
Median household income: $99,108
Median monthly housing costs: $2,245
Data and Methodology
Data comes from the Census Bureau 1-Year American Community Survey for 2023. This SmartAsset study included 267 cities with available data and 100,000 or more people aged one or over. Boomers were defined as people ages 55 to 74. Cities were ranked by the percentage of the total population represented by baby boomers who moved into the city in 2023. Median household income and monthly housing costs were also examined.
